97 Orchard Street, New York: Stories of Immigrant Life

by Linda Granfield, Arlene Alda (Photographer)

Imagine growing up on Orchard Street in 1916. If you were a member of the large Confino family you’d be living in 325 square feet of space. The only fresh air and natural light would come from the two windows in the front room. No heat, no water, no bathtub, no shower. Toilet in the hall.

The Confinos’ apartment is only one part of the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, an extraordinary facility in New York City. The Museum has restored 97 Orchard Street to provide us with an opportunity to understand the immigrant experience shared by millions who have come to North America.

In text and with archival photos, Linda Granfield tells the story of four families, including the Confinos, who called 97 Orchard Street home, and provides information about the period, the history of the house, and the neighborhood, bringing to life conditions that were familiar to immigrants in many of North America’s big cities. The stories and archival materials are beautifully complemented by Arlene Alda’s sensitive photographs that evoke the hardship, the dignity, and the hope encompassed in 97 Orchard Street.

The book includes useful facts, information about the Museum and its efforts to help new immigrants who share similar experiences. Whether or not the reader can visit the Museum itself, this book is a valuable resource in understanding our own histories in North America.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Book Club, New York, Jewish, Biography, American History

56 pages, Paperback

First published October 2, 2001

Reviews

[Kristen Luppino · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great overview of the fantastic story of a tenenent that has been restored as a museum on the Lower East Side. The book holds stories interspersed with pictures and photos of artifacts of the people who lived here. I really enjoyed reading the stories of some families I didn't hear about on my tour!

[Julie Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wonder if I need to even visit the Tenement Museum now, or if this sufficed? Read like walking through a museum exhibit. Interesting. Too short.

Update: I’ve since visited the Tenement Museum and this book introduced you to only a small fraction of what they have to offer, so do go and visit!

[South_Shore_Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a friend heard about my upcoming trip to visit the Tenement Museum in NYC, she loaned me this book. I read it right before my visit and it enhanced my tour and understanding of the lives that inhabited 97 Orchard St. Each tour focuses on one of the families in this book and-if my family would have allowed it-I would have gone on every single tour.

This book explores both the family and the culture and experiences of that particular immigrant group and I learned things I hadn't know before. And as someone who loves history, books and cooking-this book with it's storytelling through food and recipes hit the mark.

I highly recommend reading this if you plan to visit the Tenement Museum and even if you don't, it's a good read.

[Kelsey Hanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was not what I expected, but that is my own fault for not reading reviews a bit more closely. I thought that this was a novel length book, but it is actually a 55-page picture book. That being said, it was still very interesting and contains some unique photos of what tenement life would have been like. The stories of the different families who lived in the building and the struggles that they faced were very intriguing. It was a short, quick book but it was very fascinating

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

A historical account that corresponds to the Tenement Museum in New York City. The story of 5 immigrant families that occupied 97 Orchard Street during the wave of European immigration. The main concentration is on the food they brought with them and the life they made in a new country while adjusting to the American culture.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and well researched history of immigration in this country as told through food. Learned so much … but the writing doesn’t flow very well. Like watching a documentary that just tells facts rather than illustrating with stories. I told my dad about this book and he wants to read it.

[Madame Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent read about 97 Orchard Street, a tenement for newcomers to America. I learned new things about the Lower East Side as well. The photographs offer great insight as to what conditions families had to live with.

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very informative about life in A New York Tenement in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. The families who lived there and their lives from being immigrants to becoming citizens. The eventual turning it into a museum.

[Mary Byrne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This brief history of immigrant life in the buildings which are now the Lower East Side Tenement Museum in NYC comes alive with the stories of the lives of real people, complete with real pictures. It makes me reflect on how their hardships and grit is reflective of present day immigrant stories.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Between 1863 and 1935, the tenement building at 97 Orchard Street in New York City was home to some 7000 families, mostly new Americans from many parts of the world. The building has been restored to late nineteenth century condition by the Tenement Museum, an initiative spearheaded in the 1980s by historian and social activist Ruth Abram and co-founder Anita Jacobson.

This book, in photographs and narrative, tells the story of several immigrant families in the squalid apartments here. The book is well laid-out and expands on the information on the virtual tour, but—honestly—the website is more interesting.

There is a 97 Orchard Street Cookbook for which I had rave recommendations from both Buried in Print and Nan at Letters from a Hill Farm.

If you’re in NYC, check the home page for information about live tours. The Tenement Museum has not been impacted by the government shutdown and is open for business as usual.

Read this if: the virtual tour intrigues you. 3 stars

[Janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This slim volume (55 pages) is an introduction to the Tenement Museum in New York City. I picked it up in the museum shop after my first tour there (I did the "Sweatshop Workers" tour).

It profiles a few families from among the 7000 residents who lived in the 20 apartments between 1863 and 1935. It also provides some contextual essays (immigration in general, Ellis Island, the construction of 97 Orchard St, etc.). It is filled with evocative photographs, some of which I saw during my tour and others which were new. Fun fact: the photos were taken by Arlene Alda, who happens to be married to actor Alan Alda.

The book is a fine introduction to the museum and the stories it interprets. My only complaint is that it is too short. I finished it on the day I bought it (after a long day in the city) and then wanted more! That was my fault for not buying the right book, I guess!

