Albany Institute of History & Art
Encyclopedia
The Albany Institute of History & Art (AIHA) is a museum
in Albany, New York
"dedicated to collecting, preserving, interpreting and promoting interest in the history, art, and culture of Albany and the Upper Hudson Valley
region". The museum is located at 125 Washington Avenue in downtown Albany. Founded in 1791, it is among the oldest museums in the United States
.
AIHA has over 20,000 objects in its permanent collections, including 1600 paintings, 1100 drawings, 4000 prints, 600 sculptures, 500 pieces of furniture, 1200 ceramics, 4000 pieces of clothing and accessories, and 5450 other historical artifacts. Its library collections house 140,000 printed volumes and 85,000 photographs. To supplement its permanent exhibits, the institute hosts a number of traveling exhibitions yearly.
The Albany Institute of History & Art comprises three connected buildings: the original structure (housing museum exhibits), the Rice Building (housing the gift shop
and meeting rooms), and a glass connecting structure (where visitors enter and pay admission). In 2001, the institute completed an extensive renovation in which the entrance building was constructed and new climate-controlled storage space for the collections was built.
is open on Thursdays from 1:00 to 4:30 p.m. and by appointment. The museum has a parking lot
in the rear.
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
in Albany, New York
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
"dedicated to collecting, preserving, interpreting and promoting interest in the history, art, and culture of Albany and the Upper Hudson Valley
Hudson Valley
The Hudson Valley comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in New York State, United States, from northern Westchester County northward to the cities of Albany and Troy.-History:...
region". The museum is located at 125 Washington Avenue in downtown Albany. Founded in 1791, it is among the oldest museums in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
AIHA has over 20,000 objects in its permanent collections, including 1600 paintings, 1100 drawings, 4000 prints, 600 sculptures, 500 pieces of furniture, 1200 ceramics, 4000 pieces of clothing and accessories, and 5450 other historical artifacts. Its library collections house 140,000 printed volumes and 85,000 photographs. To supplement its permanent exhibits, the institute hosts a number of traveling exhibitions yearly.
The Albany Institute of History & Art comprises three connected buildings: the original structure (housing museum exhibits), the Rice Building (housing the gift shop
Gift shop
A gift shop is a store primarily selling souvenirs relating to a particular topic or theme. The items sold often include coffee mugs, stuffed animals, t-shirts, postcards, handmade collections and other souvenirs....
and meeting rooms), and a glass connecting structure (where visitors enter and pay admission). In 2001, the institute completed an extensive renovation in which the entrance building was constructed and new climate-controlled storage space for the collections was built.
Permanent exhibits
The permanent exhibits are located on two floors of the museum's original building.- The Landscape That Defined America: The Hudson River School: An exhibit in the Hudson River School Gallery featuring paintings by Frederic Church, Thomas ColeThomas ColeThomas Cole was an English-born American artist. He is regarded as the founder of the Hudson River School, an American art movement that flourished in the mid-19th century...
, and other artists of the Hudson River SchoolHudson River schoolThe Hudson River School was a mid-19th century American art movement embodied by a group of landscape painters whose aesthetic vision was influenced by romanticism...
. - Sense of Place: 18th and 19th Century Paintings and Sculpture: An exhibit in the Lansing Gallery.
- 19th Century American Sculpture: An exhibit in the Sculpture Gallery of 20 works by Erastus Dow PalmerErastus Dow PalmerErastus Dow Palmer was an American sculptor.Palmer was born in Pompey, New York. In his leisure moments as a carpenter he started by carving portraits in cameo, and then began to model in clay with much success. His style was academic classicism...
, Launt ThompsonLaunt ThompsonLaunt Thompson , American sculptor, born in Abbeyleix, Ireland. Due to the potato famine occurring in Ireland at the time, he emigrated to the United States in 1847 with his widowed mother, and they settled in Albany, New York. There, he found work as a handyman.-Biography:After studying anatomy...
, and Charles Calverley. - Ancient Egypt: An exhibit in the Ancient EgyptAncient EgyptAncient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
Gallery featuring the institute's two mummies and other artifacts. - Traders and Culture: Colonial Albany and the Formation of American Identity: An exhibit in the Colonial Albany Gallery on the city in the 17th and 18th centuries.
- Entry Point Gallery: Visitors entering the museum first come upon this gallery, which houses a sampling of the institute's recent acquisitions.
Hours and fees
The Albany Institute of History & Art is open from Wednesday to Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 12:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission costs $10.00 for adults, $8.00 for senior citizens and students, and $6.00 for children aged six to twelve (those under five are free). The libraryLibrary
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
is open on Thursdays from 1:00 to 4:30 p.m. and by appointment. The museum has a parking lot
Parking lot
A parking lot , also known as car lot, is a cleared area that is intended for parking vehicles. Usually, the term refers to a dedicated area that has been provided with a durable or semi-durable surface....
in the rear.