|
To Open at the South Street Seaport Museum
September 13, 2009
Interactive exhibit includes original 1626
New York "birth certificate," other rare documents and stories
of the first New Yorkers
Part of Celebration of the 400th
Anniversary of Hudson’s Journey to New York
NEW YORK, NY – Four hundred years ago, Henry Hudson made
his famed voyage that led to the settlement of a small Dutch
colony that would later become the financial and cultural center of the world. "New
Amsterdam: The Island at the Center of the World," a major new
exhibition opening at the South Street Seaport Museum on
September 13, 2009, explores, through rare documents and
images—some never before displayed in the U.S.— how a remarkably disparate group that
included entrepreneurs, religious freedom-seekers, slaves, Dutch
orphans and Native Americans built the foundation of what would
soon become a true city of strategic importance to European
powers. Presented in conjunction with the Dutch National
Archive, the exhibition is a centerpiece of the NY400 campaign,
a city-wide, year-long celebration of the 400th
anniversary of Henry Hudson’s arrival in New York.
A highlight of the exhibit is the Pieter Schaghen letter of
1626, sometimes referred to as "New York’s birth certificate,"
which is the first written reference to the Dutch "purchase" of
Manhattan from the Native Lenapes for the equivalent of $24.
The story of the founding of New Amsterdam is told in three thematic sections. "The World"
highlights the work of 17th century cartographer
Johannes Vingboons, who drew hundreds of maps of cities and
trade ports around the world, even though he likely never left
his native Netherlands. "The Island" explores the emergence of
New Amsterdam as an important center of trade and commerce. The
third section focuses on the myth and the real history behind
the "sale" of Manhattan.
"The exhibition tells the founding story of modern day New York,
but it also explores how the Dutch economic, social and
cultural values of the 1600s laid the groundwork for how we
currently identify ourselves as New Yorkers," said Mary Ellen
Pelzer, director of the South Street Seaport Museum.
More than 60 rare documents provide a vivid look at the
beginning of New Amsterdam and the people who built it –
including the document appointing Peter Stuyvesant as Director
General of New Amsterdam, Henry Hudson’s 1608 contract with the Dutch East India
Company, drawings of inhabitants, maps of the region and more
than 20 watercolor paintings. The exhibition also features the
Castello Plan from 1660 – the only remaining street plan of
lower Manhattan from the Dutch period. This noted document – on
loan from the Medici Archives in Florence, depicts, in
remarkable detail, the streets and structures of New Amsterdam.
Multimedia elements help bring these documents to life including
touch screens that provide English translations to the documents
as well as audio booths and written descriptions that tell the
stories of both early New Yorkers and recent Dutch immigrants.
In addition to revealing the history of the development of New
Amsterdam, the exhibition also examines the racial and religious
diversity of 17th century New York. A number of
documents provide insight into the interaction between the Dutch,
English, American Indian, African, Jewish and Quaker populations
in the region on issues ranging from land ownership to slavery
and religious freedom.
"The South Street Seaport Museum is excited and honored to be
working with the Dutch National Archive to present this
important and fascinating exhibition," said Frank Sciame,
chairman of the South Street Seaport Museum. "Visitors are
going to be captivated by these remarkable documents and the
incredible story about how our city – the greatest city in the
world – came to be."
"New Amsterdam: The Island at the Center of the World" will run
through January 3, 2010 and is free with the price of admission
to the museum. For more information, visit
www.southstreetseaport.org.
About the South Street Seaport Museum
The South Street Seaport Museum tells the story of how New
York City’s great natural harbor became the gateway to America.
The Museum utilizes its assets – the historic district’s
restored Schermerhorn Row, the tall ship Wavertree and other
vessels, and its collection of art and artifacts – to capture
the unique story of the port’s role in the development of the
City, State and nation as economic, cultural and political
powers. The rich history of the port of New York is shared
through dynamic exhibitions and programs, the Museum’s vessels,
and its research center.
For more information, visit
www.southstreetseaportmuseum.org
|
|
