Lower East Side’s Tenement Museum has been recreating the apartments and retelling the stories behind the immigrant families who once resided nearby or within its walls. And for the first time ever, the museum will showcase a Black family’s story and home starting the week of Christmas.
The exhibition titled, “A Union of Hope: 1869,” will follow Black New Yorkers, Joseph and Rachel Moore. The pair spent their time in Lower Manhattan during the 1860s and 1870s.
Joseph Moore was originally from New Jersey and his wife Rachel, from Kingston, New York, before they moved to a rear tenement in what is now considered SoHo. Their building was home to African American and Irish New Yorkers.
According to the museum’s website, the exhibition has been in development for years. Museum goers will delve into Joseph’s life, gaining a deeper understanding of his free Black community of Belvidere, New Jersey to how his family first migrated to New York City. Uncover how him and Rachel assembled their own community within their profession and social lives post Civil War.
“A Union of Hope: 1869” will be viewable via tour beginning Tuesday, December 26th, 2023. Interested individuals can secure their tickets now online. Members will get access to the tour for free, as general admission costs $30.
The entire tour is for ages 12 and up. It will last for a duration of 75 minutes and become a permanent exhibit at the museum.