The New York Historical Society has been open since November 2011, and has been on my to-do list for a while. I finally had the chance to visit in June, and will be showing the museum to you in more detail coming up. On this 4th of July, I wanted to let you know the great activities they will be having about Alexander Hamilton. Since the play Hamilton has been just so successful, he has become quite the popular historical figure.
Abe Lincoln greets you as you enter the historical society, who isn't a fan of Abe?
I must say, both guys were not very tall. Very slender gents, I would say not much more than a bit over 5 feet tall, for some reason I thought Mr. Hamilton would be a bit taller
Summer of Hamilton is a museum-wide celebration of the life and remarkable achievements of the man who played a leading role in the Revolutionary War and the early years of the founding of the United States.
Among the highlights on view in our Smith Gallery during this exciting program are life-size bronze statues depicting Hamilton and Burr in the midst of their deadly duel, pistols drawn and aimed at one another; the monumental tall case clock presented by Hamilton in 1797 to the Bank of New York; and Hamilton’s desk, at which the prolific writer penned his correspondence, on loan from the Museum of the City of New York.
Replicas of the dueling pistols used by Hamilton and Burr, on loan from the JPMorgan Chase Historical Collection, continue to be exhibited as part of New York Rising, a permanent installation in Smith Gallery that illustrates New York’s critical contribution to the founding of the U.S. The installation also features the marble cenotaph marking where Hamilton was wounded; a bust of Hamilton by Giuseppe Ceracchi depicting him in the guise of a Roman Senator; a gold mourning ring set with a lock of Hamilton’s hair that Elizabeth Hamilton gave to Nathaniel Pendleton, Hamilton’s second in the duel; portraits of Aaron Burr and his gifted daughter Theodosia Burr painted by John Vanderlyn; and Burr’s death mask.
An exhibition case curated by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History displays key documents from Hamilton’s life, including his famous “nut brown maid” love letter to his fiancée, Elizabeth Schuyler; the infamous pamphlet admitting to his affair with Maria Reynolds; and a letter supporting Thomas Jefferson over Aaron Burr in the Election of 1800, which stated “In a choice of Evils let them take the least―Jefferson is in every view less dangerous than Burr.”
In the Patricia D. Klingenstein Library, documents from New-York Historical’s collection help answer the question posed in the musical―“who tells your story”―by focusing on Hamilton’s relationships with other Founding Fathers and his widow’s attempt to secure his place in history.
Summer of Hamilton also showcases a free film series on Friday nights that looks at the musicals that inspired Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton, engaging and interactive conversations, and family-friendly programming.
170 Central Park West
at Richard Gilder Way (77th Street)
Telephone (212) 873-3400, (212) 873-7489 (TTY)
Museum & Museum Store Hours
Monday CLOSED
Tuesday – Thursday 10 am – 6 pm
Friday 10 am – 8 pm
Saturday 10 am – 6 pm
Sunday 11 am – 5 pm
New-York Historical offers free daily tours of the Museum's collections at 2 PM and 3:30 PM.
Admissions
Adults $20
Seniors/Educators/Active Military $15
Students $12
Kids (5–13 years old) $6
Kids 4 and under FREE
Admission is pay-as-you-wish from 6-8 pm on Fridays
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