Some appropriate, in my opinion, museum news for this Thanksgiving Day.

From the press release -

The American Museum in Britain, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2011, contains over 15,000 items devoted to the decorative arts of America: fancy gowns and Shaker furniture, an extensive collection of native folk art, important holdings of early maps charting the discovery and exploration of the Americas, and one of the largest and finest quilt collections in the entire world.   “Portrait paintings and Grandma Moses, painted furniture and Chinese export porcelain – you will find it all here on top of Claverton Hill.”

For the past 50 years the American Museum in Britain has informed its visitors about the cultural history of the United States in order to strengthen relations between the two countries.  Over 3 million people have visited the Museum since it opened in 1961, averaging around 40,000 visitors a year, including thousands of schoolchildren.  In 2011, the Museum will mark this historical milestone with a major loan exhibition, a gallery trail, three publications, and the opening of two new facilities.  The anniversary year will also feature parties, a film series, and lectures in Bath, London, New York and Washington and much much more.

Marylin Monroe – Hollywood Icon (see above) will open the new main gallery in March of 2011. New spaces will also house the museum’s Folk Art collection.

Exciting stuff for this Americana buff.

On view at New York’s Grolier Club through November 20, 2010, John Wiley & Sons: 200 Years of Publishing covers one families dedication to the the transmission of knowledge through writing. Rare and first editions are exhibited, tracing the development of the publishing industry and the growth of the United States. Included is Herman Melville’s Typee and Edgar Allen Poe’s Tales.

Those two titles alone are enough to peak my interest. Should you be interested too, but live away from New York, click here for the online exhibition.

While Manhattan is decidedly unfriendly when it comes to cars, the City of New York has an undeniable history with the automobile. Recognizing this fact, the Museum of the City of New York explores the relationship between the automobile and the Big Apple in Cars, Culture, and the City. It is the first exhibition to tackle the subject, drawing from photographs, film, advertisements, and a wealth of other ephemera. Additionally, Cars, Culture, and the City recognizes some of the visionary advancements made to the car in New York with a look at an exceptional collection of drawings and models.

On view through August 8, 2010.

Live from Milan, Yatzer gets the scope on Thanos Zakopoulos and Katai Meneghini’s ceraMIX collection. A literal mash up of historic ceramic styles (aesthetically… from a technical standpoint it is all porcelain). The collection marries European and Chinese porcelain producing a hybrid look for the Greek firm CTRLZAK. Fascinating is the decision to remain true to historic proportions, which forces an asymmetrical melding of EAST and WEST. Fun, rather than functional, stuff.

More images after the jump.

Christie’s (New York) Important American Furniture and Folk Art Auction rolls through January 25, 2010. As one might expect, there is some important furniture on offer (notably lot #346, a Queen Anne maple stool from Philadelphia). Also in the mix are some handsome game boards and a molded statue of General Marquis de Lafayette. The small sculpture is of late 19th-century American origin.

A personal favorite from the preview is lot #109 (above). A sailor-made woolwork picture inscribed “New Bedford,” the piece is wonderfully detailed and dates to the 19th-century.

View some game boards and the handsome Mr. Lafayette after the jump. Enjoy the full catalog at this link.

Yesterday, though the blog of Sub-Studio Design, I discovered this magnificent archive of exhibition preparation photographs from the American Museum of Natural History. Ranging from shots of staff moving the skelton of a brontasaurus (see Charles H. Coles’ 1938 photograph above) to preparing bird mounts, the material gives behind the scenes access to many elements of exhibition design.

While the images themselves are arresting, I’m posting because they also offer a rare look at life inside of a museum. Conservation and preparation are often out of the scope of interest for many museum goers. The archive is well worth exploring.

I’ve selected a few choice images. Please find these after the jump.

From now on, every Friday I will highlight a favorite museum. First up is the Connecticut River Museum in picturesque Essex, Ct. The museum celebrates the cultural heritage of the Connecticut River with a special interest in navigable waters. That means a superb collection of nautical ephemera from shipping lines, boat models, and exceptional material related to the local Shade fishery. Though small, the institution delivers exhibitions with great breadth illuminating all facets of river life and oft forgot New England stories.

Nineteen years ago, Jeff Bridgman took the jump from collector to dealer of Americana. His focus is on folk art and painted furniture, and even more explicitly in Antique Flags. In fact, he’s the nations biggest seller of early Stars and Stripes. Over the years his accumulated knowledge about early Americana has been shared through scholarly work and Bridgman is also frequently featured in the Magazine Antiques. He’s also appeared on HGTV.

A few select examples of current offerings after the jump.

Now on view at the Newark Museum, 100 Masterpieces of Art Pottery examines the rise of art pottery as response to factory production. While artistic pottery was nothing new, the anti-industrial bend to production in the United States makes the story one of aesthetic awakening. Given the focus on skilled craft, the presented material should have enormous resonance today. The exhibition is accompanied by a full color catalog, as well as an extremely informative web component.

A full review of 100 Masterpieces of Art Pottery is available at the Bee. The show runs through January 10, 2010.

More examples after the jump.

Written by Amanda Vickery, Behind Closed Doors introduces readers to men and women of all social classes and walks of life. Through a vast array of archival material (from upholsterers records to burglary trials) Vickery explores the home as social arena. Social visiting grew to new heights in the period, relaying increasing importance on home decoration. Ornament, the women’s roll in decoration, and the social currency of taste are all integral to Vickery’s points of discovery.

Available now from Yale University Press.