Museum of American Finance

Slouching Towards Utopia: An Economic History of the 20th Century

February 20, 2023 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Before 1870, humanity lived in dire poverty, with a slow crawl of invention offset by a growing population. Then came a great shift: invention sprinted forward, doubling our technological capabilities each generation and utterly transforming the economy again and again. Our ancestors would have presumed we would have used such powers to build utopia. But it was not so. When 1870 – 2010 ended, the world instead saw global warming; economic depression, uncertainty, and inequality; and broad rejection of the status quo.

Brad DeLong’s Slouching Towards Utopia (Basic Books, 2022) tells the story of how this unprecedented explosion of material wealth occurred, how it transformed the globe and why it failed to deliver us to utopia. [Read more…] about Slouching Towards Utopia: An Economic History of the 20th Century

A Monetary and Fiscal History of the United States, 1961–2021

January 20, 2023 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Museum of American Finance will host “A Monetary and Fiscal History of the United States, 1961-2021,” a virtual program with Alan Blinder set for Wednesday, February 15th. [Read more…] about A Monetary and Fiscal History of the United States, 1961–2021

Sustainability and Finance Panel

September 17, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Museum of American Finance will host “Going Green: Exploring the Relationship of Sustainability and Finance,” a panel discussion and networking reception set for Monday, September 19th. [Read more…] about Sustainability and Finance Panel

The 1982 Day The Markets Roared

April 26, 2021 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Book purchases made through this link support New York Almanack’s mission to report new publications relevant to New York State.

1982 was a year that marked the start of almost four decades of US economic growth. However, this classic Wall Street story has never been fully told until now.

After painful years of high interest rates and the inflation of the late 1960s and 1970s, consumers were paying 17% and higher to borrow money. But by the end of one summer day almost 40 years ago, the stock market had undergone its second-biggest rally since WWII, while bond prices soared and interest rates plunged. [Read more…] about The 1982 Day The Markets Roared

Jay Gould, The Union Pacific Railroad, and the Panic of 1873

January 14, 2021 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Museum of American Finance will host a webinar talk about Jay Gould and the Union Pacific from the Panic of 1873 to 1880 with Joseph Calandro, Jr. on Tuesday, February 2nd, from noon to 1 pm.

Gould was widely unpopular during his lifetime and is often criticized for his unscrupulous business practices, which made him among the nation’s wealthiest men. His legacy remains controversial. [Read more…] about Jay Gould, The Union Pacific Railroad, and the Panic of 1873

Hamilton Scheme: Creating An American Economy

June 21, 2018 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

On Thursday, July 12, 2018 from 12:30 to 1:30 pm, Historian and author William Hogeland, a contributor to Historians on Hamilton (Rutgers University Press, 2018), will speak on how Alexander Hamilton’s national financial plan worked, why the public remains generally unaware of the details, the extremes Hamilton was willing to go to in order to bring the plan about, and why his opponents (Jefferson, Madison and Gallatin) couldn’t fully dismantle it during 16 years of Democratic Republican administration. The talk will be followed by Q&A. [Read more…] about Hamilton Scheme: Creating An American Economy

Blacks on US Currency Exhibit at Museum of American Finance

February 22, 2017 by Editorial Staff 1 Comment

On Wednesday, February 22, the Museum of American Finance will open “For the Love of Money: Blacks on US Currency,” a traveling exhibit on loan from the Museum of UnCut Funk.

To be featured on currency is among the nation’s highest honors. The Treasury’s latest redesign – which will feature Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill beginning in 2020 – will acknowledge for the first time on paper money the contributions of Black and women’s rights activists in advancing American democracy. There is a longer tradition of honoring such leaders through the creation of commemorative coins, medals and medallions. [Read more…] about Blacks on US Currency Exhibit at Museum of American Finance

Museum of American Finance Adds Audio Tours

July 19, 2016 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Last week the Museum of American Finance launched a 12-stop audio tour of its permanent exhibits. The tour was developed in partnership with Antenna – a multi-media story-telling company – and is narrated by a variety of experts including the Museum’s president and curators, as well as CNN founding financial editor Myron Kandel and architectural historian Damien Cregeau. [Read more…] about Museum of American Finance Adds Audio Tours

Finance Museum to Open ‘Legal Tender’ Exhibit

March 30, 2015 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

On Wednesday, April 1, the Museum of American Finance will open “Legal Tender,” an exhibition featuring the work of Philadelphia-based artist Emily Erb. The solo exhibition consists of large-scale flag paintings depicting US paper currency produced from 1862 through the present. [Read more…] about Finance Museum to Open ‘Legal Tender’ Exhibit

Wall Street Panics and Crashes: A Walking Tour Nov 2

October 29, 2013 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The annual guided walking tour of Lower Manhattan featuring the Great Crash of 1929, sponsored by the Museum of American Finance, will be held on Saturday, November 2, 2013 at 1 pm, (no tour in inclement weather).

