With dynamic exhibitions, The New York Historical Society documents over 400 years of local and national history. Currently, there are 11 exhibitions on view. Each one is centralized around a theme, person, company or a mix of these. Here are some sneak peeks into the indoor magic The Historical has to offer.
Picture Stories: Photographs by Arlene Gottfried: January 31, 2025 – May 25, 2025
Through her gallery of black and white photography, Arlene Gottfried’s ability to capture raw emotion and the Black experience is lit up in a dark gallery room. Gottfried, who passed away at 67 in 2017 after a battle with breast cancer, captured strangers all around New York City, graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology, and ended up being a freelance photographer for many popular periodicals. Her work was not widely known for most of her career.
Fred W. McDarrah: Pride and Protest: November 22, 2024 – July 13, 2025
The Village Voice, a community newspaper founded in 1955 captured the street life of NYC. This gallery is devoted to the work of the paper’s first staff photographer, Fred McDarrah. McDarrah inclusively captured the countercultural community, and the revolutionary fight for gay rights. Throughout his career he captured many monumental moments, including the Stonewall Riots. Through images of daily life, parades and protests, McDarrah immortalized a historical fight for freedom and the rise of the AIDS epidemic.
Pets and the City: October 25, 2024 – April 20, 2025
Through adorable displays, The Historical explores the history of pets in the city over the last two centuries. The exhibit, which is one of the largest currently on view, explores how animal companions evolved as the city industrialized, highlighting visual components of life. Various forms of media are examined, such as film, press, objects, art, and collectables, as well as the increase in public rights for pets throughout urban history. The exhibit features illustrations that were created in partnership with Julia Rothman.
The Collection: New Conversations: August 11, 2023 – June 15, 2025
In this gallery, reworked originals tell new stories, highlighting the current social and political climate. For example, next to the iconic Rosie the Riveter (1942), lies an oil on linen portrait created in 2021 by Tim Okamura. The portrait is of Tracey-Ann Knight, DNP, RN, in the “We Can Do It!” pose, from the 1942 original. The museum label states, “It calls attention to the large number of people of color who risked their lives to fight COVID-19 and to its disproportionate toll on communities of color.” Another artwork, Contact 2,021 by Shinnecock artist Courtney M. Leonard, celebrates the Indigenous presence in today’s NYC and the fight against erasure. It is juxtaposed with Thomas Cole’s 1836 painting series, The Course of Empire. Each artwork in this collection makes a point about society and shows a creative shift of meaning from an original piece.
Gallery of Tiffany Lamps: Ongoing
This two story gallery features the beautiful timeline of Tiffany & Co’s stained glass lamps. Each one is unique, offering a kaleidoscope of warm colors. The gallery highlighted the work of Clara Driscoll, one of the company’s most influential inventors, and the other Tiffany girls, who were often hidden behind Charles Lewis Tiffany, the founder of Tiffany & Co. Inside the gallery, a grand backlit staircase stands center, illuminating the space around it. Upstairs lies interactive visuals, such as drawers of original glass pieces and examples of how they created symmetrical lamp shades. The gallery is a celebration of the ornate and mosaic.
Other exhibits on view now:
The Year of Flaco: Feb. 7-July 6
Real Clothes, Real Lives: 200 Years of What Women Wore, the Smith College Historic Clothing Collection: September 27, 2024 – June 22, 2025
“Turn Every Page:” Inside the Robert A. Caro Archive: Ongoing
Objects Tell Stories: Ongoing
Meet the Presidents and the Oval Office: Ongoing
Audubon’s Birds of America Focus Gallery: Ongoing
For more info on The New York Historical, visit their website.
