The Lively Morgue is a daily photo blog from the New York Times in which an original photo from the newspaper's archives is reposted along with tidbits of information gleaned from the historical article it accompanied. Along with a rescan of the original photograph, the backs of each photo are also scanned, giving a behind-the-scenes look at the editorial process of one of the world's best newspapers.
Today's posting features a shot from July 9th, 1976, in which Queen Elizabeth II visited Trinity Church to collect on 279 years' worth of back rent.
July 9, 1976: “Queen Elizabeth II came to New York yesterday to make speeches, shake hands, become an honorary citizen, wave to thousands of New Yorkers — and collect 279 years’ worth of back rent,” The Times reported. “The rent, 279 peppercorns in a Steuben glass container, was paid to Her Majesty on the steps of Trinity Church, at Broadway and Wall Street. The church received its charter from William III, an ancestor of the Queen, in 1697, for a nominal yearly rent of one peppercorn. Until today, the rent had never been paid.”
The original article from 1976 has more.
via Lively Morgue
Matt Coneybeare
Editor in Chief
Matt enjoys exploring the City's with his partner and son. He is an avid marathon runner, and spends most of his time eating, running, and working on cool stuff.
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