Artifacts sought for New York Grand Central Terminal Centennial Exhibition
Written by jrood
MTA Metro-North Railroad and the New York Transit Museum are looking for objects related to Grand Central Terminal for an exhibit commemorating the centennial of this landmark building.
On February 1, 2013, 100
years after the Terminal officially opened, a major exhibition on the history
of Grand Central will open in Vanderbilt Hall, the former Main Waiting Room,
which once had bench seating for 700 long-distance travelers. The museum and
the railroad are seeking donations for this exhibit and for its permanent
collection. Loans also will be considered.
"We know that
railroad fans and history buffs have some unique collections that may have had
interesting origins," said Howard Permut, President of Metro-North.
"But we are grateful to the stewards of our history and recognize that
many of these vintage items were literally rescued from trash bins as one
railroad failed and another took over."
Metro-North, the current
operator of Grand Central, came into being Jan. 1, 1983 from the bankrupt
remnants of the passenger division of Conrail, which was itself an amalgam of
Penn Central and the New Haven and Hartford Railroad, and so on back to the 1800s.
Large-scale objects,
three-dimensional artifacts, such as uniforms, caps, badges, ashtrays, coat
hooks, clocks, baggage carts and "gate curtains" with old train names
are especially needed. Still photos and moving images also are being sought as
is ephemera such as tickets, timetables, menus and matchbooks from Terminal
tenants. Flyers and advertisements for events held in the Terminal, such as
galas, political events, USO entertainers, exhibits, movies, etc. also are
welcome.
Basically anything that
says "Grand Central" will be considered or any New York Central, Penn
Central, Conrail or Metro-North memorabilia that is directly related to Grand
Central. The Museum is NOT looking for general railroad memorabilia. Items must
be specific to Grand Central Terminal.
Potential donors should
send a digital photo and a brief description of the object, including the
dimensions, current location, along with the provenance to the extent it is
known, to Archivist Carey Stumm at [email protected].
Museum curators will review and respond to all offerings of donations and
loans. Items for loan will be returned according to a standard contract and
donors will be acknowledged in the exhibit.
"We hope that this
request for artifacts will encourage private collectors from across the nation
to share their treasures with the world during our centennial
celebration," Permut added. "The railroad and all who love Grand
Central would be most appreciative."
