2023 Holiday Gift Guide
We love reading gift guides and we love making gift guides. So, here we are again with a brand new list for the 2023 holiday season. No sponcon, just fun. Read through for a few ideas for the preservation people in your life. And in addition to the fun stuff we’ve rounded up, don’t forget to support your local small businesses, museums, historical societies, and other nonprofits (maybe even gift a membership to the League??). Your support really does make a difference, especially during this time of year.
Happy holiday shopping!
For the old house DIYer
If you are tackling window restoration/any kind of paint removal in your home, you will probably be happy to have this infrared paint stripper on hand.
How to Live with Objects: A Guide to More Meaningful Interiors by Monica Khemsurov and Jill Singer
Through inspiring home tours and practical advice on how and what to collect, Sight Unseen editors Monica Khemsurov and Jill Singer take you on an educational and highly visual journey through the questions at the core of their design philosophy: What makes an object worth having? How do our objects impact our lives?
House Portrait - Address Stamp by Sarah Neuburger
Immortalize your home with a custom return address rubber stamp featuring a drawing of your house in the artist’s signature style.
@cheapoldhouses the book is a stunning collection of beautiful, affordable homes that will inspire you to find your own fixer-upper — or fall back in love with the house you’re in.
Practical and whimsical. Can you imagine anything cuter than a stocking full of antique brass dust corners?
If you are active on old house Instagram, you probably follow @brownstoneboys. Now you can join them in showing off your love of historic homes with their official Brownstone Boy’s “Save Old Houses” dad cap.
For the NYC enthusiast
This porcelain box will be the perfect place to store your tiny treasures. And consider this a reminder to support your legacy businesses as well — Wing on Wo & Co. is the longest operating store in Manhattan’s Chinatown, “reinterpreting tradition through an Asian American lens.”
This gift set from Harlem Chocolate Co. features six chocolate bars shaped like Harlem brownstones and dusted in gold. An A+ gift for pretty much anyone.
NYPL Rose Main Reading Room Candle
A scented candle inspired by the vibes of the New York Public Library’s iconic Rose Main Reading Room? Yes please. Smells like: cedarwood, elemi, leather, and amber.
From the Tenement Museum’s very good gift shop, this dish towel features a collage of NYC neighborhoods and landmarks.
Architectural Icons mug celebrating the most important postmodern tower in Lower Manhattan, the brilliant 60 Wall Street by Roche-Dinkeloo, New York City, completed in 1989.
Handmade in Brooklyn, Catbird’s ode to New York mornings will look great with any outfit.
Brownstone Keychain by Claudia Pearson
A sweet enamel brownstone to keep your keys company.
For the design-savvy preservationist
2001 Whale - MTA Arts & Design Art Card
MTA Arts & Design has had some incredible artist collaborations over the years, and many of the posters and art cards are available through the New York Transit Museum Store. We were particularly charmed by this whale design, created by Peter Sis in 2001.
Who doesn’t love a breeze block motif? Pair this with a plant from your local plant shop for a very classy gift.
Tree of Life Embroidered Journal
This embroidered notebook is inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s iconic art glass pattern found in Buffalo’s Martin House.
The Eames Memory Game encourages you to test your memory with 25 pairs of colorful tiles with images that pay homage to iconic moments in Charles and Ray’s design portfolio.
Planting Utopia book and print by Julia Whitney Barnes
Hudson Valley-based artist Julia Whitney Barnes worked with Shaker Heritage Society to explore the Utopian ideals of the Shakers, their gift drawings and herb cultivation. She created linked site-specific installations at the Albany International Airport and the Shaker Heritage Society with her cyanotype and painted works. That project is now a book, and prints from the series are available on Julia’s website as well. (her annual holiday sale is happening now, use FLOWERS2023 for 15% off!)
Aphrochic: Celebrating the Legacy of the Black Family Home by Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason
Showcasing the amazing diversity of the Black experience through striking interiors, stories of family and community, and histories exploring the obstacles Black homeowners have faced for generations, this groundbreaking book honors the journey, recognizes the struggle, and celebrates the joy that is the Black family home.
Sheila Bridges x Gingerlily, Harlem Toile Silk Pillowcase in Lilac
Featuring Sheila Bridge's iconic 'Harlem Toile de Jouy' pattern, this silk pillow case is sure to delight.
For the public historian
I Brake for Historical Markers bumper sticker set
A set of two stickers designed by artist Shaun Slifer: “Let ’em know you’re driving slow (because you’re really interested in checking up on how state-sanctioned organizations are narrating or omitting or revealing the layers of historical context in the landscape that you’re traveling through)!!!”
Made Here: Recipes & Reflections From NYC's Asian Communities
Self-published by the nonprofit Send Chinatown Love, this is more than just a cookbook — it's about making a home, making a life, and making it in New York City. The book features recipes, photos, and in-depth stories from more than 40 restaurants featuring 18+ cuisines representing 24 NYC neighborhoods.
We Are Our Own Monuments Crewneck - Monument Lab x Ursula Rucker
Ursula Rucker is a Philadelphia born poet, mother, activist and recording artist. She is dedicated to art as/for social change, and committed to freedom fighting, truth-telling and peace- (and a little trouble) making through her chosen art form.
Celebrate People's History Poster: Jane Jacobs by Sabrina Jones
The Celebrate People’s History collection from justseeds has no shortage of options for various social histories, workers movements, and grassroots activism. You can grab a single poster (like the Jane Jacobs one seen here), the entire available catalogue, or the book to celebrate them all.
Project 562: Changing the Way We See Native America by Matika Wilbur
A photographic and narrative celebration of contemporary Native American life and cultures, alongside an in-depth examination of issues that Native people face, by celebrated photographer and storyteller Matika Wilbur of the Swinomish and Tulalip Tribes.
For the bookish preservationist
You can find all the books we’ve rounded up for 2023 on Bookshop!
The League receives an affiliate commission when you shop through our Bookshop link. Thank you!!