The Society houses a collection of more than 2,500 American paintings—portraits, genre scenes, and landscapes—dating from the colonial period through the 20th-century, as well as European works. Hudson River School landscapes include Thomas Cole’s iconic series The Course of Empire, and works by Church, Cropsey, Gifford, Kensett, Bierstadt, and deep holdings of Asher B. Durand. More than 8,000 drawings include all 435 of John James Audubon's preparatory watercolors for The Birds of America.
More than 800 works of sculpture from the colonial period to the present include portrait busts by Houdon, Greenough, and Hiram Powers, among others; works by Saint-Gaudens, Gutzon Borglum, Daniel Chester French and Anna Hyatt Huntington; folk sculpture; and a collection of works by the prolific "people's sculptor," John Rogers.
Furniture holdings number more than 500 objects; 3,000 pieces of Early American silver; Ceramics & Glass; 132 Tiffany lamps; and 2,000 textiles.
Exhibitions & Dates
New York, New York: - The Elie and Sarah Hirschfeld Collection
Sep 5 2025 - Aug 6 2026
50+ works showcase a stunning array of works honoring the Big Apple
Dining in Transit
Jun 20 2025 - Oct 19 2025
How ocean liners, trains, and airplanes catered to passengers’ expectations in the first half of the 20th century.
The New York Sari
Sep 12 2025 - Apr 26 2026
Showcases the deep influence that South Asians have had on the culture of New York City
Gallery of Tiffany Lamps
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Ongoing display of 100 illuminated Tiffany lamps
Audubon's Birds of America Focus Gallery
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Ongoing display in a bimonthly rotation highlighting a single species at a time
Portrait Collection Highlights
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Ongoing display of recent acquisitions and collection highlights