Category Archives: Museums & Exhibits

Long Island’s Cradle of Aviation Museum is Sensational Destination on Staycation Itinerary

The world-class Cradle of Aviation Museum in Uniondale, Long Island, is a sensational destination for a staycation – inspiring exhibits that explain the beginning of aviation to the future of space travel in the place where it happened, set in a spacious, comfortable air-conditioned facility. © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Garden City, NY July 8, 2020 – On Thursday, July 9th at 10am, the Cradle of Aviation Museum and Education Center will reopen to the public following local, state, and federal guidelines. The air and space museum has been working diligently preparing for a safe and secure experience for visitors and will begin a phased reopening approach proceeding cautiously to normal services, placing the health and safety of its visitors, employees and community first.  As a thank you to frontline healthcare workers for their courageous and selfless efforts, the museum is offering free admission until August 31, 2020 with valid employee id. 

Additionally, for reopening weekend only, July 9 – July 12th, the museum is rolling out from storage, four recently restored aircraft, the Republic F-105 Thunderchief, the Grumman Agcat, the Grumman X-29, and the Fokker D-VII, for visitors to view outside for the very first time.

“The Cradle staff and volunteers are excited to be able to reopen the museum to provide visitors with a safe and exciting experience. The museum staff has worked hard to create a safe and clean environment for all visitors and we look forward to welcoming everyone to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the end of WWII as well as the 50th Anniversary of F-14 Tom Cat,” said Andrew Parton, President, Cradle of Aviation Museum and Education Center 

Cradle of Aviation educators measure out six-foot social distancing separations getting the air-and-space museum ready to reopen to the public  © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

REOPENING PREPARATIONS  – Reopening Plan 

Reduced Services and Reduced Schedule

As of July 9th the museum’s new operating hours are Thursday – Sunday 10 am-4 pm.

Museum galleries will be open.

Theater and Planetarium, Nunley’s Carousel, and Junior Jet Club are temporarily closed as per NYS direction.  

Cafe – Open with limited light snacks and pre-packaged items. 

Admission tickets may be purchased online or at the box office. 

Safety Requirements

All Employees are required to wear face masks.

All visitors over the age of 2 are required to wear face masks while at the museum. Disposable face masks will be made available for anyone who does not have them. This is an NYS mandate; this simple action keeps our employees and fellow visitors safe, helping to stop the spread.

Certain jobs will require employees to use gloves, but gloves are available to all staff who choose to use them.

The museum has added signage about appropriate distancing, wearing masks, our cleaning procedures and best practices in sanitation behavior.

Implementing Social Distancing Standards

The museum is limiting the number of people allowed in the museum by 25% maximum capacity for the foreseeable future.

The museum is introducing socially distanced queuing at our box office, entrances, café and store registers.

Six feet is the standard, and staff are empowered to close exhibits if maintaining 6 feet of distance between people appears to not be possible.

The museum has installed plexiglass shields at all registers.

Directional floor markers and one-way flow through the museum and within galleries,

The museum is restricting group visits, guided tours, public programs, and special or private events limiting the number of participants until further notice as directed by NYS Government.

Enhancing Cleaning Procedures

The museum maintains its enhanced COVID-19 cleaning procedures (including thorough, frequent cleanings of high-touch surface areas), in addition to its daily standard cleaning services.

Bathrooms are cleaned every hour on the hour during work hours and are deep-cleaned in the evenings after the building is closed to the public.

The museum has installed hand sanitizer stations at frequent intervals throughout the museum, galleries and offices.

The museum is using the EPA recommended cleaner that is effective in killing SARS and COVID 19 for all of its sanitizing efforts along with 80% isopropyl alcohol spray for surfaces.

Health Screening and Policies

The museum is  requiring employees to do a health screening before each shift; checking for COVID symptoms; taking temperatures. Anyone with a fever of 100.4 or higher will be required to go home and we are encouraging staff to stay home if they feel unwell.

REOPENING – Top Reasons to Return to the Cradle

Free Admission for Healthcare Workers

Free Admission for Healhcare Workers until August 30, 2020 with valid employee ID.

Tickets can be ordered online or at box office. 

A thank you to our courageous heroes.

Four Recently Restored Planes on Display Outdoors for First Time One Weekend Only 

In recognition of the re-opening of the Cradle of Aviation Museum, the museum will allow visitors to see four aircraft recently restored and in storage for ONE weekend only July 9-12. 

This is the FIRST time these aircraft will have been shown to the public & will be placed back in storage after this weekend. 

Visitors may inspect the aircraft up close, barrier free, and museum staff will be on hand to answer any questions. The aircraft will be shown outdoors which should allow for excellent photographic opportunities. This viewing is free with admission.

Republic F-105 Thunderchief. Mach 2 fighter/bomber built in Farmingdale in the late 1950’s, and workhorse of the Vietnam War. Still the largest single-engine single-seat military aircraft ever built!

Grumman Agcat. 1960’s crop duster designed and first built in Bethpage. This is the only agricultural aircraft ever designed and built on Long Island. Aircraft was in a crash in the 1980’s and was recently extensively restored by the museum.

Grumman X-29. This full-scale mockup was built by Grumman prior to the construction of the two experimental jets in the 1980’s. Pioneered many advanced concepts including forward-swept wings, composite construction and fly-by-wire control.

Fokker D-VII. This vintage flyable replica is still under active restoration. German Fokker D-VII’s were the first fighters stationed on Mitchel Field in the years immediately after World War One. As the war’s best fighter, many were seized in Germany at the war’s conclusion and shipped to America. This exact replica includes many original parts. Upon conclusion of the restoration this will be the only Fokker D-VII in the world in U.S. Air Service markings.

The Grumman F-14 Tomcat (famous in the Top Gun movie, just in time for the relese of Top Gun 2) is on display, marking the 50th anniversary of the first flight © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

2020 is the 75th Anniversary of the End of WWII

Visitors can commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the end of WWII visitors with  a look back at the aircraft and the people that made a difference in ending the war including such fighter planes as the P-47 and Grumman’s Avenger, Hellcat, and Wildcat. 

2020 is the 50th Anniversary of the First Flight of the F-14

Visitors can experience the F-14 Tomcat, one of the most iconic Navy fighters, ever built on Long Island featured prominently in Top Gun.  See a full size aircraft, the third f-14 ever built and oldest flying F-14 from 1971-1990, two -F14 cockpits, nose and flying suits. Learn about the plane, the pilots, and why the F-14 is  such a beloved fighter and just in time before the release of Top Gun: Maverick this December.

The Cradle of Aviation Museum is an Escape and a Place to Feel Inspired for the Future

Who couldn’t use a little of that these days?

Spacious, clean, safe, air-conditioned, and inspiring.

The Cradle of Aviation Museum & Education Center is home to over 75 planes and spacecraft representing over 100 years of aviation history and Long Island’s only Giant Screen Dome Theater.  The museum is located on Museum Row, Charles Lindbergh Blvd., in Garden City.  Call (516) 572-4111 or visit www.cradleofaviation.org      

For more travel features, visit:

goingplacesfarandnear.com

goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com

moralcompasstravel.info

www.huffingtonpost.com/author/karen-rubin

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/

goingplacesfarandnear.tumblr.com/

instagram.com/going_places_far_and_near/

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Twitter: @TravelFeatures

                                   

Ellis Island Introduces New Personalized Virtual Research Service to Help People Locate Arrival Records of Immigrant Ancestors

One of the passenger manifests in the Ellis Island database. A new service enables people to hire a researcher to find their immigrant ancestors among the 65 million arrival records of those who entered the United States through Ellis Island from 1820 to 1957.

The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, the nonprofit that collaborates with the National Park Service and raises funds for the restoration and preservation of these two national monuments, has introduced a new service in response to Ellis Island closing during the COVID-19 crisis. Each year thousands visit the American Family Immigration History Center at Ellis Island to explore their connections to the 17+ million immigrants who entered the U.S. through the Port of New York (1820-1957). Now, a newly created virtual experience replicates a visit to the Family History Center to help people along their genealogical journey.

