Standing Inches from History at the New Tang Wing for American Democracy
A fragment of King George III's statue. George Washington's inaugural chair. A surprisingly fascinating shoe museum. Three hours at the new Tang Wing for American Democracy left this history nerd completely enchanted, and convinced the New York Historical may be the best museum experience in the city.
How America Keeps Rewriting Itself: Inside NYPL's Declaring America
Before opening to the public, we toured the New York Public Library's ambitious new exhibition, Declaring America: 1776 and Beyond. Featuring rare documents, protest artifacts, and stories spanning 250 years of American history, the exhibition explores how generations of Americans have debated the meaning of liberty, equality, and democracy.
The City We Inherited From the Dutch
As America gears up for its 250th anniversary, New York City is quietly celebrating a milestone of its own: 400 years since the founding of New Amsterdam. Through Dutch Golden Age paintings and surprising historical insights, the New York Historical's Old Masters, New Amsterdam offers a fresh look at the people, culture, and ideas that helped shape the city long before it became New York.
At New York Historical, Indigenous Art Reclaims the American Story
At New York Historical, “House Made of Dawn: Art by Native Americans 1880 to Now” explores Indigenous history and identity through more than a century of paintings, photography, sculpture, and mixed media. The exhibit feels less like a traditional retrospective and more like a reclaiming of perspective.
The Forgotten Queen of Magic: Adelaide Herrmann in NYC
Adelaide Herrmann spent twenty years performing beside her husband, the legendary magician Herrmann the Great, dazzling audiences across America and Europe. But after his sudden death, she did something no woman had ever done before: she took center stage herself. Known as the Queen of Magic, Herrmann became the first woman to headline her own magic act, performing death-defying illusions, touring internationally, and reshaping the Golden Age of Magic. Her extraordinary and often overlooked story is now featured in the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts’ exhibition Mystery and Wonder: A Legacy of Golden Age Magicians in New York City.
