New-York Historical Society

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This is a blog created by staff members in the library to draw attention to the richness and diversity of our collections.

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The Words of Remembering 9/11

Post date: 09/13/2011 - 2:17pm

On September 8, 2011, the New-York Historical Society opened its doors to our Remembering 9/11 installation. With photographs, newspaper clippings and audio accounts of the events of September 11, 2001, we wanted our gallery to be a place to remember and reflect on the events and the time that has passed.

Richard Haas' Skyline Panorama

Post date: 09/02/2011 - 4:59pm

When the New-York Historical Society reopens in November, the 77th Street Rotunda will be adorned with four works from artist Richard Haas’ Cityscapes cycle—paintings which depict a 360 degree view of New York City’s skyline. Originally displayed in the employee dining room of the Philip Morris headquarters in 1982, Haas tells us his goal was to bring the building’s stunning views to everyone.

The Course of Empire: A Conversation With Composer Nell Shaw Cohen

Post date: 08/22/2011 - 4:22pm

Art inspires, and sometimes what it inspires is other art. When composer Nell Shaw Cohen first saw Thomas Cole’s The Course of Empire at the New-York Historical Society, she was inspired to write a piece that represented the story seen in Cole’s series. One of the defining works of the Hudson River School of painting, The Course of Empire depicts the growth of a fictional civilization, from birth to power to ultimate demise.

Remembering 9/11: Looking Back and Looking Forward

Post date: 08/08/2011 - 12:11pm

Most people can tell you exactly what happened to them on September 11, 2011. They remember the weather, or what they had for lunch, or the look on their neighbor's face as the two watched smoke billowing from downtown Manhattan. The attacks of 9/11 affected everyone differently, and that is what the New-York Historical Society hopes to honor with the exhibition Remembering 9/11.

New-York Historical Society Interns Take To Tumblr

Post date: 07/26/2011 - 3:53pm

At the New-York Historical Society, our librarians, curators and conservators aren't the only ones who get to have all the fun. Though we're closed for renovations, our high school interns have been hard at work researching our collections. And they have the blog to prove it! On their Tumblr site the interns have been blogging about their summer projects, from researching the history of the Bronx to bathroom graffiti to the architecture of Grand Central Terminal. Want to be an intern?

The Tiffany Girls and the Bomb-Sniffing Dog

Post date: 07/08/2011 - 10:58am

Could Tiffany lamps be a national security threat? That's what seemed to be the case when transporting A New Light on Tiffany: Clara Driscoll and the Tiffany Girls home to America from Germany. "The bomb sniffing dogs alerted on one of the crates," said co-curator Margaret K. Hofer. "There a big ruckus and the crates had to be opened.