Museum of American Illustration
128 East 63rd Street
Manhattan
(212) 838-2560

Summary: Exhibits, lectures, and demonstrations by noted illustrators, past and present. Displays range from pictures from Mad Magazine, to advertisements, to more serious works.

The Museum of American Illustration is, quite simply, a gallery containing the works of some of the greatest illustrators the world has ever seen. Although it is small, the museum's collection is eclectic enough that you are almost guaranteed to find at least one exhibit that attracts your attention.

History
The Museum is run by the Society of Illustrators, which was founded in 1901. In its early days, the Society hosted monthly dinners and periodic exhibitions. By the 1920s, the society had begun to make use of members' theatrical talents and held plays, concerts, and dances in addition to art exhibitions. In 1939, the funds acquired through these activities allowed the Society to purchase the building which currently houses the Museum. The museum itself was established in 1981. Its collection consists of 1,500 works of art, including classic illustrations by the likes of Norman Rockwell, Howard Pyle, and Rockwell Kent as well as more recent illustrations such as those found in Time magazine and The New Yorker.

What To See
The museum's public galleries consist of two medium-sized rooms on the first floor and two more on the lower level. There are no tours, but you are welcome to view the works at your leisure. Exhibits change monthly so call ahead (or visit their web site) to find out what is on display.

While some of the illustrations on display are images that only an art junkie could appreciate, there are plenty of illustrations and models here that almost everyone will understand and enjoy. For instance, we thought that Mark Fredrickson's illustration of Hillary Clinton testifying before a Whitewater panel (Time, 2/5/95) was terrific. Keeping in the political sphere, Daniel Adel's illustration of Pat Buchanan madly pounding his fist before an audience ("His Kampf," New York, 3/11/96) was another great piece in this collection.

Of course, not all of the illustrations are about celebrated figures in television, sports, or politics. The one that caught our attention the most was a Maria Rendun illustration called "Making the Incest Scene," which appeared in Harper's in November 1995. It depicts dollar signs, books, eyes, and hands surrounding a wire figure of a little girl. In the background is a description of what a child went through when she was molested. Naturally these illustrations are better seen than discussed.

The museum's lower floor has displays of a variety of colorful illustrations, which are larger and less political than the ones upstairs. We found Yasutaka Taga's section to be the most striking. On a table is a collection of small, but incredibly detailed and deeply colored sculptures. None of this is classical art. For instance, you will see a cow standing on her hind legs looking incredibly stressed because she is juggling four different phone calls at once. Even more fun is a model of Andy Warhol standing in some sort of leather lingerie while holding a spray can of Campbell's tomato soup. As if these models weren't enough, look on the wall to see what Yasutaka does with them. He has photographed his sculptures and digitally retouched them with a computer to make even more bizarre scenes.

Membership Has Its Privileges
The museum building also has a number of areas that are open only to members of the Society. We have found, however, that exceptions are often made for those who appear to have a deep interest in the museum, especially students. Ask one of the attendants for permission to take a look upstairs. You may get lucky.

Members have their own dining room here, complete with a bar and patio. Take a stroll through the room to see some of the finer points of the museum's collection. Their most proud possession is Norman Rockwell's "Dover Coach" which can be found in the center of one of the dining room walls. Be sure to explore the other rooms also -- all of them have walls covered with illustrations.

When To Go
Unlike most museums, the Museum of American Illustration is relatively quiet on Saturdays. That may be because of the limited hours on Saturdays. Tuesdays are the busiest days because the museum is open later in the evening.

The Society of Illustrators hosts monthly events at the museum, including lectures and presentations. In the spring, there is an annual exhibition which usually draws quite a crowd. But if you don't mind the hordes of people, the annual exhibition may be the time to see some of today's best talent in the illustration field.

Logistics
To get there by subway, take either the N or R to Lexington Avenue or the 4 or 6 to 59th Street. Walk up Lexington Avenue until you come to 63rd Street. The Museum of American Illustrators is less than a block away on the south side of East 63rd Street between Lexington and Park Avenue.

Admission is free. For other details visit the Sociey's web site.

by Andrew Roche  

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