For a $30 donation, the Foundation’s experts conduct a personalized search of the passenger database, home to about 65 million arrival records. With a successful search, donors receive two copies (a digital version and a hard copy on archival paper) of the Ship Manifest displaying the immigrant’s arrival. The Foundation is also producing a series of videos featuring research tips and interesting stories about Ellis Island’s immigration history.  

This team consists of the same research staff you would normally meet at the American Family Immigration History Center on Ellis Island. Your donation secures a 30-minute research session conducted by the team, with the funds supporting the Foundation’s mission and our commitment to keeping these 65 million records available for people all over the globe.

Successful searches will result in the Foundation sending you a free digital copy of the Ship Manifest displaying your ancestor’s arrival in America! In addition, when the Foundation’s office reopens, you will receive a hard copy, on archival paper, sent with free shipping.

Each research session will be 30 minutes in length. During this time, the research team will search the vast records for your ancestor (only one per session; you can purchase more than one session). Allow up to 10 business days to receive your search results. You may purchase more than one session. If you are interested in searching for multiple passengers, you can reserve additional sessions. Research sessions occur without live participation from donor. The research team will reach out to you if they have any additional questions. 

How it works

Visit the website shop to make your donation and secure your 30-minute research session.

You will receive a confirmation email from our research team. This email will include a document where you will provide as much information possible about the passenger you’d like us to research. The more information the team has from you, the more they can narrow the search.

After submitting your form, a research team member will be assigned to conduct your search.

If your search is successful, you will receive a free digital copy of the Ship Manifest (up to a $50 savings!)

If your search is unsuccessful, you will receive a 10% off promo code for the Ellis Island Shop.

To start, go to https://libertyellisfoundation.org/FindYourFamily

The Ellis Island Database, which is free for all, is an amazing gateway to history. There are close to 65 million records documenting the people who came to America through the Port of New York, from 1820 to 1957.

In the coming weeks, The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation will unveil a series of videos on social media that will guide you along a genealogical journey, providing research tips and historical fun facts from our staff.

For more travel features, visit:

goingplacesfarandnear.com

goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com

moralcompasstravel.info

www.huffingtonpost.com/author/karen-rubin

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/

goingplacesfarandnear.tumblr.com/

instagram.com/going_places_far_and_near/

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Twitter: @TravelFeatures

Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum Joins Cradle of Aviation June 4 for Virtual Trivia Edutainment

Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum and the Cradle of Aviation Museum will present a live trivia event at June 4 at 2 pm hosted by the Intrepid’s Frantz Lucien, Manager of Interactive Experience and Family Engagement and the Cradle’s Thomas Barry, Assistant Director of Education

Garden City, NY – On Thursday, June 4th at 2pm, the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum and the Cradle of Aviation Museum and Education Center are hosting a live trivia event for some edutainment and laughter. The topic: aviation. The intention: a little good-natured fun for all ages with a nod to NY heritage and the state’s aviation trailblazers coming live from organizations and individuals who are passionate and enthusiastic about their museums, educating audiences, and sharing their stories.

The pandemic has hit cultural institutions hard in the US and around the world. Museums have joined together in mutual support sharing ideas, resources, and messages of inspiration. New York is certainly no stranger to reaching out and lending a hand in a time of need. The live trivia event will be hosted by the Intrepid’s Frantz Lucien, Manager of Interactive Experience and Family Engagement and the Cradle’s Thomas Barry, Assistant Director of Education

“We hope that we can help preserve our past and inspire the future by honoring our heroes and educating the public through this fun program whose main goals are to provide a positive educational and social experience,” Barry said.

The live broadcast will be streamed on The Cradle of Aviation’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/CradleofAviation/ and YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/Cradleofaviation

Why the Collaboration?

“Museum education is a small world. Many educators have met each other through their career paths, at conferences, or through special projects. We are always looking for ways to help and support one another as we seek to engage the public. The Cradle of Aviation and Intrepid Sea Air & Space Museum have quite a bit of overlap in their content and by working together, we hope to reach an even larger audience with some great content related to both of our Museums. This content stretches back to the earliest days of flight and goes right up through the present day. Our Museums may be closed, but that doesn’t mean our jobs as educators are any different…the only thing that has changed is how we do them,” Barry said.

Recent Posts/Teasers About Upcoming Trivia Event https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFQg6TKQgT0

How Other Museums Are Working Together

● Between 2-3K museum professionals attending weekly Cuseum webinars on how to engage audiences and stay afloat during pandemic https://cuseum.com/blog-sections

● In March, art museums started #museumbouquet sending messages of gratitude paired with paintings and photos of flower bouquets to share some brightness with the world. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/museums-sending-each-other-bouquets-1815078

● In VA, local museums have organized a virtual scavenger hunt to celebrate local heritage https://rvahub.com/2020/05/21/area-museums-will-join-forces-may-24th-to-offer-socially-distant-digital-scavenger-hunts/

The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum is a nonprofit, educational institution featuring the legendary aircraft carrier Intrepid, the space shuttle Enterprise, the world’s fastest jets and a guided missile submarine. Through exhibitions, educational programming and the foremost collection of technologically groundbreaking aircraft and vessels, visitors of all ages and abilities are taken on an interactive journey through history to learn about American innovation and bravery.

The Intrepid Museum fulfills its mission to honor our heroes, educate the public and inspire our youth by connecting them to history through hands-on exploration while bridging the future by inspiring innovation. Connect with the Intrepid on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, and tour the Museum virtually on Google Arts & Culture.

The Cradle of Aviation Museum & Education Center is home to over 75 planes and spacecraft representing over 100 years of aviation history and Long Island’s only Giant Screen Dome Theater. The museum is located on Museum Row, Charles Lindbergh Blvd., in Garden City. Call (516) 572-4111 or visit www.cradleofaviation.org.


For more travel features, visit:

goingplacesfarandnear.com

goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com

moralcompasstravel.info

www.huffingtonpost.com/author/karen-rubin

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/

goingplacesfarandnear.tumblr.com/

instagram.com/going_places_far_and_near/

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Twitter: @TravelFeatures

Long Island’s Cradle of Aviation Brings Museum Online to Help Families, Educators & Community Stay Connected

Among the ongoing virtual experiences that Cradle of Aviation Museum is offering are replays via Facebook Watch Parties of some of its favorite encounters with astronauts, pilots, authors, and STEM leaders including the Apollo 50th Anniversary Dinner Panel in July featuring five Apollo Astronauts and two Mission Control directors. © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Garden City, NY — The world-class Cradle of Aviation Museum continues its primary mission to collect, preserve and interpret Long Island’s rich aerospace heritage of discovery and inspire future generations through science and technology. Though shuttered during the coronavirus pandemic, Cradle of Aviation is staying connected to the community by bringing the museum experience online with 360°  view gallery tours and through sharing helpful, fun, and inspirational content and programming. All resources are available at www.cradleofaviation.org/virtualmuseum and via social media channels.

Online Educational Services

LEARN with #Educator Tom, the museum’s latest TikTok sensation (with over 1.5m views in under a week) as he brings edutainment online through over 50 videos on the history of ingenuity and innovation in aerospace. Did you know that rotary engines spun along with propellers to cool it down? https://www.tiktok.com/@cradleofaviation/

MAKE an At Home Activity with video instruction from Cradle’s Education Team. Like “Make A Mission Patch” asking students to use their imagination on their own personal mission. If there were a mission to stop a virus, what would the patch look like? YouTube https://youtu.be/OShJVmPPJ8A

ASK an Educator those challenging STEM related homework questions and assignments and get some help from the Education team, like which layer of the Earth is located closer to the crust? Send questions to [email protected].

