|
|
We will be updating this page frequently with more details about our Magna Carta exhibit. Please check back often. |
Press Releases:
October 12, 2009 - A Great Opening for the "Great Charter" at Fraunces Tavern Museum
August 18, 2009 - Human Rights Exhibit at Fraunces Tavern Museum
To Feature 1215 Magna Carta
August 14, 2009 - Press Preview Scheduled
At Fraunces Tavern Museum
For "Magna Carta and the Foundations of Freedom" Exhibit
April 2, 2009 - Fraunces Tavern Museum To Display 1215 Magna Carta
"Magna Carta and the Foundations of Freedom"
PHOTOGRAPHS OF MAGNA CARTA DURING INSTALLATION AT FRAUNCES TAVERN MUSEUM, 9/13/09
|
|
The 1215 Magna Carta in its case at Fraunces Tavern Museum. The document will be on display there from September 15 - December 15, 2009.
CREDIT: Photo by Charles Gabeler, Fraunces Tavern Museum |
|
|
Closing the case. Chris Woods, conservator (left) and Charles C. Lucas, President of Fraunces Tavern Museum, close the protective case with the 1215 Magna Carta inside. Light levels are kept low to protect the fragile document. It will be on display at Fraunces Tavern Museum from September 15 - December 15, 2009.
CREDIT: Photo by Charles Gabeler, Fraunces Tavern Museum
|
|
|
|
Fraunces Tavern Museum, New York City, September 14, 2009. Black tie evening heralds opening of Magna Carta Exhibit. (l-r) Charles C. Lucas, MD, president of Fraunces Tavern Museum, Suzanne Prabucki, Curator of Fraunces Tavern Museum, and The Very Reverend Philip Buckler, Dean of Lincoln Cathedral, cut the ribbon to open "Magna Carta and the Foundations of Freedom" for the evening's guests. The exhibit opened to the public the next day.Photo by James Higgins, Fraunces Tavern Museum |
Download as PDF 
CONTACT:
Anthony Wellman, Communications Director
54 Pearl Street, New York NY 10004
212-425-1776
www.frauncestavernmuseum.org
email: communications@frauncestavernmuseum.org
Photos Available On Request
A Great Opening for the "Great Charter" at Fraunces Tavern Museum
"Magna Carta" Exhibit Formal Opening Reveals More Treasures
New York city (October 8, 2009) - "Magna Carta and the Foundations of Freedom"-the exhibit of the famous 1215 document that changed the course of human rights-opened with a formal reception and ribbon-cutting at Fraunces Tavern Museum the evening of September 14, 2009. It was a great opening for the document whose name is Latin for "Great Charter".
Downstairs from the Museum, Fraunces Tavern Restaurant closed its doors to the public for the evening to focus its efforts on serving the overflow black-tie crowd gathered to witness the opening of the exhibit. The assembly was so large it was necessary to bring the guests upstairs in smaller groups. It was worth the wait. This ancient sheepskin and the exhibit's message concerning the evolution of human rights universally impressed the attendees.
 |
Fraunces Tavern Museum, New York City, September 14, 2009. Black tie evening heralds opening of Magna Carta Exhibit. (l-r) Charles C. Lucas, MD, president of Fraunces Tavern Museum, Suzanne Prabucki, Curator of Fraunces Tavern Museum, and The Very Reverend Philip Buckler, Dean of Lincoln Cathedral, cut the ribbon to open "Magna Carta and the Foundations of Freedom" for the evening's guests. The exhibit opened to the public the next day. Photo by James Higgins, Fraunces Tavern Museum |
After a few brief speeches and a ceremonial ribbon cutting, the guests wound their way through the exhibit. Escorted beneath a row of baronial banners representing the men who participated in the document's creation, they were slowly ushered into a small, specially constructed room, darkened to protect the 800-year-old Magna Carta from damage that light can cause. A guard stood at attention next to the special display case throughout the evening.
Beyond the Magna Carta itself, further displays illuminate the role the "Great Charter" played through history-how it came about, what happened to it and how it affected human rights movements in the centuries that followed.
The exhibit also revealed several other treasures:
Making its public debut at Fraunces Tavern Museum is one of only two known "anastatic" copies of the Declaration of Independence. Discovered some 20 years ago in a flea market it was only within the past few years that the owner realized he possessed something unusual. Apparently produced in 1846 by an archaic process employing acids and direct contact with the signed original in Washington, DC, one of the reasons the original is in such poor shape may be due to this copying process. The only other known anastatic copy is at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. The Declaration of Independence drew heavily upon Magna Carta.
Nearby in one of the Museum's antique Tiffany display cases sets a pair of items as telling about the American Revolution as any: a circular protest letter signed by John Hancock in 1768 regarding "no taxation without representation", while next to it rests the very example of what the letter is about: an actual British tax stamp.