This is the 26th anniversary of this unique tour, the only regularly-scheduled event that commemorates the Great Crash of 1929, the Panic of 1907 and the 1987 stock market collapse. It delves into the political, financial, real estate and architectural history of Wall Street and New York City. [Read more…] about Wall Street Panics and Crashes: A Walking Tour Nov 2

New Carnegie Exhibit at Museum of American Finance

April 4, 2012 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

On Tuesday, April 10, the Museum of American Finance will open “Andrew Carnegie: Forging Philanthropy,” an exhibit on Carnegie’s life and work, with a spotlight on his love of Scotland, his business life and his philanthropic activities. The exhibit will be unveiled at an event presented in conjunction with the American-Scottish Foundation in celebration of Scotland-Tartan Week in New York City.

The exhibit will feature objects and documents from the Museum’s collection, as well as from the Andrew Carnegie Birthplace Museum and the Carnegie Corporation of New York Archives at Columbia University’s Rare Book and Manuscript Library. Highlights include George Soros’s Carnegie Medal for philanthropy, a $100,000 US Steel gold bond certificate issued to Carnegie for part of the sale of Carnegie Steel to JP Morgan, and the two-sided American/Scottish flag that flew at Carnegie’s Scotland estate, Skibo Castle, in the 19th century.

A “Life & Legacy of Andrew Carnegie” panel discussion which begins at 6 pm, will be followed by a reception (at 7 pm). Participants in the panel discussion include Carnegie experts Vartan Gregorian, President, Carnegie Corporation of New York (Introduction); Peter Krass, award-winning author of Carnegie (Moderator); Ellen Condliffe Lagemann, Levy Institute Research Professor, Bard College; Martyn Evans, Chief Executive, Carnegie UK Trust; and Anthony Marx, President, New York Public Library.

The Museum of American Finance, 48 Wall Street (corner of William Street), NYC. Tickets cost $45 and include a one-year membership in the Museum of American Finance. For information and reservations, contact Tempris Small at 212-908-4110 or tsmall@moaf.org.

“Andrew Carnegie: Forging Philanthropy” will be on view through October 2012.

Presidents and American Finance Exhibit to Open

October 25, 2011 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

On Tuesday, November 8, the Museum of American Finance will open “Checks & Balances: Presidents and American Finance,” an exhibit on the financial challenges faced by American Presidents both in the Oval Office and in their personal lives.

From its inception as an experiment in a new kind of democratic government, the US has faced a panoply of economic and financial challenges. More often than not, it was the President to whom the nation turned to tackle these problems.

Designed as an ongoing series of rotating exhibitions, the inaugural installment of “Checks & Balances” will focus on the national and personal fiscal policies of five of the most well-known Presidents: George Washington, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. The exhibit will introduce important Treasury secretaries and track significant financial markers, such as GDP, presidential salary and the consumer price index. It will then delve into the personal finances of the Presidents, including their economic backgrounds and their own banking practices.

Financial historian Robert E. Wright, Nef Family Chair of Political Economy at Augustana College SD, guest curated the exhibit, which was developed and designed by Becky Laughner, Director of Exhibits and Archives, and Maura Ferguson, Director of Exhibits and Educational Programs.

“The exhibition will seek to create a dialogue between the nation’s financial past and the present, presenting the legacy and long-term impact of the Presidents’ financial policies on today,” said Wright.

Exhibit Opening Event: All are welcome to attend a reception to open “Checks & Balances” on Tuesday, November 8, from 5 – 7 pm. The event is open to the public; tickets cost $10 per person and are free for Museum members. For information and reservations, please contact Tempris Small at 212-908-4110 or tsmall@moaf.org. Working members of the press should contact Kristin Aguilera at 212-908-4695 or kaguilera@moaf.org for media access.

“Checks & Balances: Presidents and American Finance” is sponsored by Con Edison. It will be on display through November 2012.

Great Crash of 1929 Anniversary Walking Tour

October 28, 2010 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Great Crash of 1929 will be the subject of the Museum of American Finance‘s 22nd annual guided walking tour of Lower Manhattan on October 30, 2010, 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. This unique walking tour, which is the only regularly scheduled event that commemorates the Great Crash of 1929, the Panic of 1907 and the 1987 stock market collapse, delves into the political, financial, real estate and architectural history of Wall Street and New York City.

The tour shows that despite such adversities as the Great Fires of 1776 and 1835, financial panics of the 19th century, the 1920 Wall Street explosion, the Crash of 1929, the stock market collapse of 1987, the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack and the financial crisis of 2008, New York and Wall Street have always recovered their position as the world’s financial capital.

Tour meets at the Museum of American Finance and costs $15 per person. For information and reservations please contact Lindsay Seeger at 212-908-4110 or lseeger@moaf.org.

