Lewis Howard Latimer (1848-1928), was an African-American inventor, electrical pioneer, and a son of fugitive slaves. With no access to formal education, Latimer taught himself mechanical drawing while in the Union Navy, and eventually became a chief draftsman, patent expert, and inventor.Latimer worked with three of the greatest scientific inventors in American history, Alexander Graham Bell, Hiram S. Maxim, and Thomas Alva Edison. He played a critical role in the development of the telephone, and invented the carbon filament, a significant improvement in the production of the incandescent light bulb.Outside his professional career, Latimer developed a passion for visual art, creative writing, and music. Some products of his artistic endeavors can be viewed at the Lewis Latimer House Museum. Latimer was a Unitarian and a family man.

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The Lewis H. Latimer House is a Queen Anne-style, wood-frame suburban residence constructed between 1887 and 1889 by the Sexton family. Lewis Howard Latimer lived in the house from 1903 until his death in 1928. Lewis Howard Latimer was an African-American inventor, electrical pioneer, and a son of fugitive slaves. Latimer taught himself mechanical drawing while in the Union Navy, and eventually became a chief draftsman, patent expert, and inventor. Latimer played a critical role in the development of the telephone, and invented the carbon filament, a significant improvement in the production of the incandescent light bulb. Outside his professional career, Latimer developed a passion for visual art, creative writing, and music. Some products of his artistic endeavors can be viewed at the Lewis Latimer House Museum. The house remained in the Latimer family until 1963. Threatened with demolition, the house was moved from Holly Avenue to its present location in 1988. The Lewis H. Latimer House is owned by the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, operated by the Lewis H. Latimer Fund, Inc., and is a member of the Historic House Trust.



Lewis Latimer House Museum

People all over the world come to NYC to visit its museums and cultural sites. Most understandably devote their time to the institutions in Manhattan, overlooking the outer boroughs. Students in U.S. History Museums and Historic Sites, a core course in the St. John’s University Public History curriculum, studied the origins and current mission of museums in Queens. The students were instructed to select a favorite site and compile helpful information for prospective visitors. While many of the entries in this tour were created by other users on TheClio.com, the Lewis Latimer House Museum and MoMA PS1 were created based on information submitted by the students in the course during the Spring 2020 semester. Each semester the course is held, more sites will be incorporated into the tour. We encourage users to leave any comments or feedback that might be helpful in creating an ideal site tour of Queens. The tour currently features two house museums related to African American history, the Queens Museum which includes art and history of the World's Fairs of 1939 (including the Panorama) and 1964-65, art museums with a wide range of collections, and other fascinating cultural institutions which make Queens a must visit. We hope you enjoy this tour of several wonderful institutions found in the borough of Queens. 

<h2>Background and History of King Manor and its Residents</h2>Rufus King, from whom this museum derives its name, was an abolitionist advocating strongly against slave&nbsp;traders. He was also an&nbsp;American founding father who signed and framed the United States of America's&nbsp;Constitution. The U.S.A. Constitution was unique in its formation as it created a one of a kind liberal democratic republic.&nbsp;Rufus King was also the first United States&nbsp;Senator to represent the State of New York which he resigned to serve as an American ambassador to Great Britain. The house was built in a Georgian style of architecture widespread in the early eighteenth century through the early nineteenth century. In its modern day incarnation, visitors will receive a guided tour that carries them from the front lobby to the library - full of books and letters of correspondence between Rufus King and his son dating back to the eighteenth century. <h2>Activities that visitors at&nbsp;King Manor Museum can do</h2> Children of all ages&nbsp;will be able to enjoy a hoop rolling relay race and a&nbsp;nineteenth-century &nbsp;game called graces where children play with&nbsp;colorful laces by throwing it to each other. They can also experiment with paper marbleizing and make seasonal objects.&nbsp;Adults can enjoy cello and violin concerts with wine. There are also family festivals held seasonally - one in the autumn and the&nbsp;other coinciding with the summer solstice.&nbsp;

The King Manor Museum is a National Historical landmark that is a picturesque yet typical Georgian eighteenth-century home on an 11-acre square block with spacious walkways surrounding it. The property was once owned by Rufus King, an American founding father, abolitionist, and ambassador to Great Britain. Guided tours are scheduled regularly in addition to specific activities tailored towards adults and children.

King Manor Museum

The Queens Museum was established in 1972 and is located in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in a building constructed for the 1939 World’s Fair. This same building hosted the United Nations General Assembly at its inception in 1946 and served this capacity until 1950. The museum's permanent collection consists of around 10,000 items, over 6000 of which are documents and objects related to the 1939 and 1964 World's Fairs. The most popular part of the museum is the "Panorama of the City of New York", which was built between 1961 and 1964 and was one of the highlights of the 1964 World’s Fair. A celebration of the City’s municipal infrastructure, this 9,335-square-foot architectural model includes every single building constructed in all five boroughs (895,000 individual structures). The museum is also famous for the Neustadt Collection of Tiffany glass. A major 2013 restoration project helped expand Queens Museum's available space and offerings.

