Frequently Asked Questions for Rights & Reproductions
We receive many inquiries at the Museum of the City of New York regarding rights and reproductions for objects in our collections. Below are some frequently asked questions and responses. … Continue reading
Frequently Asked Questions for the Collections Department
We receive many reference inquiries here at the Museum of the City of New York, primarily through our research email (research@mcny.org). The Museum makes every effort to answer questions directly … Continue reading
Conserving the Rufus King Traveling Medicine Chest
The New York City of statesman and diplomat Rufus King (1755-1827) was a grim place. Disease crippled the city, with its rampant overcrowding and meager sanitation. And despite their stature, the … Continue reading
Alexander Hamilton’s “sweet project”: The Grange
Now that Alexander Hamilton has been restored as one of the most talked-about New Yorkers (including his story’s place as Broadway’s best new musical in the 2016 Tony Awards sweep), … Continue reading
How a Colonial Relic Became a Civil War Memento: Tracing Object History in the Silver Collection
Over the course of digitizing the Museum’s silver collection, we’ve come across many objects with storied histories, but not many can weave a historical path through our collection with the … Continue reading
Conserving and Photographing the Silver Collection
The digitization of the Museum of the City of New York’s silver collection has progressed steadily since our last blog post highlighting presentation pieces in the collection. There are now … Continue reading
Announcing the digitization of the City Museum’s silver collection
In the City Museum’s Silver Collection you’ll find objects made, owned, or sold in the city of New York, such as domestic and presentation hollowware, flatware, and costume accessories. The … Continue reading
Alexander Jackson Davis Gothic Revival Chair
An iconic example of Gothic Revival furniture, a chair (MCNY 35.257.67) designed by Alexander Jackson Davis (1803-1892), is one of the highlights of the Museum’s furniture collection. It was designed … Continue reading
Cleopatra’s Needle
An obelisk, one of antiquity’s most enduring forms, is celebrating its 133rd year in New York City as the subject of an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Later … Continue reading
Harry Harkness Flagler House Chandelier
Object conservation presents an opportunity to learn about aspects of an object’s history that cannot always be revealed by researching secondary sources. Conservation done for the re-installation of a chandelier … Continue reading
Duncan Phyfe Center Table
This Empire center table (36.160) featuring a painted tondo (circular composition) on its top is one of the highlights of the Museum of the City of New York’s furniture collection. … Continue reading
Brinckerhoff Secretary
In preparation for the third and final phase of the renovation of the Museum of the City of New York’s landmark building, Collections staff de-installed New York Interiors: Furnishings for … Continue reading
