Trim your tree with history! Our gleaming collectable ornament was made expressly for the 2016 launch of the New-York Historical Society annual ornament program. Heroes, Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, stand united on the steps of New-York Historical, ready to shine forth from your tree.
Life-size bronze figures of Abraham Lincoln (1809- 1865) and Frederick Douglass (1818-1895) stand at either entrance to New-York Historical exemplifying the story of freedom embedded in our history. Founded in 1804, New-York Historical has a mission to explore the richly layered political, cultural and social history of New York City and State and the nation, and to serve as a national forum for the discussion of issues surrounding the making and meaning of history.
Inspired by Bronze statues by StudioEIS, 2011, Gift of Michelle Smith
From February 11, 2022, Our Composite Nation: Frederick Douglass' America shines a light on the late 1860s—at a moment of great hope for the promise of equality under the law. The famed orator and once-enslaved abolitionist Frederick Douglass took his “Our Composite Nation” speech on the road to argue for a plural American democracy. The mission of this new nation, he declared, was to provide the world “a composite, perfect illustration of the unity of the human family.” For what was the U.S., he said, but “the most conspicuous example of composite nationality in the world?” This special installation features artifacts, images, and a theatrical design that bring Douglass’ compelling speech to life and explores his vision of freedom, citizenship, and equal rights that remains urgently relevant today, as a hopeful plea for America to live up to its founding ideals.
