Lenox Library Picture Gallery

About the Project

This digital humanities project, “A Digital Recreation of the Lenox Library Picture Gallery: A Contribution to the Early History of Public Art Museums in the United States,” contains several parts. Its principal element is the three-dimensional model of the Lenox Library Picture Gallery as it appeared in the 1880s. Within this virtual environment are varied functionalities: links that connect the paintings to the accompanying text, the ability to see the gallery from different angles, pre-programmed arrangements of paintings that illustrate juxtapositions stated in the text, and an information (or text) panel for each painting accessible by clicking on each individual painting. Included in a given text panel is the title of the painting, the name of the artist, and other tombstone information, as well as short explanatory content. There are two complementary articles: the scholarly essay, “A Digital Recreation of the Lenox Library Picture Gallery: A Contribution to the Early History of Public Art Museums in the United States,” and the project narrative. The scholarly essay focuses on the paintings and curatorial strategy found in James Lenox’s (1800–80) picture gallery analyzed within the context of the establishment of the first public museums in the United States. The essay also has links to the nine archival photographs, to individual paintings, and to groups of paintings with shared affinities. The project narrative documents the history and construction of the project. Other materials include appendices containing a list of engravings, auction data, and an itinerary of Lenox’s travels.