Metropolitan Museum of Art, c1905, Courtesy Miscellaneous Items in High Demand, Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-74712
On this day, April 13th, 1870 the New York State Legislature granted the Metropolitan Museum of Art an Act of Incorporation. The Metropolitan Museum's beginnings were humble though they quickly outgrew their original locations. In 1904 the Met's holdings consisted of 174 European paintings and a Roman stone sarcophogus. The first home of the Met was at 681 5th Avenue in a single building. The second location was at 128 W14th street at the Mrs. Nicholas Cruger Mansion also known as the Douglas Mansion.
After only a year it became apparent that they would need some serious real estate to accomodate the growing collections. In 1871 the City of New York granted the Met the land between East Park Drive, Fifth Ave and the 79th and 86th Street Transverse Roads in Central Park. The building was completed in 1874 and designed by architects Calvert Vaux and Jacob Wrey Mould. Twenty times its original size, the Met encompasses 2,000,000 square feet of floor space. Their permanent collection now houses more than two million works with nineteen curatorial departments.
After only a year it became apparent that they would need some serious real estate to accomodate the growing collections. In 1871 the City of New York granted the Met the land between East Park Drive, Fifth Ave and the 79th and 86th Street Transverse Roads in Central Park. The building was completed in 1874 and designed by architects Calvert Vaux and Jacob Wrey Mould. Twenty times its original size, the Met encompasses 2,000,000 square feet of floor space. Their permanent collection now houses more than two million works with nineteen curatorial departments.
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