Current Exhibitions – Main Gallery

What They Saw: Hoboken’s Amateur Photography Clubs 1889-1934

In the late 19th century, "camera fiends" roamed the streets of Hoboken. Lugging heavy tripods and glass negatives, these early enthusiasts captured a city in flux—from the salt-sprayed bustle of the waterfront to the smoky interiors of taverns and the sudden drama of collapsing buildings.

The Hoboken Historical Museum invites you to step into their shoes. This exhibit features rare, enlarged prints made from original glass negatives held in the collections of both the Museum and the Hoboken Public Library, revealing a city you thought you knew through the eyes of the people who lived it.

Exhibit Highlights:

• The "Camera Fiends": Discover the stories of a spirited cast of characters, including a police detective who photographed burglars' tools and a rooftop photographer who later gained fame as a painter of Western scenes.

• Vintage Tech: See the tools of the trade up close, from period-accurate cameras to a "magic lantern"—an early precursor to the modern projector.

• Lost Hoboken: Experience the "insistent calamities" of the age, with vivid imagery of unpredictable storms, pervasive fires, and the evolving 19th-century streetscape.