Virtual Museum – We Bring the Museum to Your Screen

EXPERIENCE the museum galleries in 360° via Google Street View and visit Cradle’s many exhibit pages with links to further resources from The Dream of Wings to the Future of Space. Virtual Tours https://www.cradleofaviation.org/plan_your_visit/virtual-museum/galleries-exhibits.html

BE INSPIRED with evening lectures as the museum replays via Facebook Watch Parties some of its favorite encounters with astronauts, pilots, authors, and STEM leaders including the Apollo 50th Anniversary Dinner Panel featuring five Apollo Astronauts and two Mission Control directors (Thursday, March 26th at 8pm) presentation and an intimate look at life and art of Apollo Astronaut Alan Bean with Leslie Bean and Shuttle Astronaut and Bestselling Author Mike Massimino (Tuesday, March 24th at 8pm.  www.facebook.com/cradleofaviation 

PERUSE thousands of inspirational photos of the heroes of air and space in our NY Heritage Digital Collection including rarely seen photos of Amelia Earhart, Charles Lindbergh, the F-14 and Lunar Module. https://nyheritage.org/contributors/cradle-aviation-museum

WATCH our playlists on our YouTube channel www.youtube.com/cradleofaviation including recommended picks from our curator, Josh Stoff, as well as inspirational interviews with astronauts who recently visited the museum.

FOLLOW US on social media as we continue to highlight inspirational stories of triumph over tragedy and celebrate teamwork in overcoming odds as well as recommended helpful resources on Facebook, InstagramTikTokTwitterLinkedIn, YouTube, and Pinterest.

“The Education Department is fortunate to have the opportunity to continue collaborating with educators and families across our region. Learning takes place beyond the four walls of a classroom. It can be fun and exciting in any environment from our museum floor to your living room to right outside your window! During this time, when families are learning at home, we’ll be sharing content from astronauts talking about their time in outer space, to how to build paper airplanes for a family flight contest, to homework help with the Cradle’s Education Department. We look forward to being a free resource for our community and to bring STEM to everyone,” said Catherine Gonzalez, Director of Education, Cradle of Aviation Museum.

“During these difficult times we salute the efforts of our superhero scientists and all health care professionals. At the Cradle we continue to serve as a STEM resource for the thousands of students who are operating in the current distant learning environment,” said Andrew Parton, President, Cradle of Aviation Museum.

Additionally, the Cradle of Aviation Museum is working on offering bilingual content including at home activities and a bilingual presentation from NASA Engineer Scarlin Hernandez.

The Cradle of Aviation Museum and Education Center is home to over 75 planes and spacecraft representing over 100 years of aviation history and Long Island’s only Giant Screen Dome Theater. The museum is located on Museum Row, Charles Lindbergh Blvd., in East Garden City. For more information call (516) 572-4111 or visit www.cradleofaviation.org 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CradleofAviation/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cradleofaviation/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cradleofaviation/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CradleAviation

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/CradleofAviation

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cradle-of-aviation-museum

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/cradleaviation/

For more travel features, visit:

goingplacesfarandnear.com

goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com

moralcompasstravel.info

www.huffingtonpost.com/author/karen-rubin

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/

goingplacesfarandnear.tumblr.com/

instagram.com/going_places_far_and_near/

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Twitter: @TravelFeatures

NYC Cultural Organizations Unite to Celebrate Women’s Suffrage Centennial

The exhibition Women March at the New-York Historical Society explores the efforts of a wide range of women to expand American democracy in the centuries before and after the suffrage. It is part of The Women’s Suffrage NYC Centennial Consortium, a collaboration of cultural organizations citywide with exhibitions and programs that, together, offer a multi-dimensional picture of the history of women’s suffrage and its lasting, ongoing impact © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

(New York, NY) One hundred years ago, women earned the right to vote with the ratification of the 19th amendment. To honor their fight and commemorate this moment in history, a collective of New York City cultural organizations has formed the Women’s Suffrage NYC Centennial Consortium.

The Women’s Suffrage NYC Centennial Consortium is a collaboration of cultural organizations citywide that foregrounds exhibitions and programs that, together, offer a multi-dimensional picture of the history of women’s suffrage and its lasting, ongoing impact. The consortium has launched www.WomensSuffrageNYC.org to highlight the activities being presented across New York City throughout 2020.

Founding members are the New-York Historical Society, the Staten Island Museum, the New York Philharmonic, The New York Public Library, Brooklyn Historical Society, the Museum of the City of New York, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, the Brooklyn Museum, Park Avenue Armory, and Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden.

Announced programming includes the exhibition Women March at the New-York Historical Society, which explores the efforts of a wide range of women to expand American democracy in the centuries before and after the suffrage victory (February 28 – August 30); Women of the Nation Arise! Staten Islanders in the Fight for Women’s Right to Vote at the Staten Island Museum, which presents the remarkable stories of local suffragists acting on the grassroots level to create the momentum necessary for regional and national change and the bold tactics they employed to win the vote (March 7 – December 30); the New York Philharmonic’s Project 19—a multi-season initiative to commission and premiere 19 new works by 19 women composers, the largest women-only commissioning initiative in history, which launched earlier this month and continues in the spring (May – June) and beyond; and 100 Years | 100 Women a partnership of Park Avenue Armory with National Black Theatre and nine other cultural institutions in New York City to commission work exploring the complex legacy of the 19th Amendment 100 years after its ratification from 100 artists who identify as women or gender non-binary (showcase of commissions on May 16).

For a full list of exhibitions, events, and programs, visit WomensSuffrageNYC.org.

The consortium is committed to showcasing women’s contributions to the past, present, and future. Though many women were given access to the right to vote 100 years ago, the fight for equality continues. Their goal is to expand the conversation through meaningful cultural experiences that convey that all women should be seen, heard, and counted.

The Women’s Suffrage NYC Centennial Consortium is co-chaired by Janice Monger, president & CEO of the Staten Island Museum, and Valerie Paley, director of the Center for Women’s History and senior vice president and chief historian at the New-York Historical Society, to bring together a group of vital New York City cultural organizations with a shared vision to honor the Women’s Suffrage Centennial.

“We are so proud to bring together this collective of organizations and colleagues who share the vision that women’s stories are important and need to be told. All of these activities represent multi-faceted, nuanced cultural and historical insights into the early 20th century movement and equality in progress today,” said Janice Monger, consortium co-chair and Staten Island Museum president & CEO.

“In an effort that was many decades in the making, a century ago, women came together to fight for and win the right to vote. While that right was not fully and immediately extended to all women, their continued collective action galvanized movements to expand and give substantive meaning to American democracy after the suffrage victory,” said Valerie Paley, consortium co-chair and senior vice president and chief historian at the New-York Historical Society, where she directs the Center for Women’s History. “Through these cultural experiences across New York City, we hope New Yorkers and visitors alike will be inspired by the women who made history and the women who are making history now,” she added.

The Women’s Suffrage NYC Centennial Consortium will continue to grow as new programs and exhibitions are announced during the year.

The Women’s Suffrage NYC Centennial Consortium has been supported by the founding organizations and Humanities New York.

For more travel features, visit:

goingplacesfarandnear.com

goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com

moralcompasstravel.info

www.huffingtonpost.com/author/karen-rubin

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/

goingplacesfarandnear.tumblr.com/

instagram.com/going_places_far_and_near/

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Twitter: @TravelFeatures

New-York Historical Society Leaps into Election Year with Exhibitions Showcasing Pillars of American Democracy

Rembrandt Peale. George Washington (1732–1799), 1853. Oil on canvas. New-York Historical Society, Bequest of Caroline Phelps Stokes

Women activists with signs for registration, 1956. Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Frances Albrier Collection. © Cox Studio

Choctaw Nation Constitution of 1838 / The Constitution and Laws of the Choctaw Nation Park Hill, Cherokee Nation: John Candy, 1840. Photo credit: Ardon Bar-Hama

Herman Hollerith’s Punched Card Tabulator. Scientific American, vol. 63., no. 9. New York, 1890. Courtesy of David M. Rubenstein

Free Admission to Civics Exhibitions for College Students Through 2020

NEW YORK, NY –
As election year 2020 begins, the New-York Historical Society launches a series of special exhibitions that address the cornerstones of citizenship and American democracy. Starting on Presidents’ Day Weekend, visitors to Meet the Presidents will discover how the role of the president has evolved since George Washington with a re-creation of the White House Oval Office and a new gallery devoted to the powers of the presidency. Opening on the eve of Women’s History Month, Women March marks the centennial of the 19th Amendment with an immersive celebration of 200 years of women’s political and social activism. Colonists, Citizens, Constitutions: Creating the American Republic explores the important roles state constitutions have played in the history of our country, while The People Count: The Census in the Making of America documents the critical role played by the U.S. Census in the 19th century—just in time for the 2020 Census.

To encourage first-time voters to learn about our nation’s history and civic as they get ready to vote in the presidential election, New-York Historical Society is offering free admission to these exhibitions to college students with ID through 2020, an initiative supported, in part, by The History Channel. This special program allows college students to access New-York Historical’s roster of upcoming exhibitions that explore the pillars of American democracy as they prepare to vote, most of them for the first time.

“The year 2020 is a momentous time for both the past and future of American politics, as the centennial of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote, coincides with both a presidential election and a census year,” said Dr. Louise Mirrer, president and CEO of New-York Historical. “This suite of complementary exhibitions showcases the ideas and infrastructure behind our American institutions that establish and protect our fundamental rights to make our voices heard and opinions count. We hope that all visitors will come away with a wider understanding of the important role each citizen plays in our democracy.” 

Meet the Presidents (February 14 – ongoing)
Opening on Presidents’ Day Weekend, a special permanent gallery on New-York Historical’s fourth floor features a detailed re-creation of the White House Oval Office, where presidents have exercised their powers, duties, and responsibilities since 1909. Visitors to New-York Historical can explore the Oval Office, hear audio recordings of presidential musings, and even sit behind a version of the President’s Resolute Desk for a photo op. 

Presidents can furnish the Oval Office to suit their own tastes, and this re-creation evokes the decor of President Ronald Reagan’s second term, widely considered a classic interpretation of Oval Office design. The Resolute Desk, which has been used by almost every president, was presented by Queen Victoria of England in friendship to President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1880. The original was made from timbers from the British Arctic explorer ship H.M.S. Resolute, which was trapped in the ice, recovered by an American whaling ship, and returned to England. Other elements reminiscent of the Reagan-era on view include a famous jar of jelly beans, an inspirational plaque reading “It can be done,” and artist Frederic Remington’s Bronco Buster bronze sculpture of a rugged cowboy fighting to stay on a rearing horse.

The Suzanne Peck and Brian Friedman Meet the Presidents Gallerytraces, through artwork and objects, the evolution of the presidency and executive branch and how presidents have interpreted and fulfilled their leadership role. Highlights include the actual Bible used during George Washington’s inauguration in 1789 and a student scrapbook from 1962 chronicling JFK’s leadership during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Meet the Presidents is curated by Marci Reaven, vice president of history exhibits, and Lily Wong, assistant curator.

Women March (February 28 – August 30)
For as long as there has been a United States, women have organized to shape the nation’s politics and secure their rights as citizens. Their collective action has taken many forms, from abolitionist petitions to industry-wide garment strikes to massive marches for an Equal Rights Amendment. Women March celebrates the centennial of the 19th Amendment—which granted women the right to vote in 1920—as it explores the efforts of a diverse array of women to expand American democracy in the centuries before and after the suffrage victory. On view in the Joyce B. Cowin Women’s History Gallery, Women March is curated by Valerie Paley, the director of the Center for Women’s History and New-York Historical senior vice president and chief historian, with the Center for Women’s History curatorial team. The immersive exhibition features imagery and video footage of women’s collective action over time, drawing visitors into a visceral engagement with the struggles that have endured into the 21st century. 

The exhibition begins with the many ways women asserted political influence long before they even demanded the vote. Objects and images demonstrate how they risked criticism for speaking against slavery, signed petitions against Indian Removal, raised millions to support the Civil War, and protested reduced wages and longer days. A riveting recreation of an 1866 speech by African American suffragist and activist Frances Harper demonstrates the powerful debates at women’s rights conventions. Absence of the vote hardly prevented women from running for political office: one engaging item on display is a campaign ribbon for Belva Lockwood, the first woman to argue before the Supreme Court, who won around 4,000 votes in her own presidential bid. 

Multiple perspectives on the vote, including African American and working-class activism, are explored, upending popular assumptions that suffragists were a homogenous group. The 19th Amendment is hailed as a crucial step forward, but recognized as an incomplete victory. One photograph shows an African American women’s voter group in Georgia circa 1920, formed despite wide disenfranchisement, and another shows women of the League of Women Voters who sought to make suffragists’ goals real with legislation that addressed issues such as public health and child welfare. A digital interactive monitor invites visitors to explore the nuances of voting laws concerning women across the entire United States.  

Offering an examination of women’s activism in the century after the Amendment, the exhibition concludes by showing how women engaged with issues such as safe workplaces, civil rights, reproductive justice, and freedom from violence. Photographs and video footage of women building warships, boycotting segregation, urging voters to register, and marching for the Equal Rights Amendment convey the urgency of their desire for full citizenship. The dynamism of women’s collective action continues to the present day with handmade signs from the 2017 Women’s Marches and footage of a variety of marches and speeches on topics ranging from reproductive justice to indigenous peoples’ rights to climate change. Visitors can also learn about many individuals who have been instrumental in women’s activism over the past 200 years in an interactive display compiled by New-York Historical’s Teen Leaders program. Meanwhile, young visitors can explore the exhibition with a special family guide. 

Colonists, Citizens, Constitutions (February 28 – May 31)
America has been singular among nations in fostering a vibrant culture of engagement with constitutional matters and the fundamental principles of government. Featuring more than 40 books and documents from the Dorothy Tapper Goldman Foundation’s collection, Colonists, Citizens, Constitutions: Creating the American Republic illuminates America’s continuing debates on the role and limits of government and the fundamental rights of all citizens. From the early days of the American Revolution, to the American Civil War, to the eve of World War I, the rare and early printings of state and federal constitutions trace defining moments in American history and are testaments to our nation’s continuing experiment in self-government and the relentless quest for improvement. 

Among the highlights on view is a rare example of the original Dunlap and Claypoole 1787 printing of the U.S. Constitution—one of few surviving copies. Manuscripts, such as the first known description of the Great Seal of America from 1782 and a certified 1802 handwritten copy of the 12th Amendment that altered the system for electing the president and vice president are also on view. The Choctaw Nation Constitution of 1838, written by members of the tribe forcibly relocated from Mississippi to Oklahoma, combines American constitutional forms with traditional practices in an effort to preserve self-government and prevent further violations of their fundamental rights. The Constitution of the Republic of Texas (1836) sanctioned slavery and led the United States to initially decline Texas’ requests for annexation; the inclusion of slavery in the Missouri Constitution of 1820 also led to a bitter fight in Congress to deny Missouri admission to the union. The progressive Louisiana Constitution of 1868 of the Civil War Reconstruction period prohibited segregation of schools by race. Kansas was the first of more than 30 states to prohibit alcohol with the Kansas State Prohibition Amendment of 1880, eventually leading to national Prohibition through the 18th Amendment in 1919. The Wyoming Constitution of 1889 declared that “male and female citizens” could exercise all rights equally, including the right “to vote and hold office”—three decades before federal ratification of the 19th Amendment. The bilingual New Mexico Constitution of 1910—Constitution of the State of New Mexico/Constitucion del Estado de Nuevo Mexico—guaranteed that all laws, including the constitution, would be published in both English and Spanish for at least 20 years. 

Colonists, Citizens, Constitutions: Creating the American Republic also includes a selection of songs from WNYC’s Radio Lab “27: The Most Perfect Album,” in which contemporary musicians were asked to interpret the 27 amendments of the U.S. Constitution’s Bill of Rights in their own distinctive style with original new music. Musicians include Flor de Toloache, Sons of an Illustrious Father, Nana Grizol, Dolly Parton, and Caroline Shaw. The full album was conceived by the podcast More Perfect, a production of WNYC Studios, and is available for free online.

