Capturing the Past

I recently spent a few days at The National Arts Club located on Gramercy Park in New York City.

My purpose there was to document the rooms and architectural details that are still in their original state from when the property was home to Samuel Tilden- the 25th Governor of  New York who ran for U.S. President in 1876. He won the popular vote but ultimately lost the election to Rutherford P. Hayes by one electoral vote. In 1906, when the Club outgrew its first location on 34th Street, Spencer Trask, a financier, philanthropist and NAC Governor, helped the Club acquire the Tilden Mansion as its new home.

Much of the property has been transformed over the years as the Club has expanded but there are architectural details and period rooms that have remained intact and offer a history lesson in craftsmanship and design. A very special location in a bucolic part of the city and well worth the visit.