New York Historical Society Announces November Exhibitions
By: Leslie Fazin Oct. 08, 2010
EXHIBITIONS
BREAKTHROUGH: THE DRAMATIC STORY OF THE DISCOVERY OF INSULIN. Now - January 31, 2011.An exhibition recalling the desperate fight for life that used to be waged by juvenile diabetes patients, and commemorating the events of 1921 that inaugurated a new era of hope for them and their families. Exploring the roles of science, government, higher education and industry in developing and distributing a life-saving drug, the exhibition will bring to life the personalities who discovered insulin and raced to bring it to the world, and will tell the story of one extraordinary New York girl-Elizabeth Evans Hughes--who was among the very first patients to be saved. The exhibit will feature digital interactives, film, artifacts, and ephemera drawn form the Historical Society's own collections and from the University of Toronto, Eli Lilly and Company, the Rockefeller Institute, the Joslin Clinic, and New York Academy of Medicine.
Organized by New-York Historical Society and El Museo del Barrio and will be on display at El Museo del Barrio located on 1230 5th Avenue.
The first exhibition to explore how New York's long and deep involvement with Spain and Latin America has affected virtually every aspect of the city's development, from commerce, manufacturing and transportation to communications, entertainment and the arts. Bringing together the resources of New York's oldest museum and its leading Latino cultural institution, this unprecedented exhibition will span three centuries of history: from the founding of New Amsterdam in the 1600s as a foothold against the Spanish empire to the present day, as represented by a specially commissioned documentary by award-winning filmmaker Ric Burns. Nueva York will bring this story to life with hands-on interactive displays, listening stations, video experiences and some 200 rare and historic maps, letters, broadsides, paintings, drawings and other objects drawn from the collections of the two museums, as well as from many other distinguished institutions and private collections.
Ninety years ago, the discovery of insulin was a dramatic breakthrough that forever changed the lives of diabetes sufferers, including Elizabeth Hughes, daughter of Supreme Court Justice Charles Evans Hughes. Today, millions of Americans are living with diabetes, with many more at high risk for developing it. Drawing from the history of insulin's discovery and its transformative effects in treating Type 1, experts will examine how people across the country are leading the fight to control both Type 1 and Type 2 - a preventable 21st century pandemic - through the promotion of healthy living, diet, and exercise.
THE SHORT SWEET DREAM OF EDUARDO GUTIÉRREZ. Thursday, November 4, 6:30 PM. Jimmy Breslin, Dan Barry.In this program, Jimmy Breslin revisits his 2002 book for a discussion that has never been timelier. From San Matías Cuatchatyotla, a small, dusty town in central Mexico, to the cold and wet streets of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Mr. Breslin chronicles the life and tragic death of an undocumented worker from Mexico and explores the broader issues of municipal corruption and America's deadly border policy. The New-York Historical Society's Nueva York series of programs is generously supported by American Express.
CELEBRATING Tito Puente: THE KING OF LATIN MUSIC. Saturday, November 6, 6:30 PM.The Harbor Conservatory Latin Big Band, Musical Director Louis Bauzó, Ronnie Puente
Join us for this special concert celebrating the music of the late Tito Puente, the legendary composer and bandleader - one of the greatest figures in the history of Latin Jazz and Mambo. Louis Bauzó, a former member of the Tito Puente Orchestra, leads musicians from the Harbor Conservatory in this thrilling concert honoring "The King of Latin Music" with special guest musician Ronnie Puente and an electrifying Salsa dance performance. The New-York Historical Society's Nueva York series of programs is generously supported by American Express.
The American Constitution is our nation's most important document and the battle to ratify it was a crucial turning point in American history. Three experts recall a nearly 225-year-old debate that raged in homes, taverns, and convention halls across the new nation and discuss the key players who fought for and against ratification.
FIRST FAMILY: ABIGAIL AND John Adams. Wednesday, November 17, 6:30 PM. Joseph J. Ellis, Richard Brookhiser.Join us for a riveting discussion of America's preeminent first couple, whose story is equal parts biography, political history, and love story. In more than 50 years of political and personal partnership, John and AbiGail Adams strategized over civic and foreign affairs as often as they discussed their children. Their remarkable connection is epitomized in words he wrote to her after his election to the presidency: "I can do nothing without you." Joseph J. Ellis, in conversation with Richard Brookhiser, examines the Adams marriage in all its complexity, richness, triumph, and sorrow.
THE EARLY SPANISH JEWS OF NEW YORK. Thursday, November 18, 7:00 PM. Louise Mirrer, Rabbi Dr. Marc D. Angel, Jonathan Sarna.This event will be held at Congregation Shearith Israel at 8 West 70th Street at Central Park West
In the 15th century, the Jews of Spain and Portugal were forced to leave their homes on the Iberian peninsula, fleeing the tyranny of the Spanish Inquisition. In 1654, the first group of Spanish and Portuguese Jews arrived in New Amsterdam and founded the Congregation Shearith Israel, the oldest Jewish Congregation in the United States. In this program, three experts discuss those early pioneers, the Judeo-Spanish Diaspora, and the history of Spanish Jews in New York. The New-York Historical Society's Nueva York series of programs is generously supported by American Express.
Among the maps that George Washington owned was British military engineer John Montresor's A Plan of the City of New-York, surveyed in 1766. The map provided Washington with detailed information about the streets and hills of Lower Manhattan as he fortified the city against a British assault in 1776. The map was also useful for planning Washington's triumphant entry into New York on November 25, 1783 as the British ended their 70- year occupation and evacuated the city. Washington returned to New York again to an even more spectacular reception in 1789 when he was sworn in as the nation's first president. Using Montresor's map, Barnet Schecter will lead a walking tour of key sites in "Washington's New York" - the city he considered the key to victory in the American Revolution, and the nation's first capital under the Constitution. Walking tours are limited to 35 guests per tour.
INFORMATION HOTLINE:To reach Museum's offices call: 212-873-3400ONLINE INFORMATION:www.nyhistory.orgMUSEUM HOURS:
Tuesday to Saturday: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Open Fridays until 8:00 pm
Sunday: 11:00 am to 5:45 pmADMISSION:
ADULTS $12.00
Senior Citizens & Educators $9.00
Students $7.00
Children under 12 FREE
Museum Members FREE
On Friday nights from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm admission is "Pay-what-you-wish"
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