This lavishly illustrated volume is the first comprehensive study of the folk art collection purchased by the New-York Historical Society from Elie and Viola Nadelman in 1937. Exhibited by the couple from 1926 to 1937 in their pioneering Museum of Folk and Peasant Arts in Riverdale, New York, the nearly fifteen thousand works come from a collection spanning six centuries, thirteen countries, and a broad range of media. Authors Margaret K. Hofer and Roberta J.M. Olson explore a nucleus of some two hundred and sixteen highlights in eighty-seven catalog entries, as well as nine of Nadelman's own sculptures, and consider the possible interchanges between the Nadelman's collecting and his avant-garde art. Their research, employing new archival evidence from the Historical Society and the rich cache of Nadelman Papers, has resulted in exciting discoveries, among them Nadelman's active role in restoring some of his folk art objects. Featuring seven provocative essays, Making It Modern breaks new ground not only on the Nadelmans and folk art, but also in the history of American art and taste during the fast-paced cultural revolutions of the early twentieth century. Margaret K. Hofer is curator of decorative arts, New York Historical Society Roberta J.M. Olson is curator of drawings, New York Historical Society Elizabeth Stillinger is an independent scholar. Kenneth L. Ames is professor at the Bard Graduate Center, New York City. Cynthia Nadelman is an independent scholar and writer. Barbara Haskell is the curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art.

'Stories in Sterling' is the first comprehensive survey of the New York Historical Society's superb collection of early American silver, one of the finest in the United States. It features the full range of silver works, from masterpieces like the 1772 salver by New York City silversmith Lewis Fueter, to the simpler, but no less significant teapot made for the Schuyler family by the Albany silversmith Kiliaen Van Rensselaer in 1695 - one of the earliest teapots made in New York. Seven chapters consider silver from a range of perspectives: its reflection of the multiethnic character of colonial New York; the impact of industrialisation on its manufacture and consumption; its role in honouring public achievement or marking rites of passage; and, finally, its ability to express its owners' social standing. With a wealth of related objects and original documents, 'Stories in Sterling' is a vital reference tool for scholars, collectors and enthusiasts of American silver and culture. Published to accompany an exhibtion at the New York Historical Society from May 4 to September 2, 2012.