Calendar of Events

All Virtual Events are recorded and posted to the Museum’s YouTube page.

July

The Merchant’s House will be CLOSED on Friday, July 4, for Independence Day.

Thursdays in July, 5 to 8 p.m.
Summer Evenings in the Garden

Join us for an informal evening to celebrate summer with light refreshments in the garden. Garden admission is free, enter via Manuel Plaza. No reservations.

Live music and guided tours on select evenings at 6 p.m., reservations recommended for house tours: $20, MHM Members free.

Thursday, July 3 – Museum closing at 5 p.m., no Summer Evening event
Thursday, July 10, 6 p.m. – Guided House Tour – Purchase tour tickets.
Thursday, July 17, 6 p.m. – Guided House Tour – Purchase tour tickets.
Thursday, July 24, 6 p.m. – Guided House Tour – Purchase tour tickets.
Thursday, July 31, 6 p.m. – Live Music with Jazz Flutist Cheryl Pyle – Free, no reservations.

Sunday, July 13, 1:30 p.m.
Walking Tour: The Tredwells’ World of 19th Century Noho

With the 1825 opening of the Erie Canal, the city’s economy boomed and wealthy merchant families escaped the increasing noise, congestion, and commercialization of the seaport area to move “uptown,” to what is now modern day NoHo, then an exclusive residential enclave. Join us as we explore the Tredwells’ elite neighborhood and discover what life was like for the wealthy merchant class in the mid-19th century. $20, FREE for Members. Reservations strongly recommended. Purchase walking tour tickets.

Walking tours are 90 minutes and meet in Manuel Plaza (next door to the Museum), at 35 East 4th Street.

Saturday, July 19, 3 p.m.
Angels, Rebels, or Criminals? The Women Who Made New York

Delve into the history of New York in the 1820s on this newly developed tour, a time of significant transformation for women. Throughout this era, the concept of women shifted dramatically from being partners and business owners to becoming angels of domesticity, influenced by what was known as the “Cult of True Womanhood.” But were all women truly angels?

This tour will not only introduce you to the Merchant’s House and its incredible history, but will also provide insights into the lives of the Tredwell women and other notable women who shaped New York from 1820 to 1880. You will discover whether these women were indeed angels or rebels, or even criminals and gang leaders. Join us on this enlightening journey to uncover the diverse roles and remarkable stories of women during this transformative period in New York’s history. 80 minutes, strictly limited capacity. $20, MHM Members Free. Purchase tickets for Angels, Rebels, or Criminals? Tour.

Saturday, July 26, 1:30 p.m.
Walking Tour: The Tredwells’ World of 19th Century Noho

With the 1825 opening of the Erie Canal, the city’s economy boomed and wealthy merchant families escaped the increasing noise, congestion, and commercialization of the seaport area to move “uptown,” to what is now modern day NoHo, then an exclusive residential enclave. Join us as we explore the Tredwells’ elite neighborhood and discover what life was like for the wealthy merchant class in the mid-19th century. $20, FREE for Members. Reservations strongly recommended. Purchase walking tour tickets.

Walking tours are 90 minutes and meet in Manuel Plaza (next door to the Museum), at 35 East 4th Street.

Current Exhibitions

Exhibitions are included with regular museum admission.

On display through August 10
Tredwell Costume Collection: Sarah Ann Tredwell’s Wedding Dress (MHM 2002.0849) and Jewelry (MHM 2002.1203), 1872
Sarah Ann Tredwell, a cousin of the Tredwells who lived in this house, wore this silk taffeta dress with orange blossom jewelry when she married in 1872. After the Civil War, wedding gowns made by the house of Worth in Paris were the height of fashion. They were the ultimate status symbol and were widely copied if an original was not in the budget; the excellent work of fine New York City dressmakers rivaled what could be purchased in Paris, and did not necessitate a trip overseas. Sarah Ann’s wedding jewelry, recently conserved, feature wax and silk orange blossoms. Orange blossoms were popularized for weddings by Queen Victoria, when she wore them at her marriage to Prince Albert in 1840. A tropical flower, they were difficult and expensive to obtain, so artifial blossoms like those on display were common.

Ongoing
Manhattan’s First Landmark
This year, New Yorkers celebrate the 60th anniversary of the City’s groundbreaking Landmarks Law signed on April 19, 1965. The Merchant’s House, because of its remarkable state of preservation and importance in the history of New York City, played a significant role in the landmarking movement from its very beginning. Only 20 buildings were designated at the Landmarks Preservation Commission’s initial meeting in September 1965; the Merchant’s House was the first in the borough of Manhattan. Original documents, photographs, correspondence, and press clippings tell the story of how preserving the Merchant’s House was recognized as critical, from its inception as a museum in the 1930s, through the start of the landmarking movement in the 1950s, to the passage of the Landmarks Law in April 1965 and the designation of the House at the first meeting of the Commission in September.


Ongoing
“Finest Surviving:” Ornamental Plasterwork at the Merchant’s House Museum
The 1832 Merchant’s House is one of only 120 buildings in New York City distinguished as an exterior – and interior – landmark. Its intact original ornamental plaster work is considered the “finest surviving” from the period. Learn how the plaster walls, ceilings, and ornamentation in the Merchant’s House were created in the 19th century. On display, original 1832 plaster fragments, as well as molds and plaster casts created by sculptor and ornamental plasterer David Flaharty, who used the same methods as the early 19th century artisans during a house-wide restoration in the 1970s.

 

VIRTUAL EXHIBITIONS | ONLINE OFFERINGS