This exhibition is the first public viewing of these selected historical documents together, and after its run at New-York Historical, it travels to the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia (June 12 – July 5, 2020). Curated by James F. Hrdlicka of Arizona State University with Michael Ryan, New-York Historical vice president and Sue Ann Weinberg director of the Patricia D. Klingenstein Library, the exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue written by Dr. Hrdlicka, with a foreword by Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and with contributions by Dorothy Tapper Goldman and Robert McD. Parker.

The People Count: The Census in the Making of America (March 13 – June 7)
What does it mean to be counted? As the 2020 Census kicks off, The People Count: The Census in the Making of America from the David M. Rubenstein Americana Collection provides an in-depth look at the origins and story of the U. S. Census from 1790 through the 1800s, using 30 books and manuscripts that reveal the critical role the Census played in the development of the country. America became the first country to count its inhabitants for reasons of governing, as it dictates the number of House of Representatives seats that each state gets. In the 19th century as the country grew, so did the stakes of the census process, which further drove our nation west—and to war with itself.

The 2020 census will be the 24th decennial count undertaken without fail for 230 years. Censuses before the Constitution were the charge of the Board of Trade, which sent questionnaires to every colonial governor. “The Present State of the British Colonies in America” on display transcribes the results from 1773 to 1775, just as the American Revolution began, describing the people and land that England controlled at the time. On March 1, 1790, the First Census Act passed. The first census took 18 months to finish and counted almost 4 million people. Thomas Jefferson, then secretary of state, improvised a 56-page report, signing and circulating it privately, a copy of which is on view. 

The People Count pays particular attention to the problem of the Three-Fifths Compromise, the census-related clause in the Constitution that regarded slaves equal to 60% of freepersons. Unable to vote, enslaved people unwittingly added to the political representation of slaveholders. Displayed in the exhibition is the 1860 census, which counted 3.95 million slaves, an eighth of all Americans, and uncovered that in 10 years the North had gained 41% more people while the South grew by only 27%. On view are printings of the Emancipation Proclamation and the Ninth Census—Volume I, The Statistics of the Population of the United States, the 1870 census, when there was no longer slaves to be counted for the first time in nine censuses.

In the wake of the Civil War as the population grew and expanded west, the 1880 census reports took eight years to finish. An 1890 copy of Scientific American illustrates how the counting was accomplished in less time with the Punched Card Tabulator system invented by Herman Hollerith, a former census employee from Buffalo, New York. Divided into four devices for perforating, reading, and sorting, workers completed 62.9 million returns of 30 questions in less than five years.

The People Count: The Census in the Making of America is curated by Mazy Boroujerdi, advisor to the David M. Rubenstein Americana Collection, and by Michael Ryan, New-York Historical vice president and Sue Ann Weinberg director of the Patricia D. Klingenstein Library. 

Programming


Historians and scholars engage in a slate of related conversations, lectures, and intimate salons throughout the winter and spring. Black women and the 19th Amendment (March 12), older women in American history (March 19), and the life of Harriet Tubman (April 14) are among the topics explored during Women March. Programs that focus on the spirit of the law and the separation of powers (April 30), foreign influence in the 2020 election (May 2), and the presidents vs. the press (May 21) illuminate the presidency and the importance of the Oval Office. Scholars discuss power, politics, and madness (February 22) and the enduring constitutional vision of the Warren Court (April 25), among other programs focused on civics.

Family programs that take place on select weekends throughout the exhibitions’ run bring history to life for young visitors. One of the highlights is International Women’s Day on Sunday, March 8, when families can make crafts and meet historical interpreters portraying famous and little known leaders of the women’s rights movement.

The New-York Historical Society, one of America’s preeminent cultural institutions, is dedicated to fostering research and presenting history and art exhibitions and public programs that reveal the dynamism of history and its influence on the world of today. Founded in 1804, New-York Historical has a mission to explore the richly layered history of New York City and State and the country, and to serve as a national forum for the discussion of issues surrounding the making and meaning of history. New-York Historical is also home to the Patricia D. Klingenstein Library, one of the oldest, most distinguished libraries in the nation—and one of only 20 in the United States qualified to be a member of the Independent Research Libraries Association—which contains more than three million books, pamphlets, maps, newspapers, manuscripts, prints, photographs, and architectural drawings.

The New-York Historical Society is located at 170 Central Park West at Richard Gilder Way (77th Street), New York, NY 10024. Information: (212) 873-3400. Website: nyhistory.org. Follow the museum on social media at @nyhistory on FacebookTwitterInstagramYouTube and Tumblr.

For more travel features, visit:

goingplacesfarandnear.com

goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com

moralcompasstravel.info

www.huffingtonpost.com/author/karen-rubin

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/

goingplacesfarandnear.tumblr.com/

instagram.com/going_places_far_and_near/

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Twitter: @TravelFeatures

World’s First Museum Devoted to Startups Opens in Vilnius, Lithuania

The newly-opened museum of startups in Vilnius, Lithuania is showcasing the success stories of twelve home-grown startups, including the first Lithuanian unicorn Vinted (Kleiderkreisel). The museum aims to inspire locals and tourists alike while celebrating the city’s entrepreneurial spirit.

Vilnius, Lithuania – The world’s first museum devoted to start-ups has opened in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania.

Startup Museum hosts twelve stories of local startups that managed to reach global success. The list includes the first Lithuanian unicorn, pre-loved fashion marketplace Vinted (Kleiderkreisel), nanosatellite manufacturer Nanoavionics, image editing software developer Pixelmator, along with Trafi (Jelbi)DeeperBored PandaTesonetOberloCityBeeBrolis SemiconductorsMailerLite and CGTrader.

The displayed startups come from a broad range of fields – from online platforms and software to space exploration and laser manufacturing.

The aim of the museum is to tell the untold stories of startups that not only found their way to success but also made contributions to improving the business culture within the city. Through the stories of individual startups, the visitors will get to experience the drastic improvement that the startup scene in Vilnius made in recent years, too.

“Opening a startup museum is a great way to highlight how welcoming and progressive our city is, creating the needed environment for businesses to thrive,” says Remigijus Šimašius, the mayor of Vilnius. “At the same time, the museum will honour the brave entrepreneurs that are true ambassadors of Vilnius around the globe. This museum is also a good reminder that it isn’t just ideas and investments that matter – persistence, heart, and a strong team are as crucial.”

Each startup highlighted in the museum is presented through its journey to success, including the lessons learned and challenges conquered. Next to each company’s timeline and story, visitors have a chance to see physical artefacts that each startup sees as representations of their journey, work culture and values.

For example, the pop culture magazine Bored Panda has a panda costume on display to celebrate their company culture – which was worn by one of the current employees when he came to apply for the job. While CGTrader, the world’s largest source for stock and custom 3D models, are showcasing a bucket that was used to collect water in the early days of the company when they worked in an office with a leaky roof. Vinted’s exhibition will feature, among other artefacts, a toy unicorn representing its status as a first home-grown startup to reach EUR 1 billion in market valuation.

At the museum, guests can also get familiar with the state of the startup ecosystem in Vilnius and get informed about the upcoming startup-related events and awards.

Each year, the museum will add four additional Vilnius-based startups that made the most significant strides in that particular year.

The Startup museum was established by Go Vilnius, the official business development agency of Vilnius, together with a coworking space Talent Garden Vilnius.

There are currently 35 startup-dedicated spaces in Vilnius: twelve startup incubators and centres, eleven business accelerators and the same amount of investment organizations, five sandboxes dedicated to fintech, energy-related and real estate fields. Finally, the open data policy of the Vilnius city municipality allows businesses to test their products by using real financial, procurement, real estate, transport and other types of data.

Go Vilnius is the official tourism and business development agency of the City of Vilnius. The agency provides visitors, investors, relocating talent, entrepreneurs and businesses with all the essential information they need to know about the Lithuanian capital. Go Vilnius offers information on everything from real estate to leisure activities in Vilnius, simplifying the process of travelling, relocating to, or investing in Vilnius.

