Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum facts for kids
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Garden and entrance to Cooper Hewitt
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| Established | 1897 |
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| Location | Andrew Carnegie Mansion Manhattan, New York, United States |
| Public transit access | Bus: M1, M2, M3, M4, M86, M96, M106 Subway:     trains at 86th Street, trains at 96th Street |
The Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum is a special place in Manhattan, New York City. It's located in the beautiful Andrew Carnegie Mansion on Museum Mile. This museum is one of 19 museums that are part of the Smithsonian Institution. It's also one of only three Smithsonian places in New York City.
What makes Cooper Hewitt unique? It's the only museum in the United States that focuses entirely on design. Here, you can explore how things are designed, from everyday objects to amazing works of art. The museum shows how design has changed throughout American history.
Contents
History of the Cooper Hewitt Museum
How the Museum Started
The Cooper Hewitt Museum began in 1895. Three sisters, Sarah, Eleanor, and Amy Hewitt, wanted to create a museum. They were the granddaughters of a famous businessman named Peter Cooper. They asked the Cooper Union college in New York City for a space.
Their idea was to create a "Museum for the Arts of Decoration." It was inspired by a similar museum in Paris. This new museum would help students and designers study decorative arts. The Cooper Union gave them the fourth floor of their building. The museum opened in 1897 and was called the "Cooper Union Museum for the Arts of Decoration." It was free to visit and open a few days a week. The Hewitt sisters even donated some of their own art to start the collection.
Over time, the museum received many important collections. These included textiles from J. P. Morgan and drawings by Giovanni Baglione. The Hewitt sisters managed the museum until Sarah died in 1930.
Challenges and Changes
By the 1950s and 1960s, the museum faced some difficulties. It was hard to find, and the space was small. Also, students at Cooper Union were more interested in modern art than the older collections.
In 1963, Cooper Union thought about closing the museum. They said it was too far from other attractions and too expensive to run. People were worried that the museum's amazing collection might be split up. Many groups formed to try and save the museum. They wanted it to become separate from the college.
The museum reopened later in 1963, but its future was still unclear. Then, the Smithsonian Institution started talking about taking over the museum. The Smithsonian was growing quickly at this time.
Becoming a Smithsonian Museum
Moving to the Carnegie Mansion
In 1967, the Smithsonian officially took over the museum's collection and library. The agreement said the museum would stay in New York City. It would also stay at the Cooper Union building for three more years.
Even before the deal was final, the Smithsonian looked for a new home. They found the Andrew Carnegie Mansion on the Upper East Side. This mansion was five times bigger than the old space! In 1968, the museum officially became the Cooper-Hewitt Museum of Design.
In 1969, the museum changed its name again to the Cooper-Hewitt Museum of Decorative Arts and Design. Lisa Taylor became the director, making her the first woman to lead the museum. The museum moved to the Carnegie Mansion in 1970. It was the first Smithsonian museum located outside of Washington, D.C. The museum fully bought the mansion in 1972.
While the museum was moving, it still held exhibits in other places. By the mid-1970s, the collection had grown a lot. It included furniture, glass, ceramics, wallpapers, textiles, and drawings. The museum officially reopened to the public in October 1976. It was the only museum in the U.S. dedicated only to design.
Growth and Renovations
The Cooper-Hewitt started a master's degree program with the Parsons School of Design in 1982. The museum also offered many educational programs for both kids and adults. By 1987, Lisa Taylor retired.
In 1988, Dianne H. Pilgrim became the new director. The museum's name changed again to Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum. This new name showed that the museum focused on the process of design, not just the objects.
The Smithsonian bought another house next to the Carnegie Mansion in 1989. This helped the museum expand. The museum also started an archive of African American designs in 1991. The buildings went through a big renovation project in the mid-1990s. The main exhibit spaces reopened in 1996, and the whole project finished in 1998.
Modern Era and Digital Focus
In 2000, Paul W. Thompson became the new director. He wanted to show more modern design pieces. The museum also worked to increase its visitors.
By 2008, the museum started another renovation project. This one cost $64 million. The goal was to move offices to the nearby townhouses and create more exhibit space.
In 2011, Bill Moggridge, who helped design the first laptop computer, became the director. During this time, the Carnegie Mansion closed for renovations. The museum held exhibits in other locations, like the United Nations Headquarters. In 2012, the Cooper-Hewitt opened a new education center in Harlem.
In June 2014, the museum's name changed one last time to Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. It reopened to the public in December 2014. The renovations added an "Immersion Room." This is an interactive space where visitors can explore the museum's wallpaper collection digitally. The museum even created its own open-source font for its reopening!
In 2016, the museum started using digital pens for visitors. These pens let you collect information about exhibits as you walk around. In 2022, Maria Nicanor was appointed as the museum's director.
Amazing Collections
The Cooper Hewitt has a huge collection of design objects. It includes everything from matchbooks to shopping bags! The museum has more than 200,000 objects. These objects show how design has shaped our world.
Art and Drawings
The museum has the world's largest collection of drawings by Hudson River School painter Frederic Edwin Church. It also has many drawings by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo and Winslow Homer. In 2002, a rare 16th-century drawing by Michelangelo was found in the museum's collection!
Furniture Collection
The Cooper Hewitt also has a large collection of furniture. Some cool pieces include:
- A chair used by Abraham Lincoln when he visited the Cooper Union.
- A cardboard easy chair designed by Frank Gehry.
- "Twig and root" furniture made from natural materials.
- The first steel chair in the United States, created by the museum's namesake, Peter Cooper.
