Reproductive Rights Access in New York 1827–2024

In conjunction with Women's History Month and NYC's 400th anniversary, the New York City Department of Records and Information Services presents this exhibit that traces women's reproductive rights in the City. The pop-up exhibit explores legal access to reproductive health care between 1827 and the present, outlining full evolution of the city’s stance on abortion from criminality to full access. Using historical indictments, NYPD photos of locations where illegal abortions were performed, Health Department charts as well as protest and advocacy records, the exhibit illustrates New York City’s central role in providing access to safe, legal abortions after 1970, continuing to the City’s 2024 Sexual and Reproductive Health Bill of Rights.