FORGOTTEN CITY LIGHTS

In the summer of 2010, I was immensely happy to be able to mount an exhibit at the City Reliquary in Williamsburg that I put together with MTA employee Robert Mulero, who has hundreds of photos of New York City lampposts going back to when he first began photographing them in 1978. As you can see, the Reliquary went all-out with an entire room dedicated to lampposts, with excellent lighting, labelling, and framing. The well-attended launch celebration was held July 15, 2010, when I was just getting back in the swing after several months recovering from heart surgery. Unfortunately photos I took from that night are stuck on an external drive that won’t mount.

According to the AI robot,

“Forgotten City Lights” was a 2010 exhibition at The City Reliquary in Brooklyn, showcasing photographs of NYC street lampposts curated by Kevin Walsh and MTA employee Bob Mulero. The exhibit displayed over 30 years of Mulero’s photos, documenting various, often overlooked styles of lampposts across the city’s boroughs.

Key details about the exhibit:

• Curators: Bob Mulero (who photographed the lamps) and Kevin Walsh of Forgotten NY.
• Focus: Rare and overlooked street lamp variants, including old curved-mast survivors.
• Location: The City Reliquary, a community museum in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
• Significance: It was highlighted as one of the few, if not only, museum exhibits dedicated specifically to NYC street lampposts.

The exhibition featured extensive documentation, with photos dating back to the 1970s, highlighting the architectural history of these street items.

Soon after, Bob and I took our idea to the Museum of the City of New York to mount their own NYC lampposts exhibit, but were turned down. I’d like to revisit the idea. If you have any ideas how this can be accomplished, Comments are open.

Check out the ForgottenBook, take a look at the  gift shop. As always, “comment…as you see fit.” I earn a small payment when you click on any ad on the site. 

5/26/26