Behind-the-Scenes at The General Society
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About the Event
Join us for an exclusive tour of:
The General Society of Mechanics & Tradesmen of the City of New York
20 West 44th Street (between 5th and 6th Avenues)
Wednesday, February 19th, 5:30 – 6:30 PM
Join our exclusive tour of The General Society of Mechanics & Tradesmen of the City of New York, with Executive Director Victoria Dengel.
Tour Overview
The General Society of Mechanics & Tradesmen was founded in 1785 by the City’s skilled craftsmen. Today, this 240-year-old organization continues to serve New Yorkers through its cultural and educational programs, including its tuition-free Mechanics Institute, The General Society Library, and its nearly two-century-old Lecture Series.
The tour of this landmark building includes the magnificent skylit Library— the second oldest library in the City— and the unique John M. Mossman Lock Collection, which has more than 370 locks, keys, and tools dating from 2000 B.C. to the early 20th-century.
The building houses a number of other groups, including the Institute for Classical Architecture & Art, which has agreed to keep open the Cast Hall with its magnificent collection of sculptural objects.
The Society’s building at 20 West 44th Street has been its home since 1899. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the building façade was designated a New York City Landmark in 1988. The General Society has diligently worked to preserve its building as a lasting testament to the work of the skilled craftsmen who built it.
To learn more about The General Society, visit generalsociety.org.
The group is limited to the first 20 to RSVP, so if you are interested, please let us hear from you soon.
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