The frontside of the New-York Historical Society shopping bag.

The backside of the New-York Historical Society shopping bag.

The frontside of the New-York Historical Society shopping bag.

The inside of the New-York Historical Society shopping bag.

The side of the New-York Historical Society shopping bag.

The bottom of the New-York Historical Society shopping bag.

When I recently visited the NY History Store at the New-York Historical Society, they provided me with a sturdy bag to carry my newly purchased books, but also an engaging history game. On one side of the bag are a dozen questions, such as

• Who kept live whales in Manhattan?
• Who were the Death Avenue Cowboys?
• When did slavery end in New York state?
• Why is Broadway on an angle?
• Who gave New York its famous nickname: The Empire State?
• What is New York’s first museum?

To find the answers, to either have to peek inside the bag or look at the side panel to find a QR code and web address at answers.myhistory.org. There you’ll find an image of a totebag with the questions and you simply need to mouse over them to see the answer pop-up.  Very clever, plus it promotes several related items from the store.  Kudos to NYHS for making history fun and for reminding us that “Historians Recycle.”