Past Exhibits October 2003 to Present

Ferry Tales :
Brooklyn’s Steamboat Service

"The Peconic", Artist Joseph B. Smith

Ever wonder how people got from Brooklyn to Manhattan before the Brooklyn Bridge and other East River crossings? Come to the Brooklyn Historical Society and find out!

The Brooklyn Historical Society is pleased to present an exhibition entitled, Ferry Tales: Brooklyn's Steamboat Service.

The Fulton Ferry began offering East River steamboat service across the East River in 1814. In 1839, the Fulton Ferry merged with its competitor - South Ferry - to form a new company, which was re-named the Union Ferry. Union Ferry ruled the East River and swallowed its competitors, while charging a uniform fare of a penny per passenger.

"Montauk" Artists James and John Bard

To celebrate Union Ferry's success and the supremacy of their fleets, Henry Pierrepont, a founder of the Brooklyn Historical Society and a principal in the Union Ferry Company, commissioned paintings of each boat sometime between 1840 and 1865.

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