1959 : Guggenheim Museum opens in New York City
On this day in 1959, on New York City's Fifth Avenue, thousands of
people line up outside a bizarrely shaped white concrete building that
resembled a giant upside-down cupcake. It was opening day at the new
Guggenheim Museum, home to one of the world's top collections of
contemporary art.
Mining tycoon Solomon R. Guggenheim began collecting art seriously
when he retired in the 1930s. With the help of Hilla Rebay, a German
baroness and artist, Guggenheim displayed his purchases for the first
time in 1939 in a former car showroom in New York. Within a few years,
the collection--including works by Vasily Kandinsky, Paul Klee and
Marc Chagall--had outgrown the small space. In 1943, Rebay contacted
architect Frank Lloyd Wright and asked him to take on the work of
designing not just a museum, but a "temple of spirit," where people
would learn to see art in a new way.
Over the next 16 years, until his death six months before the museum
opened, Wright worked to bring his unique vision to life. To Wright's
fans, the museum that opened on October 21, 1959, was a work of art in
itself. Inside, a long ramp spiraled upwards for a total of a
quarter-mile around a large central rotunda, topped by a domed glass
ceiling. Reflecting Wright's love of nature, the 50,000-meter space
resembled a giant seashell, with each room opening fluidly into the
next.
Wright's groundbreaking design drew criticism as well as admiration.
Some felt the oddly-shaped building didn't complement the artwork.
They complained the museum was less about art and more about Frank
Lloyd Wright. On the flip side, many others thought the architect had
achieved his goal: a museum where building and art work together to
create "an uninterrupted, beautiful symphony."
Located on New York's impressive Museum Mile, at the edge of Central
Park, the Guggenheim has become one of the city's most popular
attractions. In 1993, the original building was renovated and expanded
to create even more exhibition space. Today, Wright's creation
continues to inspire awe, as well as odd comparisons--a Jello mold! a
washing machine! a pile of twisted ribbon!--for many of the
900,000-plus visitors who visit the Guggenheim each year.
history.com/tdih.do
1797 : USS Constitution launched
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5456
1805 : Battle of Trafalgar
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5457
1959 : Von Braun moves to NASA
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=7057
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On this day in 1959, on New York City's Fifth Avenue, thousands of
people line up outside a bizarrely shaped white concrete building that
resembled a giant upside-down cupcake. It was opening day at the new
Guggenheim Museum, home to one of the world's top collections of
contemporary art.
Mining tycoon Solomon R. Guggenheim began collecting art seriously
when he retired in the 1930s. With the help of Hilla Rebay, a German
baroness and artist, Guggenheim displayed his purchases for the first
time in 1939 in a former car showroom in New York. Within a few years,
the collection--including works by Vasily Kandinsky, Paul Klee and
Marc Chagall--had outgrown the small space. In 1943, Rebay contacted
architect Frank Lloyd Wright and asked him to take on the work of
designing not just a museum, but a "temple of spirit," where people
would learn to see art in a new way.
Over the next 16 years, until his death six months before the museum
opened, Wright worked to bring his unique vision to life. To Wright's
fans, the museum that opened on October 21, 1959, was a work of art in
itself. Inside, a long ramp spiraled upwards for a total of a
quarter-mile around a large central rotunda, topped by a domed glass
ceiling. Reflecting Wright's love of nature, the 50,000-meter space
resembled a giant seashell, with each room opening fluidly into the
next.
Wright's groundbreaking design drew criticism as well as admiration.
Some felt the oddly-shaped building didn't complement the artwork.
They complained the museum was less about art and more about Frank
Lloyd Wright. On the flip side, many others thought the architect had
achieved his goal: a museum where building and art work together to
create "an uninterrupted, beautiful symphony."
Located on New York's impressive Museum Mile, at the edge of Central
Park, the Guggenheim has become one of the city's most popular
attractions. In 1993, the original building was renovated and expanded
to create even more exhibition space. Today, Wright's creation
continues to inspire awe, as well as odd comparisons--a Jello mold! a
washing machine! a pile of twisted ribbon!--for many of the
900,000-plus visitors who visit the Guggenheim each year.
history.com/tdih.do
1797 : USS Constitution launched
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5456
1805 : Battle of Trafalgar
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5457
1959 : Von Braun moves to NASA
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=7057
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