Behind-the-Scenes of the King Manor Museum
Behind-the-Scenes at King Manor
- September 11th
- 1pm - 2pm ET
- In-Person
- FREE for Insiders
Go behind-the-scenes at the King Manor Museum, an 18th-century house in the middle of Queens!
- Go inside The Fox Hole -the museum caretaker’s booklined-apartment, a veritable museum unto itself!
- See colorful and mysterious painted floors –not seen by human eyes since the 1940s
- Check out not one, but two hidden 18th-century windows
- Peek into museum storage spaces and catch a glimpse of a few of the treasures not on display
- Meet, Mary, the friendly museum cat
About this Tour
Join King Manor Museum Executive Director Kelsey Brow for a special access tour of the home of Rufus King, signer of the United States Constitution and early voice in the anti-slavery movement. Originally constructed in the 1750s, the home was occupied by Rufus King from 1805 until his death in 1827. Brow will lead guests behind-the-scenes to see the entire house from the basement to the (two!) attics and from the servants’ quarters to the King family’s parlor. Explore how the house, a designated New York City Individual and Interior Landmark, tells its history of three major phases of construction (c1750, c1790 and 1810) and still holds more than a few mysteries.
Visitors to this tour will be the first to see newly discovered historic paint that gives clues to how the working spaces in the house were used and, in honor of Juneteenth, also get a special preview of our new initiative that explores The Green, a free Black community in Jamaica dating back to the early nineteenth century. Wear your walking shoes –if you’re up for it after the house tour, explore The Green on this new self-guided walking tour.
About Your Guide
Kelsey Brow is Executive Director at the King Manor Museum, one of the longest-operating historic house museums in New York City, which interprets the life and times of anti-slavery founding father Rufus King to foster critical thinking. Trained in the study of decorative arts and material culture at the Bard Graduate Center, Brow’s academic work focuses on the intersection of consumption, gender, and ethics with material culture and the decorative arts. She has given talks at the AAM Historic House Summit, NEMA, the Greater Hudson Heritage Network conference, The Society for Historians of the Early American Republic, the New School, and Rutgers University, among others. She is most proud to have been selected to speak at ICOM Kyoto on the importance of professionalization in small museums in September 2019. She takes her work seriously, but not herself, making her public speaking fun and engaging. When not doing museum things, Brow enjoys sewing custom clothing, sipping tea and craft cocktails, or headbanging at metal shows.
FAQ
Things to Know
FAQ
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Things to Know
- This tour involves many stairs, some of which are quite steep. We can take our time for anyone who needs to slow down, but unfortunately only the first floor of the building is ADA accessible. Regardless of your physical ability, please be mindful of our historic floors and refrain from wearing footwear like spike heels/stilettos which can damage the wood. Much appreciated!
- Attendees must wear a face covering at all times and maintain at least a 6-foot distance from those not in their group.
- Feeling Sick? Stay home if you are feeling sick or running a temperature. Please use good judgement if you have recently been exposed to someone with COVID-19. For more information about COVID-19, please check the CDC website.
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