June 2011 Programs & Exhibitions Announced At NY Historical Society
By: Gabrielle Sierra May. 11, 2011
Evening Public Programs will be presented at the New York Society for Ethical Culture at 2 West 64th Street at Central Park West, unless otherwise noted.
ON THE CUSP OF THE CIVIL WAR: DEBATING RACE IN AMERICA
Thursday, June 2, 6:30 PM
Henry Louis Gate, Jr., Jennifer Burton
On the cusp of the Civil War, James McCune Smith, the first African American to receive a medical degree and one of the foremost intellectuals of the era, entered into one of the most prominent debates within American society: the Nature of the Negro. The debate explored whether Europeans and Africans were equally or similarly human. This special program, held in the New-York Historical Society Library, explores the arguments that provided justification for slavery in the 18th century as well as those that led to its abolition a century later.
This program will be held in the New-York Historical Society Library. Enter at 5 West 76th Street at Central Park West.
THOMAS BRACKETT REED: CZAR OF THE GILDED AGE
Tuesday, June 7, 6:30 PM
James Grant, Beverly Gage
Thomas B. "Czar" Reed (1839-1902), Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives in three tumultuous Gilded Age congresses, single-handedly transformed both the House and the Speakership and unintentionally opened the floodgates of political modernity. And the problems with which Reed grappled were as modern as today's front page: a war of choice (in his day, with Spain), the impact of globalization on the American economy, and the fraught question of the dollar-should it be backed by gold, silver, or nothing at all? James Grant discusses how Reed changed the political landscape and how his story resonates today.
THE DRAFT RIOTS: 1863
Tuesday, June 14, 6:30 PM
Barnet Schecter, Barry Lewis, Harold Holzer
New York City's only "Civil War Battle" was the 1863 Draft Riot-a convulsive, racially-motivated street fight for the very soul of Manhattan. Experts provide a frank, no-holds-barred account of the sickening excesses of the bloody struggle, its lasting impact on New York politics, the efforts of the mayor, governor, and President Lincoln himself to quell the frightening disturbance, and what it all meant to the future of New York.
TRAVELING EXHIBITIONS
The Hudson River School: Nature and the American Vision
February 26 - June 19, 2011
Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, TX
The New-York Society has organized an exhibition drawn from the rich collections of 19th-century American landscape painting to travel while the galleries are closed during renovations in 2011. This hiatus offers us an opportunity to share works that are not often available for loan. Nature and the American Vision: Masterpieces of the Hudson River School will include forty-five iconic works including Thomas Cole's five-part series: The Course of Empire and other masterworks by Cole, John F. Kensett, Albert Bierstadt, Jasper F. Cropsey, Asher B. Durand, and many others.
A New Light on Tiffany: Clara Driscoll and the Tiffany Girls
May 8 - August 21, 2011
The Albuquerque Museum of Art and History
New Light on Tiffany presents groundbreaking research revealing the many women who played a crucial role in the design and creation of Tiffany Studios' masterpieces, in particular, Clara Driscoll (1861-1944), head of the Women's Glass cutting Department. Driscoll's recently discovered correspondence, written during her employment at Tiffany Studios at the turn of the century, reveals that she was responsible for many of the firm's most iconic lampshades, including the Wisteria, Dragonfly, and Poppy, as well as numerous other objects made with glass, bronze, and mosaic. In addition to designing, Driscoll managed a large department of young women, known as the "Tiffany Girls," who specialized in selecting and cutting glass for windows, shades, and mosaics. A New Light on Tiffany features approximately 60 Tiffany lamps, windows, mosaics, enamels, and ceramics designed by Clara Driscoll and other women at Tiffany Studios, as well as numerous objects made under her direction. Supplementary archival material documents the activities at Tiffany Studios and sheds light on Driscoll's experience as a New York working woman at the turn of the century.
INFORMATION HOTLINE:
To reach Museum's offices call: 212-873-3400
ONLINE INFORMATION:
www.nyhistory.org
MUSEUM STORE HOURS:
Tuesday to Saturday: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Sunday: 11:00 am to 5:45 pm
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