A few steps away the visitor will see a modest notebook circa 1883 in the hand of Emma Lazarus wherein she writes an early draft of her poem, "The New Colossus." The poem was later inscribed on the base of the Statue of Liberty - "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…"
Commenting on the breadth of the exhibit and the preparations that were necessary for it, Museum President Charles C. Lucas exclaimed, "We've had many wonderful exhibits here in the past, but we've never had anything like this. We've climbed to new heights."
"Magna Carta and the Foundations of Freedom" will remain open at Fraunces Tavern Museum to December 15, 2009. Tickets are available online at www.TicketWeb.com or by phone at 1-866-468-7619.
Fraunces Tavern is an historic treasure in its own right. Besides being the location where George Washington bade his famous farewell at the close of the American Revolution, it was also the first site of the new nation's Departments of War, Treasury and Foreign Affairs. The Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York rescued the building from demolition in 1904, restored it, opened it to the public as a museum in 1907 and continues to own and operate it to this day.
For more information visit www.frauncestavernmuseum.org or contact Anthony Wellman, Communications Director, Fraunces Tavern Museum, 54 Pearl Street, New York, NY 10004. Telephone 212-425-1776. Email: Communications@FrauncesTavernMuseum.org.
###
Download as PDF
CONTACT:
Anthony Wellman, Communications Director
54 Pearl Street, New York NY 10004
212-425-1776
www.frauncestavernmuseum.org
email: communications@frauncestavernmuseum.org
Press Preview Scheduled -Registration Required
Human Rights Exhibit at Fraunces Tavern Museum
To Feature 1215 Magna Carta
"Magna Carta and the Foundations of Freedom"
New York City (August 18, 2009) - Fraunces Tavern® Museum is in the final stages of preparation for its new exhibit, "Magna Carta and the Foundations of Freedom" scheduled to open September 15 and run until December 15, 2009. The star attraction is one of the four remaining copies of the original 1215 Magna Carta. On loan from Lincoln Cathedral in England, it has been seen in New York City only a handful of times before.
Often referred to as "the document that changed the world" Magna Carta played a crucial role in laying the groundwork for freedom and human rights movements that evolved in America and worldwide over the centuries that followed it. The Fraunces Tavern Museum exhibit will trace its influence from the 13th century through today.
Written in 1215 Magna Carta (Latin for "Great Charter") was forced upon King John of England by his barons to limit the power of the monarch for the first time in history. It also set lasting precedents for trial by jury, representative government, freedom of the church and other rights that echoed through the centuries that followed to the American Revolution and Civil War, women's, minority and civil rights movements and more.
Commenting on the exhibit and timelessness of the ancient document, former U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Sandra Day O'Connor said, "To this day, the Magna Carta remains a beacon for nations and peoples committed to the ideals of democracy and individual freedom."
Explaining the purpose behind the exhibit, Museum president, Charles C. Lucas, said, "Fraunces Tavern Museum wanted to bring Magna Carta to New York because this document is at the root of the American Revolution-which is what our Museum is about. Even though it was drafted over five centuries earlier, Magna Carta established rights and principles on which The Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution rest."
Additional treasures on special loan as well as from the Museum's own collection will further illustrate how Magna Carta has touched freedom movements to the present day. These will include historic paintings, broadsides and engravings depicting the American Revolution and other events. A very early printing from the 19th century of "The New Colossus"-the famous poem engraved upon the Statue of Liberty-will be included. ("Give me your tired, your poor…") Also, what is purported to be an exceedingly rare copy of the Declaration of Independence is scheduled to be included.
Visitors to the exhibit will also be able to see The Long Room-where George Washington bade a tearful farewell to his officers in 1783 and the Clinton Dining room-an elegant Federal style dining room illuminated by colorful, hand-blocked 19th century wallpaper depicting scenes from the Revolutionary War. There are also galleries featuring rare period images of George Washington and paintings about the American Revolution.
Fraunces Tavern is an historic treasure in its own right. Besides being the location where George Washington bade his famous farewell at the close of the American Revolution, it was also the first site of the new nation's Departments of War, Treasury and Foreign Affairs. The Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York rescued the building from demolition in 1904, restored it, opened it to the public as a museum in 1907 and continues to own and operate it to this day.
A press preview event is scheduled for a September date in advance of exhibit opening. (Press and media only.) Date and time will be provided on inquiry. For more information visit www.frauncestavernmuseum.org or contact Anthony Wellman, Communications Director, Fraunces Tavern Museum, 54 Pearl Street, New York, NY 10004. Telephone 212-425-1776. Email: Communications@FrauncesTavernMuseum.org.
