February 28 | 3pm | 213 Water Street | Free
Join the Seaport Museum for a lively, moderated conversation with author Kelley Kreitz exploring the themes of her new book, Printing Nueva York, and the vibrant world of Spanish-language publishing in 19th century New York City. Building on the Museum’s celebration of the history of printing in New York—as seen in every visit to Bowne & Co.—this event will share how the city became a vital hub for writers and editors from across Latin America, offering press freedom and access to cutting-edge printing technology.
During the program, Kreitz will share how Spanish-language newspapers and magazines—created by US-based Latinx writers, editors, and their collaborators—used innovative storytelling and media strategies to advance anticolonial movements and democratic ideals. Attendees will gain insight into how these dynamic networks modeled principles of equality, collective action, and civic participation long before the digital age.
The conversation will also explore the research behind Printing Nueva York and Kreitz’s work with projects including C19LatinoNYC.org, which maps New York City’s 19th century Spanish-language press, and GBOF.pace.edu The Ground Beneath Our Feet: Countermapping Understudied Histories and Communities of NYC and the Hudson Valley. The evening will conclude with a Q&A session, followed by a reception and book signing. Books will be available for purchase at the event. Preregistration is encouraged to join the event at 12 Fulton Street. Walkups will be accommodated as possible.
About the Author
Kelley Kreitz is Professor of English at Pace University in New York City. Her research brings together Latinx studies, media studies, and US and Latin American literary studies and has appeared in American Literary History, Aztlán: A Journal of Chicano Studies, English Language Notes, and Revista de Estudios Hispánicos, among other journals. She leads the digital mapping project C19LatinoNYC.org and is the author of Printing Nueva York: Spanish-Language Print Culture, Media Change, and Democracy in the Late Nineteenth Century (NYU Press, 2026). She serves on the advisory board of the University of Houston’s Recovering the US Hispanic Literary Heritage Project.
About Bowne & Co.
Established by Robert Bowne in 1775, Bowne & Co. holds the distinction of being New York’s oldest operating business under the same name. After growing as a financial printer throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, Bowne & Co. Inc. partnered with the Seaport Museum in 1975 to open a 19th century-style print shop at 211 Water Street in the South Street Seaport Historic District. Today, it is comprised of the Bowne & Co. Printing Office—a workspace that continues the age-old tradition of job (or small batch) printing using historic presses from South Street Seaport Museum’s working collection—and Bowne & Co. Stationers, a 19th century-style emporium selling gifts and fine goods.
Enjoy More That the Museum Offers
Access to the historic ships and exhibitions on view is not included with your ticket to this event. If you would like to explore more that the Museum has to offer, book in advance or ask Museum staff about General Admission tickets when you check in.
General Admission is available Friday through Sunday, from 11am to 5pm and brings you aboard the 1885 tall ship Wavertree and 1908 lightship Ambrose at Pier 16, and into all current exhibitions on view in the first-floor Schermerhorn Row galleries at 12 Fulton Street. Your ticket also sets you on course to explore Maritime City, the Seaport Museum’s immersive, three-floor exhibition at A.A. Thomson & Co., located at 213 Water Street.
Ready for more?
Head over to our Programs and Events page to see what else is happening at the Museum. Sign up for an upcoming talk, learn more about visiting Wavertree, or explore our virtual offerings.