2009-10 Annual Report.Pdf

In 1804, a group of vIsIonary IndIvIduals sought to preserve the cultural herItage of new york and the natIon. “wIthout the aId of orIgInal records and authentIc documents,” they wrote, “hIstory wIll be nothIng more than a well-combIned serIes of IngenIous conjectures and amusIng fables.” to ensure that the effects of theIr own remarkable hIstory dId not turn to “dust and obscurIty,” the new-york hIstorIcal socIety was founded as the cIty’s fIrst cultural InstItutIon — a reposItory for “research for all that Is curIous and valuable.” t o welcome visitors to its major new exhibition Lincoln and New York, the new-york historical society hotography installed a monumental plaster bust of p abraham lincoln in its rotunda, made in 1922 by artist ozes daniel chester french as a full-scale maquette for his m aura aura lincoln memorial sculpture in washington, dc. l hotography p ozes ozes m aura aura l new-york historical society 2009-2010 1 Table of ConTenTs message 3 renovatIon 6 exhIbItIons 10 lIbrary 14 educatIon 18 publIc programs 22 gala 26 chaIrman’s counciL 28 strawberry festIval luncheon 32 donors 33 fInancIals 38 this page: harry howard, chief engineer, new york city volunteer fire department, from the roof of fireman’s hall at 155 mercer street, new york city, ca. 1857. opposite: john james audubon’s original watercolor of Scarlet Ibis (Eudocimus ruber), havell plate no. 397, from ca. 1837. roger hertog louise mirrer a Message froM The ChairMan and The PresidenT It has by now become commonplace to talk about the difficulties of fundraising in today’s economic climate. as with virtually all cultural institutions, the new-york historical society has responded to economic reality by tightening its belt. we’ve reduced our operating budget each year for the past two, and made hard decisions about nearly every aspect of our work. and yet we’ve managed to fill the often empty rhetoric of “doing more with less” with great exhibitions, public programs, educational offerings and service to scholars—not to mention uninterrupted progress on the renovation of our 100-year-old plus building. But, then again, we’ve been able to count on like Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, tremendous support for our long-term vision historic beacons for all passersby. The interior from our Board and our Chairman’s Council of our building will be much more open and and friends; as well as from Federal, City and inviting, with an extraordinary display of busts, State governments; and from foundations statues, paintings, documents and artifacts that and corporations. We’ve raised $90 million show just how complex our American story dollars for our building renovation in the has been. Our new admissions area will dazzle most challenging of times, money that we are with its imaginative Keith Haring ceiling from spending wisely — mindful of how fortunate the original Pop Shop in SoHo; and in 4,000 we are for those who enable our work. square feet on our lower level we will make history matter for the next generation, and the The “new” New-York Historical Society one after that, in our new DiMenna Children’s headquarters will, for the first time in 100 History Museum and the Barbara K. Lipman years, make it possible for us to make history Children’s History Library it comprises. instantly palpable, even before visitors enter our Our public will have the chance to take a doors, with life-sized bronze statues of figures front-row seat on history in our newly-expanded auditorium. new-york historical society 2009-2010 3 The pages of this Report show how we have that form the intellectual centerpiece of our endeavored, in major exhibitions like Lincoln new National Endowment for Humanities- and New York and Grant & Lee; and in the myriad funded Graduate Institute for Constitutional programs, seminars, and classes for teachers History. Only in its second year, it has already and students we have offered, to make good attracted scholars of enormous breadth and on our commitment that every individual impact, including Akhil Reed Amar, Gerhard touched through our programs and exhibitions, Casper, Linda K. Kerber, James Oakes, Richard both on-site and on-line, will have learned Pious, James Surowiecki, Mark Tushnet, and something new from their visit, made important John Fabian Witt. These scholars in turn have connections between the past and their present- brought us some of the brightest graduate day lives, and expanded their thinking. They students, post-docs and newly-minted faculty in also show how our generous funders have the region. helped us to find our place at the center of historical and art historical discovery. We’d like d ollar p to highlight the contributions of three: on d richard gilder Our visionary trustee Richard Gilder was recently profiled inPhilanthropy Magazine robert h. smith as “the growth investor” who “went long on The late Robert H. Smith was an extraordinary New York City and American history.” Dick