Whither Wall Street: Architecture of Wall Street Event

September 27, 2010 by Editorial Staff 2 Comments

Organized by The Skyscraper Museum in partnership with the Museum of American Finance, “Whither Wall Street” will address the changing fortunes of Wall Street –– not the forecast of financial markets, but the architectural assets and liabilities of the physical place. The panel discussion, part of the American Museum of Finance’s 2010 Henry Kaufman Lecture/Symposia Series, will take place Wednesday, October 13, 2010 from 6 to 7:30 PM.

A diverse panel of experts will discuss the recent history and possible futures of one of America’s most famous streets. Key topics include the widespread conversion of office buildings to residential, hotel and retail uses and the new demands on the design of the public realm that need to serve the conflicting needs of both access and security of a post-9/11 world.

Panelists will include:

Carol Willis, Director, The Skyscraper Museum (Introduction and moderator)

Elizabeth H. Berger, President, Downtown Alliance

Rob Rogers, Principal, Rogers Marvel Architects; streetscape designers of Wall Street for the NYC Department of City Planning

Kent Swig, President of Swig Equities, LLC; owner of a portfolio of properties on Wall Street and in the financial district

Alexandros Washburn, Chief Urban Designer, NYC Department of City Planning

The panel discussion will be followed by a question and answer session and reception. Reservations required. Admission is free for students and members of the Museum of American Finance and the Skyscraper Museum, or $15 for non-members. For additional information, contact Lindsay Seeger at 212-908-4110 or lseeger@moaf.org.

Museum of American Finance Exhibit: Scandal!

March 25, 2010 by Editorial Staff 1 Comment

On Thursday, April 29, the Museum of American Finance will open “Scandal!: Financial Crime, Chicanery and Corruption that Rocked America,” a richly informative exhibit about the history of financial scandals in America. “Scandal!” will cover several of the major scandals in American finance, from William Duer’s role in the Crash of 1792 through Lehman’s colossal downfall. The Salad Oil and Teapot Dome scandals, Ponzi schemes from Charles Ponzi himself to Bernie Madoff, Credit Mobilier and Enron scandals will also be featured. Artifacts range from historical newspapers and images to original documents and objects from some of history’s most infamous white collar criminals.

According to Leena Akhtar, the Museum’s director of exhibits and archives, “Scandal!” is particularly relevant today in light of the financial schemes and accounting frauds that have occurred over the last decade.

“The purpose of the exhibit is to connect recent events to what has happened in the past, and to educate students, investors, industry professionals and aspiring Wall Street professionals about the history and consequences of dishonesty in government and finance,” Akhtar said.

Marc Hodak, managing director of Hodak Value Advisors and an adjunct associate professor at New York University, served as a guest curator of the exhibit. Hodak teaches a class at the NYU Stern School of Business entitled “A History of Scandal: The Evolution of Corporate Governance.”

All are welcome to attend a reception to open “Scandal!” on Thursday, April 29, from 5 – 7 pm. For information and reservations, please contact Lindsay Seeger at 212-908-4110 or lseeger@moaf.org. Working members of the press should contact Kristin Aguilera at 212-908-4695 or kaguilera@moaf.org. “Scandal!” will be on display through April 29, 2011.

Actiёn Handel: Early Dutch Finance Exhibit Opens

September 5, 2009 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

On Tuesday, September 8, the Museum of American Finance will open “Actiёn Handel: Early Dutch Finance and the Founding of America,” an exhibit showcasing the relationship between early Dutch finance and the United States. On display will be financial documents from Amsterdam, including the oldest known share certificate, which was issued by the Dutch East India Company in 1606.

The exhibit will tie in with the city-wide celebration of the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s exploration of the area that became New Amsterdam (and later New York), and will focus on the financial aspects of the area’s first 200 years. The exhibit is a collaboration among the Museum of American Finance, NYSE Euronext, Amsterdam City Archives and the Dutch Exchange Heritage Foundation (Stichting VvdE), and features exceptional documents from these organizations. In addition to the oldest share certificate (which was featured in the 2004 motion picture “Ocean’s Twelve”), the exhibit will include documents relating to early Dutch share trading, the bubbles of 1720, and John Adams’ successful bid to secure a loan from Dutch bankers on behalf of the Continental Congress, which was the first ever U.S. state loan.

The Museum will host a public opening reception for “Actiёn Handel” on Thursday, September 10, from 5:30 – 7:00 pm. To confirm attendance, or for more information, please contact Kristin Aguilera at 212-908-4695 or kaguilera@moaf.org.
“Actiёn Handel” will be on display through October 17, 2009.

The Museum of American Finance, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, is the nation’s only public museum dedicated to finance, entrepreneurship and the open market system. With its extensive collection of financial documents and objects, its seminars and educational programming, its publication and oral history program, the
Museum portrays the breadth and richness of American financial history, achievement and practices. The Museum is located at 48 Wall Street, on the corner of William Street, and is open Tues-Sat, 10 am – 4 pm. For more information, visit www.moaf.org.

Museum of American Finance

We Need Your Help Now More Than Ever

New York Almanack receives no public funds.

It’s supported only by readers like you.

Please give today (a monthly recurring gift is best)