For more travel features, visit:

goingplacesfarandnear.com

goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com

moralcompasstravel.info

www.huffingtonpost.com/author/karen-rubin

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/

goingplacesfarandnear.tumblr.com/

instagram.com/going_places_far_and_near/

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Twitter: @TravelFeatures

Tiffany Glass Exhibition at Rosecliff, One of Newport R.I. Mansions

Colorful glass artwork and objects by Louis C. Tiffany is on display at Rosecliff, one of the famed Newport, Rhode Island, Mansions, through March 1 (c) Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

NEWPORT, R.I. – Colorful glass artwork and objects by the renowned Louis C. Tiffany is on display at Rosecliff, one of the famed, grand, historic Newport Mansions, through March 1.

“Tiffany Glass: Painting with Color and Light” opens Sunday at 4 p.m. with a lecture and reception featuring Lindsy Parrott, executive director and curator of The Neustadt Collection of Tiffany Glass in New York City, which organized the exhibition. Hosted by The Preservation Society of Newport County, the exhibition showcases a selection of objects from the Neustadt’s vast collection.

“Tiffany’s work is one of the defining examples of innovation in Gilded Age decorative arts,” said Trudy Coxe, CEO and executive director of the Preservation Society. “This is a great addition to our series of exhibitions on the second floor of Rosecliff, following upon our recent, successful Audubon presentation.”

As a painter, Tiffany (1848-1933) was captivated by the interplay of light and color, and this fascination found its most spectacular expression in his glass “paintings.” Through the medium of opalescent glass, Tiffany manipulated light and color to achieve impressionistic effects using innovative techniques and materials. His Tiffany Studios created leaded-glass windows and lampshades in vibrant colors and richly varied patterns, textures and opacities.

“Tiffany Glass: Painting with Color and Light” is composed of five windows, 19 lamps and more than 100 pieces of opalescent flat glass and glass “jewels.”

“We are thrilled to be partnering with The Preservation Society of Newport County to share some of Tiffany’s most iconic and celebrated works, especially since several Newport mansions featured decorations commissioned from Tiffany,” Parrott said. “The exhibit illustrates the rich expanse of color and light available to the artists at the Tiffany Studios, and captures Tiffany’s artistic innovations during the Gilded Age.”

Rosecliff is located at 548 Bellevue Ave. The exhibition is free to view with paid admission to Rosecliff. For tickets and information, visit newportmansions.org/learn/adult-programs or call 401-847-1000, ext. 178.

The Preservation Society of Newport County, Rhode Island, is a nonprofit organization accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and dedicated to preserving and interpreting the area’s historic architecture, landscapes, decorative arts and social history. Its 11 historic properties – seven of them National Historic Landmarks – span more than 250 years of American architectural and social development.

For more information, visit NewportMansions.org.

For more travel features, visit:

goingplacesfarandnear.com

goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com

moralcompasstravel.info

www.huffingtonpost.com/author/karen-rubin

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/

goingplacesfarandnear.tumblr.com/

instagram.com/going_places_far_and_near/

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Twitter: @TravelFeatures

Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust Extends Groundbreaking Auschwitz Exhibition in Response to High Demand

Artifacts and images from dozens of institutions and private collections from around the world are on view at the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust’s groundbreaking exhibit, Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away, including Mauthausen Memorial, Mauthausen, Austria, where the crematorium is no longer open to the public. © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

– Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. exhibition will remain on view at the NYC museum through August 30, 2020, an eight-month extension from its originally scheduled close date –

– Exhibition features more than 700 objects and 400 photographs on display in North America for the first time, including a shofar that was secretly blown at Auschwitz and a collection of 10 original artifacts from the Anne Frank House –

New York, NY – Due to an overwhelming response, the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust today announced that Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away.the most comprehensive Holocaust exhibition about Auschwitz ever presented in North America, will be extended until August 30, 2020. Produced by the international exhibition firm Musealia and the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum in Poland, the groundbreaking exhibition is the largest ever on Auschwitz with more than 700 original objects and 400 photographs.

The extension responds to the record number of visitors the exhibition drew to the Museum since opening in May. To date, more than 106,000 people from across the country and globe have come to the Museum to see the exhibition, including more than 36,000 students to date and approximately 12,000 students scheduled to visit before the end of 2019.

“The number of adults and school visitors drawn to Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. has been incredible. This exhibition greets its visitors with a clear warning to be vigilant – to not allow this history to repeat and to never presume that it won’t,” notes Bruce C. Ratner, Chairman of the Museum’s Board of Trustees. “In recent years and recent months even, we have seen a surge in antisemitic rhetoric, hate crimes, and a weaponized nationalism both here in the United States and abroad. We are extending this exhibition at our Museum because it offers clear, moral lessons that resonate powerfully today and from which visitors want to learn.”

“It has been a great honor to preside over the Museum as it presents this astounding exhibition and to witness it move so many of our visitors as deeply as it has moved me,” says Jack Kliger, the Museum’s President & CEO. “Most remarkable, this exhibition is dynamic. Already large in scope, it continues to acquire new artifacts over the course of its life, such as the shofar clandestinely used in Auschwitz that we unveiled last month ahead of Rosh Hashanah.”

“We have been profoundly overwhelmed by the phenomenal visitor response in New York – not only by the numbers themselves, but especially by the time visitors spend in the exhibition – on average two hours – and the care, attention and respect they show for this story. Deciding to visit this exhibition is a courageous step. It means confronting oneself with a traumatic, complex and challenging past. And more importantly, it helps us understand more critically our own present,” says Luis Ferreiro, Director of Musealia and the exhibition project.

“I don’t think that there is a more important exhibition presented in New York at the moment. This one about Auschwitz explores the essence of mankind, analyzes the limits of what is human, and asks important questions about our contemporary responsibility. I am glad people will be able to see it there longer,” says Dr. Piotr M. A. Cywiński, Director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum.

Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. traces the development of Nazi ideology and tells the transformation of Auschwitz from an ordinary Polish town known as Oświęcim to the largest German Nazi concentration camp and the most significant site of the Holocaust —at which ca. 1 million Jews, and tens of thousands of others, were murdered. Victims included Polish political prisoners, Sinti and Roma, Soviet prisoners of war, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and those the Nazis deemed “homosexual,” “disabled,” “criminal,” “inferior,” or adversarial in countless other ways. The exhibition tells not only the story of their persecution and murder, but also the myriad ways ordinary people responded to the unfolding genocide, including inspiring stories of resistance, resilience, courage, and altruism. In addition, the exhibition contains artifacts that depict the world of the perpetrators—SS men who created and operated the largest of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camps.

With more than 700 objects and 400 photographs, mainly from the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, the New York presentation of the exhibition allows visitors to experience artifacts from more than 20 international museums and institutions on view for the first time in North America, including hundreds of personal items—such as suitcases, eyeglasses, and shoes—that belonged to survivors and victims of Auschwitz. Other artifacts include: concrete posts that were part of the fence of the Auschwitz camp; part of an original barrack for prisoners from the Auschwitz III-Monowitz camp; a desk and other possessions of the first and the longest-serving Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss; a gas mask used by the SS; Picasso’s Lithograph of Prisoner; and an original German-made Model 2 freight train car of the type used for the deportation of Jews to the ghettos and extermination camps in occupied Poland. 

The exhibition also features 10 artifacts on loan from the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, which include the spilled, dried beans Anne wrote about in her diary and that were later discovered lodged between the cracks of stairs in the home where she hid from the German Nazis. The beans have never been displayed anywhere before. Most recently, the Museum announced the exhibition’s incorporation of a shofar (a ram’s horn that is made into a special wind instrument used during Jewish High Holiday services) that was hidden and clandestinely blown in the Auschwitz. The shofar was newly added to the exhibition on the cusp of the High Holy days and temporarily transported to two New York City synagogues to be blown on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. 

