Dear Friends,
This fall, the New-York Historical Society will present an astonishing array of exhibitions and programs, including a reprise of the 1913 "Armory Show"—the exhibition that "exploded" New York into the modern world—opening on October 11. Works by Picasso, Matisse, Duchamp, and Cezanne among others will grace our gallery walls, presented in the historical context of newly-discovered and little-known documents for which New-York Historical is known. This once-in-a-lifetime chance to see some of the greatest works of art from across the U.S. and Europe within the halls of a single museum joins the extraordinary opportunity to view, in a brand new, stunning exhibition, portraits drawn from our own permanent collection. Beauty’s Legacy: Gilded Age Portraits in America, opening this mpnth, presents some of the most famous and legendary New York social figures, considering also as always the cultural and historical context within which these figures lived. And in November, a breathtaking selection of paintings by the contemporary American artist Clarice Smith will add to the artistic riches. I look forward to joining you in the galleries for all three of these spectacular shows, as well as in our DiMenna Children's History Museum where your children and grandchildren will learn more about how history frames art in specially-designed programs on “The Art of History.”
Our Bernard and Irene Schwartz Distinguished Speakers Series will once again engage serious “history buffs” with offerings that include evening and weekend programs featuring Russell Shorto, Barry Lewis, Kati Marton, Leon Botstein, Khalil Gibran Muhammad, and Jodi Kantor, as well as our President Bill Clinton annual lecture featuring A. Scott Berg on Woodrow Wilson.
Robert A. Caro will give The Harold and Ruth Newman Lecture in American History this fall on the Kennedy Assassination, and the Byron Wien Lecture in Financial History will focus on the 1920s to the “Crash,” with James Grant and Amity Shlaes joining Byron R. Wien on the stage. Our Carl Menges Lecture in American History will look at “The Founders at Home,” with Myron Magnet and Richard Brookhiser. The Bernard and Irene Schwartz Classic Film Series, newly-minted last year, will continue this fall with programs and films featuring United States Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Alito and others.
Be sure to mark your calendars!