[Gail Fligstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is like having a homemade, yummy, warm meal. I highly recommend it. Granfield takes you on a culinary tour of Lower East Side New York tenement life between 1850 and 1930. She paints a picture of crowded markets with pushcarts, neighborhood delis and family dinners. There is a detailed description of what foods immigrants brought from Germany, Ireland, Italy, and Eastern Europe. One gets an idea of what it must have been like to travel in steerage for a month, with little more to eat but moldy bread. I was struck by the courage of immigrant mothers who fed their families in spite of not having much money. I loved this book because it describes the daily lives of people in such a detailed way. She even includes old recipes, which I found interesting if not appetizing.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

97 Orchard Street is the building in which the Tenement Museum is located on the lower east side of Manhattan. If you haven't been there, stop reading and go there. It has four apartments that have been 'renovated' to a specific family who lived there. An Irish family in the 1860s, a German family in the 1880s, a Jewish family at the turn of the century, and an Italian family in the 1930s. By learning about each family, you learn about their journey and the times in the city.

This book is focused on their history, but specifically the food they brought with them that became American food. Corned beef and cabbage, bagels, pizza. This is a different look at history and includes many recipes, although you may not want to render your own goose fat.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like history and you like cooking, you're probably going to like the book.

The story basically documents the lives of four immigrant families living in a New York slum at the turn of the century. The author describes how each family (each a different ethnicity) adapts to their new culinary environment, and in turn how the environment responds to the influx of new ethnic cuisines.

Obviously being historical fiction, the author has to extrapolate a bit, but she gives a good vision of how each family probably lived at the time, even sharing period recipes with the reader.

Overall, a very enjoyable read.

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this very short (55 pages) book. It was produced in conjunction with the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. The book gives brief descriptions of several of the families who occupied the tenement at 97 Orchard at various times in the past. We are invited into the tiny apartments of the families. Photographs show us how the rooms looked when the families lived there. This particular tenement was inhabited by over 7,000 people between 1863 and 1935. It has now been restored as a museum. My only complaint is that I wanted more, more stories and more photos.

[Michelle Damiani · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book years ago, but it has stuck with me. I was prompted towards it because of a visit to the Lower East Tenement Museum, and I found the book a solid companion to the experience of the museum. In short, I was compelled to read it like I'm rarely compelled to read non-fiction. I learned an incredible amount and constantly annoyed my friends with fun facts about the origins of the school lunch program and other facets of life in turn of the century NYC. It's well-written, informative, and gives not just a window, but a real sense, of tenement life. An excellent read.

[Suz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting more of a storyline for each of the different families rather than each family being a springboard to discuss the larger community. Once I let go of that and quit trying to read it like a linear story, it was easier to read and I learned something new. At the end of the day, that's not a bad thing. Enjoyed the parts about Ellis Island the most. Read it as part of a book club and we all brought heritage dishes to the meet up. That was fantastic!

[Georgianne]

This is basically a picture book, which I didn't realize when I requested it from the library. I put it on hold because I had just read the 97 Orchard Street book on food. Still, it was an interesting follow-up and complemented the other book. I'd love to go visit the Tenement Museum now, especially since my grandparents immigrated here from southern Italy and many of the experiences in these two books were theirs.

[Ronnie Fein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pleasant and interesting tale based on immigrant families from different cultures all of whom live at this address. The author tells mostly of the culinary richness and adaptability of the people who lived there and it is a good cultural reference that gives a lively picture of life on NY's lower east side at the turn of the 20th century

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed visiting the Lower East Side Tenement Museum a few years ago. This book helps tell the story and would be great for kids to read to get a better understanding of what folks went through to improve their lives. Leave their homeland, come to a country they only heard about, find housing, find work, learn the language and live among many and survive.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is more a brief pictorial history with a glimpse into a few immigrant family's history who lived in the first tenement building in NYC. The photography tells it's own story most elegantly.

I was glad to learn more about this era of USA history and surprised to learn about 97 Orchard Street Tenement Museum. I hope to visit it someday.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable and highly readable, and also a learning experience about immigrant life. Who knew that geese played such a role in immigrant cookery? I thought of them as the ultimate WASP-y Christmas dinner.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Because I had recently visited the Tenement Museum which is 97 Orchard Street, I really enjoyed learning more about the families who had lived there and the foods traditions they had brought with them to this country.

[Eileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating history of NYC. Remnants of those early immigrant lives still exist in the NYC area and certainly within families descended from them. Understanding some of these lives helps explain many of the traditions and views still present.

[jillbertini · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent overview of immigrant life and life in the tenements in NY City's Lower East Side. It's by the Tenement Museum, which is a fantastic place to visit if you are ever there. Mostly covers what is in their tours.

[Miriam Kahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the biography of five immigrant families living at 97 Orchard Street. The author tells the story of their lives through their food. It's an interesting twist if you are interested in ethnic food and recipes from the 'old country.'

[Renee]

tried to read...but have decided to put it aside, not what i was expecting.

[Betsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book briefly sums up how New York's Tenement Museum came to be and provides mini-biographies of the lives of the families featured in the museum. Photos are nice. Text is thin.

[Sue (booknbeachbag) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book about different ethnicities and their eating habits in the earlier days of NYC.

[Brett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good short introduction to the Lower East Side Tenement Museum for kids told primarily through photographs, both current & period.