The Museum of Jewish Heritage has incorporated into the exhibition nearly 100 rare artifacts from its collection that relay the experience of survivors and liberators who found refuge in the greater New York area. These artifacts include: Alfred Kantor’s sketchbook and portfolio that contain over 150 original paintings and drawings from Theresienstadt, Auschwitz, and Schwarzheide; the trumpet that musician Louis Bannet (acclaimed as “the Dutch Louis Armstrong”) credits for saving his life while he was imprisoned in Auschwitz; visas issued by Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese diplomat in Lithuania often referred to as “Japan’s Oskar Schindler”; prisoner registration forms and identification cards; personal correspondence; tickets for passage on the St. Louis; and a rescued Torah scroll from the Bornplatz Synagogue in Hamburg. 

Also on display from the Museum of Jewish Heritage collection is Heinrich Himmler’s SS helmet and his annotated copy of Hitler’s Mein Kampf, as well as an anti-Jewish proclamation issued in 1551 by Ferdinand I that was given to Hermann Göring by German security chief Reinhard Heydrich on the occasion of Göring’s birthday. The proclamation required Jews to identify themselves with a “yellow ring” on their clothes. Heydrich noted that, 400 years later, the Nazis were completing Ferdinand’s work. These artifacts stand as evidence of a chapter of history that must never be forgotten.

Alongside Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away., the Museum offers a series of talks, screenings, performances, and commemorative events that further explore Jewish history and life before, during, and after the Holocaust. The last week of October, artist and Holocaust survivor William Bernheim will discuss his history and artistic response, and author Marty Brounstein will present a program abouta Christian couple in the Netherlands who saved the lives of over two dozen Jews. November programming includes commemorative events for the 81stanniversary of Kristallnacht, including “Stories Survive: An Eyewitness Account of Kristallnacht” with Ruth Zimbler. In December, The Sorceress will be performed by the resident National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene. To learn more about these and other activities, visit the Museum’s Events page here: https://mjhnyc.org/current-events/

Following the New York presentation, the exhibition is intended to tour other cities around the world. Future destinations will be announced by Musealia and the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum.

Curated by an international team of experts led by historian Dr. Robert Jan van Pelt, Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. first opened in New York City on May 8, 2019 after its successful run at Madrid’s Arte Canal Exhibition Centre, where it was extended two times, drew more than 600,000 visitors, and was one of the most visited exhibitions in Europe last year. The exhibition explores the dual identity of the camp as a physical location—the largest documented mass murder site in human history—and as a symbol of the borderless manifestation of hatred and human barbarity.

Museum of Jewish Heritage Board Vice Chairman George Klein visited the exhibition in Spain and recommended to his Board that they bring it to Lower Manhattan.The exhibition features artifacts and materials on loan from more than 20 institutions and private collections around the world. In addition to the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum and the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, participating institutions include Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, Auschwitz Jewish Center in Oświęcim, the Memorial and Museum Sachsenhausen in Oranienburg, and the Wiener Library for the Study of the Holocaust and Genocide in London. 

Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far awaywas conceived of by Musealia and the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum and curated by an international panel of experts, including world-renowned scholars Dr. Robert Jan van Pelt, Dr. Michael Berenbaum, and Paul Salmons, in an unprecedented collaboration with historians and curators at the Research Center at the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, led by Dr. Piotr Setkiewicz.

“When we, the Musealia curatorial team set out to design the Auschwitz exhibition, we realized that we faced a difficult problem. In Auschwitz over a million people, mostly Jews, were murdered shortly after their arrival or suffered and died in unimaginable circumstances. How does one create an exhibition about such a dark chapter in human history that, in our understanding, is not long ago and happened in a place not far away? How does one make the public, that has so many opportunities to explore a great city like New York, decide that it would want to see such an exhibition? Our tools were straightforward: a narrative told through more than 700 original artifacts, 400 original images, 100 stories, made present by means of filmed testimonies and quotes – all revealing individual experiences of a history we must learn from,” says Dr. Robert Jan van Pelt, Chief Curator.

Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. is presented in the symbolic, hexagonally-shaped core building at the Museum of Jewish Heritage. This 18,000-square-foot exhibition introduces artifacts and Holocaust survivor testimony through 20 thematic galleries. 

Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. at the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust is made possible with lead support by Bruce C. Ratner, George and Adele Klein Family Foundation, Ingeborg and Ira Leon Rennert, and Larry and Klara Silverstein & Family. The exhibition is presented in part with major support by The David Berg Foundation, Patti Askwith Kenner, The Oster Family Foundation, and The Bernard and Anne Spitzer Charitable Trust. The New York premiere is made possible in part by Simon & Stefany Bergson with additional support from The Knapp Family Foundation.

GENERAL INFORMATION

TICKETS

Entry is by timed ticket available at Auschwitz.nyc. Audio guide (available in 8 languages) is included with admission.

$25 Flexible Entry—entry any time on a specific day

$16 Adults

$12 Seniors and People with Disabilities

$10 Students and Veterans

$8 Museum Members

FREE for Holocaust survivors, active members of the military and first responders, and students and teachers through grade 12 in schools located in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut (with valid school-issued ID). 

For group visits, contact the Museum at 646.437.4304 or [email protected]. See Auschwitz.nyc for more information.

HOURS AS OF NOVEMBER 1, 2019:

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday & Thursday          10 AM to 6 PM            
Wednesday                                                     10 AM to 9 PM

Friday                                                              10 AM to 3 PM            

Last admission to Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far awayis 2 hours before closing time. Last entrance to the rest of the Museum is 30 minutes prior to closing time.

The Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust is New York’s contribution to the global responsibility to never forget. The Museum is committed to the crucial mission of educating diverse visitors about Jewish life before, during, and after the Holocaust. The third largest Holocaust museum in the world and the second largest in North America, the Museum of Jewish Heritage anchors the southernmost tip of Manhattan, completing the cultural and educational landscape it shares with the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

Since 1997, the Museum of Jewish Heritage has welcomed more than 2.5 million visitors; it maintains a collection of more than 40,000 artifacts, photographs, documentary films, and survivor testimonies and contains classrooms, a 375-seat theater (Edmond J. Safra Hall), special exhibition galleries, a resource center for educators, and a memorial art installation, Garden of Stones, designed by internationally acclaimed sculptor Andy Goldsworthy. 

The Museum receives general operating support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and New York State Council on the Arts. 

The Museum is closed on Saturdays, Jewish holidays, and Thanksgiving. 

Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, 36 Battery Place, New York City, 646-437-4202, mjhnyc.org.

For more travel features, visit:

goingplacesfarandnear.com

goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com

moralcompasstravel.info

www.huffingtonpost.com/author/karen-rubin

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/

goingplacesfarandnear.tumblr.com/

instagram.com/going_places_far_and_near/

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Twitter: @TravelFeatures

‘Revolutionary Summer’ Brings American Revolution to Life at New-York Historical Society

Mural of General George Washington in front of his headquarters tent is on view at the Museum of the American Revolution, Philadelphia where the only original tent can be seen. The museum is lending a replica to the New-York Historical Society for its “Revolutionary Summer.” © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

New York, NY – The New-York Historical Society, the oldest museum in New York, celebrates Revolutionary Summer. The festivities kick off on July 4, with Free Admission for kids 17 and under. A Museum-wide exploration of Revolutionary War times, Revolutionary Summer presents outdoor events every weekend featuring characters from the era; 18th-century art and artifacts; a diorama of the Continental Army; and a host of programs for all ages, including trivia nights, a DJ evening, and a Revolutionary Drag Tea Party. On select weekends, visitors can explore a replica of George Washington’s Headquarters Tent at an outdoor Continental Army encampment, meet Living Historians portraying soldiers and spies, and learn about the many facets of camp life during the War for Independence.

“We’re so excited to welcome visitors to New-York Historical this summer with a full line-up of fun ways to experience the Revolutionary era,” said Dr. Louise Mirrer, president and CEO of the New-York Historical Society. “Revolutionary Summer celebrates the outstanding, revolutionary times that ignited the birth of our country with everything from a scavenger hunt to the chance to meet George Washington.”

The centerpiece of Revolutionary Summer is a replica of George Washington’s Headquarters Tent, on display in New-York Historical’s outdoor courtyard on select weekends.

