Work/Cited Episode 12: Rubbing Elbows at the Automat

By Meredith Mann, Specialist II
January 31, 2022
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

In this episode, NYPL's Tal Nadan spoke about the Horn & Hardart Automat with Lisa Hurwitz, director of the documentary film The Automat, and Alec Shuldiner, Lisa's collaborator and author of a 2001 dissertation on the subject. These coin-operated eateries were once ubiquitous in New York and Philadelphia, and their rich history is documented in NYPL's Robert F. Byrnes collection of automat memorabilia as well as many other archives explored by these researchers. During the program, the three speakers discussed how the dissertation led to the film and the very different processes and challenges entailed in creating these two formats of scholarship.

Presenter headshots and photograph of an Automat

Episode Recording and Transcript

A transcript of this event is available here.

Related Resources

About the Work/Cited Series

Work/Cited is a program series that showcases the latest scholarship supported by the rich collections of The New York Public Library with a behind-the-scenes look at how the finished product was inspired, researched, and created. Catch up on previous episodes on the NYPL blog, where videos and links to related resources are posted shortly after each program. Sign up for NYPL's Research Newsletter or view the events calendar to hear about future programs as they are announced.