History of the Health Department

A black and white photo of New Yorkers reciving smallpox vaccines in 1947. A long line of people fills the street.

New Yorkers receiving smallpox vaccines in 1947

This section contains historical information on the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the past three hundred and fifty years of public health works in New York City.

Chronology of the Department

The Living City

The Living City, produced by Columbia University The Living City is a digital library initiative intended to capture the experience of life, health, and urban transformation during the decades between the end of the Civil War and the end of World War I. See NYCDOH documents and images from the 1860s - 1920s.