General Information

The Museum of the City of New York is an art gallery and history museum founded in 1923 to present the history of New York City, USA and its people. The museum is a private non-profit organisation that receives government support as a member of New York City’s Cultural Institutions Group (CIG).

Architecture: Highlights

The brick and limestone building it occupies was designed by Joseph J. Freedlander in the neo-Georgian style. Construction began in 1928 and was completed two years later. The pavilion gallery, a two-storey glass addition, was built between 2006 and 2008 at the back of the original building, which was also restored at the same time.

Collection: Highlights

The museum’s collections include paintings, drawings, prints and photographs featuring New York City and its residents, as well as costumes, decorative objects and furniture, toys, rare books and manuscripts, marine and military collections, police and firefighting collections, and a theatre collection documenting the golden age of Broadway theatre.

Collection: Explained

The museum is known for its comprehensive collection of photographs, which includes works by Stanley Kubrick, Jacob Riis and Berenice Abbott, as well as many Depression-era Federal Art Project photographs.
Among the rare items in the museum’s collection is a chair that once belonged to Sarah Rapelje, who is said to be the first white female child of European parentage born in New York State. The chair was donated by her descendants.