South Street Seaport Museum New Winter Exhibitions

The South Street Seaport Museum announces the continuation of two winter exhibitions exploring the turn of the century in downtown Manhattan, resuming on January 29, 2022 at 12 Fulton St. The exhibitions include a new introductory gallery South Street and the Rise of New York, as well as a newly reconfigured return of the popular Millions: Migrants and Millionaires aboard the Great Liners, 1900-1914, which was last on view prior to the pandemic. Each exhibition will be open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays from 11am to 5pm. Admission is free, and advanced timed tickets can be reserved at seaportmuseum.org/onview.

"We are very pleased to present these exhibitions to Museum visitors, offered free to the public, and inside for the first time since March of 2020. Building on the successes of free admission to our 2021 Season of Open Days, these exhibitions provide further insight into the rise of New York through the lens of the Seaport Museum's collection," said Capt. Jonathan Boulware, President and CEO of the South Street Seaport Museum.

South Street and the Rise of New York explores the critical role played by the Seaport and South Street in securing New York's place as America's leading city and its rise to become the world's busiest port by the start of the 20th century. The exhibition draws from the Seaport Museum's vast collection of works of art and artifacts via large reproduction and selected artifacts on display related to the 19th century history of the Port of New York.

"New York has one of the best natural harbors in the world," said guest curator Michael R. Harrison. "This amazing harbor allowed New Yorkers to develop world-wide connections that made the city an economic and cultural powerhouse. The port fostered the city's energy, and that energy attracted the talent and skill of people from around the world, making New York the most ethnically diverse place on the planet.

The exhibition highlights Schermerhorn Row, the block of warehouses and offices that stand on man-made land reclaimed from the East River between about 1797 and 1807; the Museum's fleet of historic ships, which tell the story of New York as a great port city through their connections to world commerce, coastal deliveries, and the working harbor; and Bowne & Co., a contemporary re-interpretation of one of the many printing offices that flourished in lower Manhattan in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Millions: Migrants and Millionaires aboard the Great Liners, 1900–1914 is one of the first exhibitions to examine, side-by-side, the dichotomy between First Class and Third Class passengers aboard ocean liners in the early 20th century. This exhibition features both original and reproduction artifacts from the Museum's permanent collection including ocean liner memorabilia and ephemera, ceramics, and luggage trunks from both immigrants and First Class passengers.