Often overlooked, doors are perhaps the most important feature of a building. They are the means by which we escape the often crowded and chaotic streets of the city. Every building has one (well, maybe except for the Raymond Street Jail which was accidentally constructed in 1836 sans front door), but some outfit this largely utilitarian feature with more panache than others. This collection highlights some the city's loveliest historic doorways, from the simple but classic columns of early 19th century Federal rowhouses to the gloriously geometric brickwork of Art Deco apartment houses, and everything in-between.

Board of Health Building, Chelsea Center. Entrance, 1937.

Board of Health Building, Chelsea Center, 1937. The simple Art Deco building was built in the mid 1930s for the Board of Health. The building, which has functioned as administrative offices and a medical clinic for the BOH and later the Department of Health, is currently (Spring 2017) undergoing a large scale renovation and should open again in late 2017.

Man and microbes have always co-habited, and their relationship has had a profound influence on human history—especially in cities, the crossroads of the movements of people, goods, and germs. Germ City: Microbes and the Metropolis explores the complex story of New York’s long battle against infectious disease—a fight involving government, urban planners, medical professionals, businesses, and activists.