“Shop Life” Progress at the Tenement Museum

Credit: Tenement Museum

Six months ago, the Lower East Side Tenement Museum broke ground on their forthcoming “Shop Life” exhibit. So it’s definitely high time for an update on this subterranean retail space. As the following pictures depict, progress is steady ahead of the scheduled October opening.

Being the newest street-level tour at 97 Orchard Street, “Shop Life” focuses on immigrant entrepreneurs who earned their livelihoods through small business ventures. The exhibit straddles a timeline spanning more than 100 years, and will feature a recreation of John and Caroline Schneider’s German beer saloon, which served lagers and lunch during the 1870s.

Tourists will also have access to a partially-restored commercial space, complete with sales counter boasting interactive audio and video clips.  Content includes info on other historic businesses at 97 Orchard like Israel Lustgarten’s 1890s kosher butcher store, Max Marcus’ 1930s auction house, and Sidney Meda’s 1970s undergarment store.