Politics, Money, and Anarchy: Historic House Museums

Thursday, January 14, at 6:30 pm

at The Museum of the City of New York

Museum of the City of New York
1220 Fifth Avenue at 103rd St.

Historic sites and historic house museums in particular are facing an uncertain future due to a perfect storm of pressures and outside influencers as history lovers cannot agree on the best ways to ensure long-term stewardship.  The debate has been highlighted by the recent publication of The Anarchist’s Guide to Historic House Museums by Franklin Vagnone & Deborah Ryan (Left Coast Press, 2015). Join a panel of invested experts such as Columbia Professor Andrew Dolkart, Historic House Trust of NYC Executive Director Franklin Vagnone, and Newark Museum Chief Curator Ulysses Diez to take part in a lively, and likely heated, debate regarding these fragile historic sites. What are the critiques? What are the solutions? This program delves into the themes of last year’s popular exhibition, Saving Place: 50 Years of New York City Landmarks.

Free for Museum members; $16 general public; $12 for students/seniors.

For more information, visit Historic House Museums

Elon Cook, Humanities Director at the Robbins House Historic Site & Program Manager and Curator at the Center for Reconciliation

Ulysses Diez, Chief Curator and Curator of Decorative Arts, The Newark Museum

Angel Hernandez, Educator, The Bronx County Historical Society & “The Bronx Latino History Project”

Deborah Ryan, Urban Designer and Community Engagement Specialist and Professor of Architecture and Urban Design, University of North Carolina, Charlotte

Franklin Vagnone, Heritage Consultant and Executive Director, Historic House Trust of New York City

Ran Yan, Community Engagement Liaison, Lewis H. Latimer House Museum

Andrew Dolkart (moderator), Professor of Historic Preservation, Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation