New York At Its Core Exhibition
In this introductory gallery, travel back to the time of Henry Hudson’s voyage into New York Harbor and follow the story of the city as it grew into the nation’s economic and cultural capital, on the shores of the Western Hemisphere’s busiest harbor.
Learn about more than 200 key objects and images from this period, including a ceremonial club from the Native people of the area; a slice of a wooden pipe that formed the original water system of the city; and William M. “Boss” Tweed’s gold tiger-headed cane.
Alongside these striking, one-of-a-kind artifacts, experience innovative interactive installations where you’ll “meet” New Yorkers of the past – from Henry Hudson and Alexander Hamilton to Chinatown pioneer Wong Chin Foo and anarchist Emma Goldman. Discover what has changed and what has stayed the same as you take in digital projections of historic New York streetscapes that fade into contemporary views of the same scenes, created by New York photographer Jeff Chien-Hsing Liao.
Gallery Highlights
See original artifacts that tell the story of New York’s transformation from an outpost for trade between the Lenape and Dutch to the largest, most diverse, and most influential city in the United States.
Discover the city’s first three centuries, from Henry Hudson’s arrival in 1609 through 1898, when the five-borough city we know today was born.
Watch the city’s streets transform as historical images turn into views of the same location today.
Learn how New York’s Money, Density, and Diversity changed from 1609-1898 in the animated maps of “Mapping NYC.”
Meet New Yorkers from the past – from Lenape Sachem Penhawitz to Emily Warren Roebling, who oversaw the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge – plus pigs, oysters, and horses.
View rare objects, like the original artist’s studies for the Statue of Liberty.
