WikiTakesPhotos: Exploring Staten Island, Long Island City, Harlem and Prospect Park
In May, Richard Knipel — CUNY Wikimedian-in-Residence and Wikimedia NYC chair — led a series of events across New York City bringing communities together to document and share local history on Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons.
The series kicked off on May 5th at the College of Staten Island Library, where participants gathered for the Undercovered History of Staten Island Wiki Workshop. The hands-on editing event invited history buffs and curious newcomers alike to dig into overlooked local stories and contribute them to Wikipedia, helping surface the hidden gems of one of New York City's most underrepresented boroughs.
Later in May, Richard joined CUNY librarians and Queens Public Library staff for a WikiTakesPhotos walking tour of Long Island City. Guided by local historian Alan Archivala (Instagram: @bygone_newyork), participants photographed the neighborhood's landmarks — including the iconic Pepsi-Cola sign and the Long Island City Courthouse — adding them to Wikimedia Commons for the world to access freely.
The series also included a WikiTakesPhotos tour of Harlem, centred on the campus of the City College of New York. Participants documented architectural details including CCNY's Gothic archways and a collection of salvaged architectural grotesques — carved stone fragments from demolished buildings — all now preserved on Wikimedia Commons. CUNY's Office of Library Services further collaborated with CCNY archivists Renae Rapp and Sydney Van Nort to bring archival photographs from the college's own collections to the platform.
Across all three events — plus a follow-up event at Prospect Park in June — the goal was the same: connect communities with the tools and knowledge to share their local history with the world. Read more about the WikiTakesPhotos tours on the CUNY WIR blog: wircuny.commons.gc.cuny.edu
Explore Upcoming Events →
