American History in the Metropolitan Museum
Reopening of the Historic Rooms
Starting May 19 2009 the galleries of the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum will reopen to the public. In 2007 the Metropolitan Museum started this extensive renovation project of the American Wing which will eventually upgrade every section of the galleries by 2011.This will clearly improve the visitor's experience of the American Wing.
Historic Period Rooms of the American Wing
The historic rooms that present the American Way of living from colonial times to the present offer a detailed insight into how American living has evolved over the centuries since the beginning of European immigration.
19 of the 20 period rooms of the Metropolitan Museum will reopen after extensive renovations and rearrangements. Three centuries of American domestic architecture and interior design allow a deep insight into the development of the American way of living and will give visitors an overview in how the various parts of American society differed in the economic and social options available to them over time.
Social and Economic Differences in American Society Over Time
These differences become obvious in the simple and rustic surroundings the early colonists were faced with as well as in the more luxurious interiors which can be found in the Dutch colonial mansions along the Hudson River.
Unusual outlooks on life of some groups are easier to understand when looking at their typical way of living: the down to earth appearance of the home of a Pennsylvania Dutch family portrays very well the hard-working lifestyle these immigrants shared and brought to their part of the new homeland.
The contrasts that existed between the societies of North and South during the 19th century become obvious when looking at their homes. Owners of southern plantation homes lived an almost aristocratic kind of live and their homes very much look like European castles and mansions with all their art, fine porcellain and mirrors mostly imported from Europe. Wealthy home owners in the North on the other hand tried to reinvent traditional European art and architecture in several styles over emphasizing the characteristics of the original European styles.
Radical changes in American living are brought about by Frank Lloyd Wright. His interiors show how natural surroundings of homes are integrated in a completely new way of interior design exemplified in his Prairie Houses.
What is New in the Historic Rooms of the American Wing
Several interiors of minor interest have been removed, while two 18th-century-rooms have been relocated: the Verplanck Room (1767) and the Marmion Room (1756). One new period room was added: from the Daniel Peter Winne house near Albany, New York (1751). It will serve as a gallery for furniture, silver, painted glass and early portraits from the Dutch colonial period in the state of New York.
Thus visitors will again be able to walk through American interiors from the 17th century to the 20th century - starting with the Hart Room from 1680 to the Frank Lloyd Wright Room from 1912-14. The galleries will also be easier to reach with the newly constructed glass elevator up to the earliest rooms on the third floor.
Further information on the American Wing can be found on the website of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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