- REVISED 8/26/09 -
###
Download as PDF
CONTACT:
Anthony Wellman, Communications Director
54 Pearl Street, New York NY 10004
212-425-1776
www.frauncestavernmuseum.org
email: communications@frauncestavernmuseum.org
For Immediate Release
Press Invited to Special Preview
At Fraunces Tavern Museum
For "Magna Carta and the Foundations of Freedom" Exhibit
Advance Registration Required for Admission
New York City (August 14, 2009) - The press and media are invited to a special advance preview of the new exhibit, "Magna Carta and the Foundations of Freedom" at Fraunces Tavern Museum, 54 Pearl Street in lower Manhattan. The event is scheduled for a September date before the exhibit is open to the public. Advance registration is required for admission. Date and time will be provided upon registration. This preview is for the press and media only. (The exhibit will open to the public on September 15 and will run through December 15, 2009.)
The preview will enable the media to have a pre-opening tour the exhibit, which features one of the four surviving copies of the 1215 Magna Carta. It has traveled to New York City only a handful of times since its first appearance here at the 1939 World's Fair. It is on loan from Lincoln Cathedral in England, which has possessed the document since the year it was created.
Also included in the exhibit will be colorful displays of 13th century baronial banners, additional rare documents, paintings, illustrations, and more. The press will also be able to tour the Museum's permanent exhibits, including the famous Long Room, where George Washington bade farewell to his officers in 1783.
The preview will begin with a reception where attendees will have an opportunity to meet and speak with Museum personnel including President, Charles C. Lucas. The Reverend Philip Buckler, Dean of Lincoln Cathedral will also be in attendance. A special press-only tour will follow the reception.
Advance registration is required for admission. Please contact Communications Director Anthony Wellman at email: communications@frauncestavernmuseum.org or by phone to 212-425-1776. You must provide your complete contact information, including the organization you represent, mailing address, email, web site and phone number(s). These are required to confirm professional association and so that the Museum can update you should there be any change in plans.
### REVISED 8/26/09 ###
Download as PDF
CONTACT:
Anthony Wellman, Communications Director
54 Pearl Street, New York NY 10004
212-425-1776
www.frauncestavernmuseum.org
email: communications@frauncestavernmuseum.org
Press Preview Scheduled-Please Contact
Fraunces Tavern Museum To Display 1215 Magna Carta -
"Magna Carta and the Foundations of Freedom"
New York, NY (April 2, 2009) - The Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York today announced that one of the four original copies of the 1215 Magna Carta, called the "birth certificate of human liberty," will be displayed for three months at historic Fraunces Tavern® Museum in New York City as part of the exhibit Magna Carta and the Foundations of Freedom.
The exhibit will feature additional historic documents of liberty: Broadsides of the U. S Constitution, Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, and the Flushing Remonstrance.
Magna Carta and the Foundations of Freedom will open on September 15 and remain on exhibit through December 15th, 2009.
Written in 1215, Magna Carta was forced upon King John of England by his barons and noblemen in order to limit the power of the monarch for the first time in history. Latin for "Great Charter," the Magna Carta set lasting precedents such as trial by jury, representative government, and freedom of the church. It also addressed rights of women and Jewish money lenders. The Magna Carta that will be on display in New York City is owned by Lincoln Cathedral, in Lincolnshire, England.
COL Charles C. Lucas, M.D., President of the Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York, a not-for-profit corporation which owns Fraunces Tavern® Museum, stated "We are proud to welcome this historic document to New York City. Magna Carta is the bedrock of modern constitutional law and the basis for much of America's freedom and liberty. We thank Lincoln Cathedral for making this treasure available."
The exhibit will enable school children in the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut schools systems to learn more about the foundations of our democracy, especially the U.S. Bill of Rights, the U. S. Declaration of Independence, and U. S. Constitution.
The Very Reverend Philip Buckler, Dean of Lincoln Cathedral, stated "Our Church has had possession of this world treasure since June 28, 1215. The Lincoln Charter was exhibited briefly in New York at the World's Fair in 1939, after which it remained safely stored at Fort Knox during World War II. It returned to Lincoln in 1947, visited America for the 1976 Bicentennial and once again during the 1980's. We are happy to share this treasure with the people of New York."
Fraunces Tavern was built in 1719 as an elegant residence and purchased in 1762 by tavern-keeper Samuel Fraunces. The tavern played a significant role in pre-Revolutionary War activities, and later housed early U.S. government offices of the Departments of War, Treasury and Foreign Affairs (today's State Department). It is best known as the site where General George Washington bade farewell to the officers of the Continental Army on December 4th, 1783.
In 1904, the Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York purchased the tavern and had it restored to its colonial appearance. Fraunces Tavern Museum opened to the public in 1907. By exploring this country's early beginnings, the Museum emphasizes patriotic ideals of equality which in turn became the cornerstone for our representative government of today. Thousands of students from throughout the metropolitan area visit the museum annually where they participate in hands-on activities and compelling discussions about heroism as well as their rights and responsibilities as United States citizens. The historic complex includes four 19th century buildings in addition to the 18th century Fraunces Tavern building.
** RELEASE REVISED 8/7/09 **
###
CONTACT:
Anthony Wellman, Communications Director
54 Pearl Street, New York NY 10004
212-425-1776
www.frauncestavernmuseum.org
email: communications@frauncestavernmuseum.org |
