About
The Library has hosted many significant exhibits, and the publications mentioned below have either accompanied or documented some of them. Many more that aren't on this list can be found in the Research Catalog under the Subject Heading: New York Public Library Exhibitions. You can also find lists of past exhibitions in issues of the Bulletin of the New York Public Library.
Visit NYPL's Exhibitions website to learn more about current, upcoming, online, and past exhibitions at the three research libraries and community showcases at the branch libraries.
Exhibition Catalogs & Publications
Treasures by Call Number: JFF 21-382Publication Date: 2021-02-02This lavish four-color tome describes the depth and range of the library's most prized materials. It is the official book of the Library's first permanent exhibition on the first floor of its iconic 42nd Street Building: The Polonsky Exhibition of The New York Public Library’s Treasure.
The Stonewall Reader by Call Number: 306.766 SPublication Date: 2019This anthology commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots as well as the activists who spearheaded the fight for LGBTQ rights in the 1960s. The Stonewall Reader is a collection of eyewitness accounts gathered from the New York Public Library's archives of diaries, periodic literature, and stories from LGBTQ periodicals and newspapers covering the years leading up to and following the riots.
The Hand of the Poet by Call Number: JFF 98-1522Publication Date: 1997The Hand of the Poet, based on an incredibly successful exhibition at The New York Public Library, immerses the reader in the poet's real-world - ink spots, tobacco stains, and all - by exhibiting a wide range of working drafts, letters, diary entries, photographs, and memorabilia.
Seeing is Believing: 700 Years of Scientific and Medical Illustration by Call Number: JFE 99-14934ISBN: 0871044498Publication Date: 1999-11-01Illustrations were essential in spreading new scientific and medical concepts, and it was not uncommon for equivalent advances in illustrating techniques to coincide with advances in the sciences. These techniques are the focus of Seeing Is Believing, which ran from October 1999 to February 2000. This exhibit was the first major exhibition to highlight the Library's science and medicine collections.
Garbage! The History and Politics of Trash in New York City by Call Number: IRGC 95-4697ISBN: 0871044374Publication Date: 1994-11-01GARBAGE! the history and politics of trash in New York City, organized by the New York Public Library, was exhibited in the D. Samuel and Jeane H. Gottesman Exhibition Hall, November 12, 1994-February 25, 1995.
Tables of Content: Recollections and Recipes from The New York Public Library's Benefit Dinners by Call Number: JFF 94-439Publication Date: 1993-11-09This book details an elegant look at twenty fund-raising dinners given in 1991 to benefit the Library, lavishly illustrated with full-color food photography and party snapshots.
Past Exhibition Material
Past Exhibition Material
Past Exhibition Material
Past Exhibition Material
Past Exhibition Material
Past Exhibition Material
Past Exhibition Material
Past Exhibition Material
Past Exhibition Material
Past Exhibition Material
Past Exhibition Material
Past Exhibition Material
Past Exhibition Material
Past Exhibition Material
Past Exhibition Material
Past Exhibition Material
Past Exhibition Material
Past Exhibition Material
Past Exhibition Material
Past Exhibition Material
Past Exhibition Material
The Schomburg Collection 1925-1950 exhibition was held at the 42nd Street Library in October 1950.
The Schomburg Collection 1925-1950 exhibition was held at the 42nd Street Library in October 1950.
The Schomburg Collection 1925-1950 exhibition was held at the 42nd Street Library in October 1950.
The Schomburg Collection 1925-1950 exhibition was held at the 42nd Street Library in October 1950.
The Polonsky Exhibition of The New York Public Library’s Treasures showcases some of the most extraordinary items from the 56 million in our collections for the first time.
The treasures in this exhibition tell the stories of people, places, and moments spanning 4,000 years—from the emergence of the written word through to the present day featuring manuscripts, artworks, letters, still and moving images, recordings, and more that bring vividly to life voices of the past. This 1966 portrait of John and Alice Coltrane by Chuck Stewart is just one example.
Lionel Mapleson created more than 100 cylinder recordings of Metropolitan Opera performances at a time when sound recording was in its infancy. These cylinders made it possible to create a live recording with a full orchestra and performers— they are part of the stunning array of Library materials in Treasures. They are in the "Beginnings" section of Treasures which you can explore by theme
Learn how to plan your visit to the Library to see Treasures on our website. From here, you can browse exhibit items online or discover highlights of the Polonsky Exhibition with the free Treasures Audio Guide, accessible onsite or from anywhere on your mobile device.