Other Interesting Objects
When the museum first opened, Abram S. Hewitt's wife, Sarah Amelia Hewitt, donated a lace collection. Other donations included two fountains and art from the Palace of Fontainebleau.
When the museum got the Carnegie Mansion in 1972, it also received some decorations from another famous townhouse. The museum also has:
- Lantern brackets and window grilles.
- 4,000 metal artifacts.
- 30,000 international symbols donated by designer Henry Dreyfuss.
- 2,000 buttons.
- 4,280 match cases.
- Lock-and-key sets.
- Skyscraper drawings.
- Many pieces of Art Deco and Art Nouveau design.
One very famous object once in the collection was John Lennon's Rolls-Royce car! He and Yoko Ono donated it in 1978. It was later sold at auction. Other cool items have included a punch bowl copied by Eleanor Roosevelt, a bright red Olivetti typewriter, and an Adrian Saxe vase.
Exciting Exhibitions
The Cooper Hewitt holds many exhibitions that explore the history and culture of design. These shows often focus on one specific topic.
Past Exhibitions
Before the 1970s, the museum's objects were mostly used for studying. But then, it started having themed shows. It even hosted two special exhibits at the 1964 New York World's Fair. A 1968 exhibition called "Please Be Seated" focused on modern chairs.
During the 1970s, the museum had exhibits on things like motel architecture, objects from the Brighton Pavilion, and John Lennon's Rolls-Royce. In the early 1980s, shows covered topics like ocean liners, puppets, hairstyles, and teapots. In 1983, the Cooper-Hewitt was the first U.S. museum to show art from the Amsterdam School.
In 1992, the museum had its longest-running show ever. It featured objects from its own collections and lasted for 17 months!
Traveling Exhibitions
The museum also sends its exhibits to other places through the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service. One of the first traveling exhibits was in 1978, showing oil sketches by Frederic Edwin Church.
In 1993, the Cooper-Hewitt created "The Power of Maps." This was its first exhibit shown on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. It featured over 200 maps from all over the world.
Recent Exhibitions
In 2011, there was an exhibition about the jewelry of Van Cleef & Arpels. The museum also worked with the Walker Art Center in 2012 to create "Graphic Design – Now In Production." This show featured graphic design created since the year 2000.
Another exhibition in 2012, called "Design With the Other 90% Cities," focused on how design can help solve global problems. This show was held at the United Nations Headquarters.
Other recent exhibits have explored Puiforcat silver, wallpaper, the works of Alexander Girard, and universal design (design for everyone). In 2015, the museum hosted "The Algorithm Auction," which was the world's first auction of computer algorithms.
In 2018, the museum had an installation called "Face Values" for the LONDON DESIGN BIENNALE. It used live facial data to create dynamic images. This exhibit won an award!
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cooper Hewitt created a digital exhibition platform. This allowed people to explore the museum's collections online from home.
Fun Programs and Initiatives
Learning and Outreach
The museum has a National Design Education Center. It offers programs for preschoolers, summer camps, and resources for teachers. It even has a master's program for adults. The Harlem education facility, designed by Todd Oldham, offers free workshops and programs.
Special Events
The Cooper Hewitt is home to the National Design Awards. These awards celebrate great design in America. The museum also supports the master's degree program with Parsons School of Design.
In 2006, the Cooper Hewitt and New York City's Mayor declared October 15–21 "National Design Week." This week focuses on design education across the city and the U.S. During this week, the museum is often free to visit.
Digital Innovations
The museum has worked hard to make its collections available online. In 2006, its website was updated to include more educational programs and photos of its objects.
In 2013, the Cooper Hewitt took over the code for "Planetary," an iOS app. This app creates cool graphic visualizations of songs. The museum made the app's source code public. This was the first time the museum had ever acquired software for exhibition!
The Museum Building
The Cooper Hewitt Museum is located in the beautiful Andrew Carnegie Mansion. It also uses two houses next door at 9 and 11 East 90th Street. The mansion has 64 rooms and was finished in 1902. It was originally the home of Andrew Carnegie, his wife Louise, and their daughter Margaret Carnegie Miller. The property also has a large private garden.
The museum bought the mansion and the house at 9 East 90th Street in 1972. Later, in 1989, it bought 11 East 90th Street. When the museum first moved in, the first and second floors were used for exhibits. The third floor held the museum's library.
The museum closed for a $20 million renovation in 1995 and reopened the next year. Another big renovation, costing $91 million, was finished in 2014. This was the largest renovation in the museum's history! To celebrate its reopening in 2015, the Cooper Hewitt even released a downloadable 3D scan of the building.
Library and Study Rooms
The museum has a large library, which was once called the Doris and Henry Dreyfuss Study Center. In the 1980s, the library had 45,000 books, over 1.5 million pictures, and many design magazines. It covered topics like industrial design, furniture, and theater.
The Cooper Hewitt also has the Drue Heinz Study Center for Drawings and Prints. It also has the Henry Luce Study Room for American Art. These were added to the museum in the 1990s.
Visiting the Museum
The Cooper Hewitt is the only Smithsonian museum that charges an admission fee. This fee helps the museum earn about $500,000 each year.
The museum usually welcomes about 12,000 visitors every month. This means around 144,000 to 150,000 people visit the museum each year.
Images for kids
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Poster for the "Ornament in the 20th Century" exhibition, 1980.
See also
In Spanish: Museo Nacional de Diseño Cooper-Hewitt para niños
- List of museums in New York City
- List of museums and cultural institutions in New York City
- List of design museums
