RUTHFULLY YOURS

The New York Historical Society was New York’s first museum, founded in 1804 and dedicated to fostering the history of New York and the United States. Until recently, it was an under-utilized, somewhat stodgy institution with comprehensive collections of Audobon prints, Tiffany lamps and historical paraphernalia – but little pizazz. In the shadow of its formidable neighbor, the Museum of Natural History, it stood little chance of attracting large crowds and remained a small curiosity on a prime piece of New York real estate. In the past few years, it has undergone a transformative renovation and has just re-opened with a glorious façade and two wide- windowed entrances displaying an elegant lobby on Central Park West and a colorful gift shop with a soon to be opened café on west 77^th street. A full page ad in the NY Times of Nov 8^th featured the museum’s replica Tiffany lamp collection and assorted gift items priced under $30 to appeal to Christmas shoppers who might otherwise never have ventured beyond those appealing doorways.   It is clear that the museum has decided to jump into the second decade of the 21rst century with a new self-importance and some strategic marketing help.

When you buy your admissions ticket, you are given an automatic pass to the orientation film about New York – an approximately 20 minute summary of the historical and social evolution of our city from its beginnings as New Amsterdam to the current metropolis that is arguably the most cosmopolitan city in the world.   On a panoramic, multi-paneled screen, we are quickly introduced to one of the salient focal points of the museum – the pervasive and determining role of slavery in our country’s history. We are reminded of its place in New York, both in the use of slaves to build the city itself and in the production of products created or manufactured by slaves and shipped out of New York Harbor. There is no attempt to whitewash our national guilt in this shameful human trafficking – in fact, there seems to be the opposite intent, to place this sin front and center whenever possible. In this regard, the film echoes what is seen throughout the building. At the front of the main lobby is a bust of  George Washington with slave shackles attached to its back and a small statue of a Black man next to him; additional displays or references to slavery are on every floor. Eventually, the film reaches modern times and we see the shocking footage of 9/11 with its tragic rubble and chaotic frenzy.   At the right side of the screen is an enlarged NY Times headline reading, “Hijacked Jets Attack New York.” There is no further elucidation of who attacked us and no attempt to give 9/11 any context whatsoever, including no mention of how many people were killed.   For the classes of young school-children who are ushered in to this auditorium, this could just as easily be interpreted as an aviation accident or an isolated incident that had no repercussions beyond the destruction of some skyscrapers downtown.

The most pivotal event to happen in New York and the United States in this century was the attack on our country on 9/11 – a topic of far greater moment for young students of today than George Washington’s slaves – yet the Museum has chosen not to identify its perpetrators nor to discuss its aftermath or significance. There is no mention of Al Qaeda or Radical Jihad, no mention of who the hijackers were – not a word about the heroism of firemen, policemen and other first responders. Though an earlier photo-montage of the Triangle Shirt Fire mentioned how many victims perished and the section on the Draft Riots of the Civil War discussed its enormous ravages, 9/11 is bereft of statistics and in a museum dedicated to history –  it is suspended in a vacuum, lacking both causes and consequences.

In an interview with Robin Weaver (Woman Around Town) in 2009, Louise Mirrer, CEO and president of the New York Historical Society, claimed that “History is not just about names and dates. It’s also about ideas that are open to discussion and debate.” The lesson that can be learned from this film is unfortunately one that has permeated our educational system, namely, a lopsided over-emphasis on our country’s flaws along with a politically correct refusal to  condemn or even identify our enemies.  What an opportunity has been lost in not placing next to George Washington, the father of our country, these words from his farewell address of 1796 that would have been so appropriate for this expensively renovated new building:

“Promote, then, as an object of primary importance, institutions for the general diffusion of knowledge. In proportion as the structure of government gives force to public opinion, it is essential that public opinion should be enlightened.”

 The acts of radical Islamists are as pertinent to enlightening our understanding of contemporary issues in New York City and America as the issue of slavery throughout our past. It’s unfortunate that the administrators of the New York Historical Society chose to avoid any potential controversy in chronicling our current events. They had no problem elevating the symbol of the slave over the symbol of the torch of liberty in a museum dedicated to the history of our great city and nation.