man born in Brooklyn, who spent most of his has been fixing what’s wrong with New York life in Washington, D.C. Bob’s gifts and those since 1969, when he noticed the degradation of his family made it possible for us to realize of the park he had loved as a child. His our dream of a permanent installation on campaign to save Central Park paid off hugely New York and the nation in our renovated and we all enjoy its fruits today. Dick also Great Hall. As a builder, Bob understood played an instrumental role in the vitality of perfectly how New York has always been a tear- our neighboring American Museum of Natural down, build-up city; that, though the Federal History and its Rose Center for Earth and cradle, New Yorkers tended not to memorialize Space, with the idea of thinking big. Dick’s it as such. Yet Bob also knew there was a way vision for the New-York Historical Society, to recover this important history — by edu- set forth seven years ago when he joined the cating people, particularly young people, about Board and deposited his outstanding Gilder the American idea and the New Yorkers who Lehrman Collection here, has already yielded helped it take shape. Happily he agreed that some spectacular results: tens of thousands of the New-York Historical Society’s extraordinary young people arriving each year on school buses; collection of books, manuscripts, letters, blockbuster exhibitions on American history; architectural plans, deeds of sale, drawings, and scholars populating our Library reading paintings, sculptures, models and furniture room, writing their great books. Dick’s new could be drawn on to do it brilliantly. The focus on securing the future of our splendid Smith family is also supporting the seminars institution with a major gift for endowment is part of his greatest philanthropic achievement 4 new-york historical society 2009-2010 yet: giving the teaching and learning of American history the “boost” that it needs, don pollard in New York and nationwide. Dick’s famous admonishment to those who might need to be reminded why students should master the ideas of our founding, “All men are created equal: just start with that!” has taken root at the New-York Historical Society and ﬂ ourished, with permanently endowed education programs, Saturday Academies, and a host of other opportunities for young people to learn In 2010, the new-york historical society and other organizations united to about our astonishing past. In Dick’s honor, honor richard gilder’s outstanding leadership and generosity by naming the the histories of the universe (Rose Center for intersection of central park west and west 77th street “richard gilder way.” Earth and Space), the earth (American Museum of Natural History), the nation (New-York Historical Society) and Central Park (Central Leuchtenburg, Kati Marton, Charles Ogletree, Park Conservancy) were recently united by the Richard Reeves, Frank Rich, Simon Schama, naming of the intersection of Central Park West Benno Schmidt, Annette Gordon-Reed, and 77th Street “Richard Gilder Way.” Gordon Wood, and Sean Wilentz. Bernard saw the success of the series and went several steps further, creating a place at the New-York don pollard Historical Society to launch the careers of new scholars with the Bernard and Irene Schwartz Postdoctoral Internship Program, in partnership with The New School, where Schwartz postdocs teach two courses each year. Bernard also supports New School students enrolled in our summer internship program. We have been exceedingly fortunate. Yet the bernard schwartz challenges for the future, as always, are great. Our endowment remains small in comparison Bernard Schwartz, our wise and generous to our ambitions. The funding environment is trustee, had an idea six years ago that has diﬃ cult. But we go forward at this time with become almost synonymous with the New-York the special resolve of an institution that knows Historical Society. The now-famous Bernard the importance of its mission, and with the and Irene Schwartz Distinguished Speakers wonderful knowledge that we have many friends Series, which emanated from the special niche who feel equally so. that Bernard saw for our institution in the public sphere, focused around great historians Sincerely, and writers who would share with our city’s many history buff s their knowledge and their thoughts. The Schwartz series has enabled us to off er sold-out audiences lectures from and Roger Hertog, Chairman conversations among distinguished speakers such as Justices Antonin Scalia and Stephen Breyer, Alan Brinkley, Richard Brookhiser, E.L. Doctorow, Eric Foner, Henry Louis Gates, Adam Gopnik, Jonathan Alter, William E. Louise Mirrer, President & CEO new-york historical society 2009-2010 5 rotunda and west 77th street entrance, which will feature daniel chester french’s abraham lincoln bust along with richard hass’ 1982 cityscapes cycle, a gift from altria corporate services, Inc.

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