Museum of the City of New York to Launch 'The City Electric' Exhibition Exploring Gilded Age Transformations
The Museum of the City of New York is set to launch a new exhibition titled 'The City Electric: New York’s Gilded Age.' This exhibition will delve into the multifaceted dynamism of New York City during the Gilded Age, moving beyond its opulent facade to explore the profound societal changes occurring at the time. It will showcase the city's transformation driven by a historic wave of immigration, the significant influence of Black Brooklynites, and a booming industrial economy. Visitors will encounter artifacts such as furnishings from Fifth Avenue mansions, signature gowns including Alice Claypool Vanderbilt’s 'Electric Light' costume, and photographs by Jacob Riis, Alice Austen, and Lewis Hine, which document the lives of new arrivals and their impact on the city's neighborhoods and labor force. Early films by Thomas Edison and the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company will also be featured, capturing a newly electrified city in motion, epitomized by the Brooklyn Bridge.
