In 1807, long before Batman or Goths were running around town, Washington Irving wrote about New York City as “Gotham” in his  satire Salmagundi, and in his novel,  A History of New-York from the Beginning of the World to the End of the Dutch Dynasty, by Diedrich Knickerbocker (1809). He satirized New York City and some of the city’s self-important New Yorkers, and created a ficticious forefather, Father Knickerbocker.

The result?

Many striving New Yorkers of the time and since, claimed to be directly descended from ficticious Father Knickerbocker or from the ficticious author , Dietrich Knickerbocker, as a mark of good breeding and honor.

Also, we have Irving Place, Washington Irving High School, the town of Irvington, many businesses with Gotham or Knickerbocker in their names and the NY Knicks…and the beloved nickname for New York City ….Gotham.

 Very soon, GothamGirl will publish actual, contemporary photos of GothamGirl’s Knickerbockers making their way around town.