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Let's Dig Through The NYPL's Most Treasured Items
By
Jen Carlson
Published Aug 23, 2021
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Jonathan Blanc / NYPL
By
Jen Carlson
Published Aug 23, 2021
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Over the years we have dipped into the unending well of treasures stored away at the New York Public Library time and again — in doing so, we've gotten an extremely rare look at Sylvia Plath's childhood manuscripts; listened to Shirley Chisholm's victory speech upon becoming the first Black congresswoman in U.S. history; dug through 1970s photos of Brooklyn homes; discovered that Charles Dickens's cat's paw is tucked away in the Berg Collection and still shedding; and even found the answer to the age-old question: is the 1960s World's Fair Underground Home still buried in Queens?
The NYPL's 5th Avenue building itself is even a historical treasure, with remnants of the old Croton Reservoir hiding in plain sight.
Charles Dickens had his old cat's paw mounted to a letter opener for reasons we'll never understand.
Gothamist
Now, the Polonsky Exhibition of The New York Public Library's Treasures, opening on September 24th, will offer a permanent, in-person, and free look at the Library's treasures, featuring over 250 items "spanning 4,000 years from the institution's renowned research collections." Items will rotate over time and the ongoing exhibit will aim to "spark further thought, curiosity, investigation, and research."
In addition to the aforementioned cat's paw, you'll also be able to see things like an original copy of the Bill of Rights; manuscripts of classic works by Virginia Woolf, Maya Angelou, Malcolm X; the original dolls owned by the real-life Christopher Robin that inspired the Winnie The Pooh stories; and a ton of old photos, historical documents, and artwork.
Gothamist has teamed up with the Library and will be highlighting items from the exhibit throughout September, with a focus on New York City gems.
Conservation efforts at the NYPL
Jonathan Blanc / NYPL
The Treasures exhibit will open on September 24th at the Library's Stephen A. Schwarzman Building on 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue. Free timed tickets for the exhibition are available now at nypl.org/treasures.
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NYPL Treasures
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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