George Washington’s Headquarters Tent
July 4–7 | July 26–28 | August 16–18 | August 23–25 | September 13–15
The centerpiece of Revolutionary Summer is a replica of George Washington’s Headquarters Tent, on display in New-York Historical’s outdoor courtyard on select weekends. The original Tent is on display at the Museum of the American Revolution (MoAR) in Philadelphia. Often called the “first Oval Office,” the Headquarters Tent was where Washington and his most trusted staff plotted the strategy that ultimately won the Revolutionary War. On loan from MoAR, this painstakingly detailed, hand-sewn replica—made of custom woven linen and wool fabrics—was created as part of a collaboration between MoAR and Colonial Williamsburg. The Tent is staffed by MoAR educators, who lead visitors on an immersive tour through history.

On View
A host of special installations and artifacts are on view at New-York Historical as part of Revolutionary Summer. One of the highlights is a recently discovered watercolor painting of the 1782 Continental Army encampment at Verplanck’s Point, New York—the only known eyewitness image of Washington’s Headquarters Tent during the Revolutionary War—on loan from MoAR. Other highlights include a camp cot used by Washington at Valley Forge during the winter of 1777; John Trumbull’s iconic painting of Washington that he gave to Martha Washington in 1790; and a pipe tomahawk gifted by Washington to Seneca Chief Sagoyewatha. Also on display is a diorama depicting the Verplanck’s Point encampment and the Hudson River shoreline, providing visitors with a 360-degree view of the scope and scale of Washington’s forces.

Revolutionary Summer also showcases historic documents from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, including an original 1823 William J. Stone facsimile of the Declaration of Independence; a broadside from King George III announcing the armistice and officially ending the war; and a letter by Martha Washington detailing domestic life in the aftermath of the Revolution.

Independence Day Celebration: Celebrate the Fourth of July exploring George Washington’s encampment! Enter his Headquarters Tent, meet the man himself, and experience where the future first president strategized, dined, and slept while MoAR staff describe his daily life. Also on tap: singalongs with the Hudson River Ramblers; fife and drum corps music; a one-woman play about Deborah Sampson, the woman who disguised her gender to enlist in the Continental Army; family-friendly food for purchase; and Living Historians portraying soldiers from the Continental Army, as well as John Adams, who’ll read the Declaration of Independence. Free Admission for kids age 17 and under.

Living History Weekends: Outdoor Continental Army Encampment: Every weekend, visitors of all ages can explore a recreation of the Continental Army’s encampment in New-York Historical’s courtyard, located on 76th Street, around the corner from Central Park West. Free with Museum Admission.

George Washington’s Spies, Bodyguards, and Agents | July 6 & 7
Your top-secret mission: Enter George Washington’s encampment, meet with him and his spies, and decode your own message.

Join the Continental Army | July 13 & 14 | August 31 & September 1 | September 7 & 8
The Continental Army wants you! Explore their encampment tents and displays of 18th-century weaponry, participate in drills, and interact with all of the tools and equipment of a common soldier.

Everyday Life in Camp | July 20 & 21
Join the 3rd New Jersey Regiment to experience how soldiers and their families spent time in camp when they weren’t marching to war. Meet the women who helped prepare for military campaigns, play with 18th-century toys and games, and witness how soldiers passed the time.

Field Music on the March | July 27 & 28             
March along to Revolutionary War field music performed by the drum and fife musicians of Hearts of Oak and the New Jersey Field Music Group. 

Deborah Sampson, Fighting Woman | August 3 & 4
Meet Deborah Sampson—the woman who disguised her gender to enlist in the Continental Army—and members of her regiment, the 7th Massachusetts. Join Deborah for military drills and explore the inner workings of her regiment, from muskets to tents and knapsacks to ground cloths. 

Fighting on Horseback | August 10 & 11
Saddle up! Get an up close look at the special equipment, weapons, and techniques used by cavalry in the Continental Army and meet the 2nd Continental Light Dragoons and the 4th Legion.

George Washington’s Encampment | August 17 & 18 | August 24 & 25
Enter George Washington’s Headquarters Tent and experience what life was like during the war—from meals to down time to battle preparations. 

Metalsmithing in George Washington’s Encampment | September 14 & 15
Learn all about the crucial craft of metalsmithing as you tour George Washington’s encampment. Examine the smith’s tools and take a turn at shaping a bowl or a button.

What the History?

This millennial-focused series of fun events and programs explores fascinating Revolutionary topics while drinking and mingling!

Revolutionary Trivia Night! |Friday, July 12, 8 pm | Friday, August 23, 8 pm | $20 ($18 Members)
Do you know what George Washington’s favorite breakfast beverage was? If you do (or even if you don’t), bring your friends for a fun night of trivia courtesy of the fact fanatics at Trivia, AD! Ages 21 and up. Wine included with ticket.

Revolutionary Drag Tea Party | Sunday, July 14, 3 pm | $25, includes Museum Admission
Dress to impress in your best period-inspired drag and play Revolutionary War-era games, enjoy snacks and cocktails, and compete in categories like Most Revolutionary Outfit. Ages 21 and up. Drinks and snacks included with ticket.

Trans Identity and the Incredible Story of Deborah Sampson, Female Revolutionary War Hero | Wednesday, July 24, 6:30 pm | $20 ($18 Members)
Explore the extraordinary, true story of Revolutionary War hero Deborah Sampson with Alex Myers, as he discusses his novel RevolutionaryAges 21 and up. Wine included with ticket.

Nerdy Thursdays: Revolution Night | Thursday, August 8, 6:30 pm | Free with RSVP
Swing by the Museum for this signature event from the Black Gotham Experience that brings together a DJ, gallery talks, cocktails, and a brilliant group of nerdy people. RSVP at blackgotham.com

Watson Adventures: Revolutionary Trail Scavenger Hunt | Friday, August 16, 6 pm Free with Pay-as-you-wish Admission
Explore the Museum’s Revolutionary Trail and solve a series of puzzles involving objects on display, led by Watson Adventures. Game lasts 45 minutes. Smartphone is needed to play.

For additional information about Revolutionary Summer and its related programs, visit nyhistory.org/revsummer

Lead support for Revolutionary Summer provided by the Achelis and Bodman Foundation. Additional support provided by Richard Brown and Mary Jo Otsea. Support for the MoAR’s participation in Revolutionary Summer is generously provided by William and Candace Raveis. Exhibitions at New-York Historical are made possible by Dr. Agnes Hsu-Tang and Oscar Tang, the Saunders Trust for American History, the Seymour Neuman Endowed Fund, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. WNET is the media sponsor.The New-York Historical Society, one of America’s preeminent culturalinstitutions, is dedicated to fostering research and presenting history and art exhibitions and public programs that reveal the dynamism of history and its influence on the world of today. Founded in 1804, New-York Historical has a mission to explore the richly layered history of New York City and State and the country, and to serve as a national forum for the discussion of issues surrounding the making and meaning of history.

The Museum of the American Revolution explores the dramatic, surprising story of the American Revolution through its unmatched collection of Revolutionary-era weapons, personal items, documents, and works of art. Immersive galleries, powerful theater experiences, and interactive digital elements bring to life the diverse array of people that created a new nation against incredible odds. Visitors gain a deeper appreciation for how this nation came to be and feel inspired to consider their role in the ongoing promise of the American Revolution. Located just steps away from Independence Hall, the Museum serves as a portal to the region’s many Revolutionary sites, sparking interest, providing context, and encouraging exploration. The Museum is a private, non-profit, and non-partisan organization. For more information, visit www.AmRevMuseum.org or call 877.740.1776.

See also: Philadelphia’s New Museum Immerses You into Drama of America’s Revolutionary War

For more travel features, visit:

goingplacesfarandnear.com

goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com

moralcompasstravel.info

www.huffingtonpost.com/author/karen-rubin

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/

goingplacesfarandnear.tumblr.com/

instagram.com/going_places_far_and_near/

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Twitter: @TravelFeatures