Current Exhibits
Changing exhibits and long-term installations cultivate interest in the history and culture of northeast Queens. Many materials used are culled from the archival collection, and encourage conversation and inquiry.
From Backyard to Boulevard: The Bell Family Legacy
Coming this Summer!
Bayside Historical Society's soon-to-launch exhibition offers an engaging exploration of the rich history of Bayside, Queens. Discover how our neighborhood has evolved over the years, shaped by the contributions of the Bell family and other early settlers.
Ladies in Lines
First floor hallway exhibit
Group portraiture denotes a collective identity wherein the ensemble takes precedence over the individual. Candid or informal photographs enable those individuals that comprise the group to sustain the moment — to look back, and recall the time, place, and reason that particular occasion warranted documentation. BHS has a trove of unidentified group photographs in its collections with a selection featured in this exhibit.
Image: Members of the Bayside Woman's Club, June 1932
Viewing by appointment only
Men in Rows
First floor hallway exhibit
Formal group portraiture is a centuries-old tradition where people come together to memorialize an occasion and record it for posterity. Yet, in many cases, the subjects are identified by their group affiliation only. So, aside from their collective identity, just who are the men in these photos?
Image: Beefsteak Dinner in honor of Bayside's veterans, December 1919
Viewing by appointment only
Native Bayside
Second floor exhibit room
Native Bayside chronicles the prehistory of Bayside and the Northeast through artifacts recovered from an archaeological site in Queens and a model of the site excavation. The culmination of 35 years of work by archaeologist Edward J. Platt and the New York Institute of Anthropology, the Bayside site is the oldest carbon-14 dated continually inhabited site in coastal New York State.
Viewing by appointment only
Vintage Postcards of Bayside, NY
Virtual Exhibition
Bayside Historical Society's exclusive online collection features early 20th Century postcards of Bayside, Queens, from our archival collection. Explore Bayside, Queens, through these postcards and discover the many remarkable places that existed, and in some cases, still exist today!
One Man's Bayside
Short Film
Bayside Historical Society presents "One Man's Bayside," a short film from the 1960s about Bayside's history featuring narration from a member of the Bell Family, Mr. Brinton Bell. Enjoy shots of historical records and photographs from our Archives in this amazing video and learn about the local history of various locations dotting the Bayside neighborhood in this fascinating production. We thank Susan Leroux for providing Bayside Historical Society with a digitized copy of this film.