Queens Museum

The John Bowne House was named one of the best-preserved examples of Anglo-Dutch vernacular residential architecture in the United States. The original structure was first built around the year 1661&nbsp;and has gone through a variety of expansions, two in 1669 and 1680 respectively by John Bowne himself. Each subsequent restoration was put forth by his family. The current state of the house was completed in 1695. The house is a mix of Dutch and English architecture styles making it extremely unique. Its original plans were based on other Dutch plans. However, English building techniques were primarily used.John Bowne, the person to whom the house owes its name, was a known religious revolutionary in the United States. He played a direct role in the Flushing Remonstrance, which was a document signed by the various citizens of Flushing to combat Peter Stuyvesant’s religious bans. After the signing, many of the signers were arrested and the townspeople's Government of Flushing was disbanded. John Bowne openly defied the ban and aided the signers, known as Quakers, by allowing them to meet in his house. Bowne was soon arrested and banished to Holland where he fought for religious freedom against the Dutch West India Company. Peter Stuyvesant was soon forced to allow dissenting faiths to worship freely.The original Quakers emerged from England during the mid-1600s as a response to the religious turmoil coming from the Protestant Reformation. The Quakers emphasized ideas of pacifism, equality, simplicity, and integrity. The Quakers received little support for their new religion, and many were jailed throughout the time period. The missionary efforts of some of the Quakers brought them to America in hopes of spreading the young religion. Because of this, many became affiliated with Pennsylvania politics and were soon dominating the Penn state government. Quakers also played a large role in the abolition of slavery and were the first group in history to completely abolish the practice. They also were important in World War II where they helped raise funds during the war. The Quakers of today have continued their past ideals and are often associated with relief efforts.	After more than 350 years, the old Bowne house still stands in the same location, and it serves as a reminder of the difficult colonial time in America. It represents the struggle that the Quakers experienced in helping to shape the new nation, and how John Bowne was able to help the cause.<div> </div>

The John Bowne House in Queens, New York, is a historic home which is now the location of The Bowne Historical Society. It is one of the best examples of an Anglo-Dutch vernacular residence in the country. The house features 5,000 objects, documents, correspondences, and records of the Bowne family, who arrived in Boston from the Netherlands in 1649. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. It is also a New York City Landmark. 


John Bowne House 

Born in New Orleans, jazz great Louis Armstrong lived the last twenty-eight years of his life in Queens, in an unpretentious home on 107th Street. His fourth wife, Lucille heard about the house shortly after marrying Armstrong, and was thrilled that she could afford to buy the home with money she’d saved while working as a dancer at the Cotton Club. Armstrong, who grew up in an impoverished part of New Orleans, immediately felt at home among the working-class residents of the Corona neighborhood. Lucille actually purchased the home several months before telling Armstrong, who was frequently away on tour. She did most of the decorating herself, using bright colors and fabrics, and while the house as a whole is decidedly ordinary, she did add indulgent touches like a silver-walled walk-in closet and a mirrored bathroom. By all accounts, the Armstrongs were happy in the home and Louis, in particular, seems to have relished being part of the neighborhood. He was known around the world, but was a fixture in the community. In an interview, the musician stated that the lyrics of what is arguably his most famous song, “What a Wonderful World,” could have been describing the sights and sounds in his Corona neighborhood. Anyone was welcome in the Armstrong home, from children in the neighborhood to Dizzy Gillespie, who lived around the corner. Armstrong died in 1971, followed by Lucille in 1983. No one lived in the home after the Armstrongs, and the house has been preserved largely as it was when the couple lived there. Lucille donated the house to the city following her death and it now operates as the Louis Armstrong House Museum, and houses many of the artist’s belongings, including one of his trumpets and his vast record collection. Today, the Louis Armstrong House Museum is open to the public, offering guided tours of Louis’s longtime home. On the tour, audio clips from Louis’s homemade recordings are played, and visitors hear Louis practicing his trumpet, enjoying a meal, or talking with his friends. Visitors also get to enjoy an exhibit on Louis’s life and legacy, and the Armstrongs’ beautiful Japanese-inspired garden.

Though he was born in New Orleans and is often associated with the Big Easy, Louis Armstrong lived for a number of years in Queens. He lived in a modest home in Corona that his wife Lucille purchased with her earnings she’d saved while working at the Cotton Club. The couple moved into the home in 1943 and Armstrong still lived there at the time of his death in 1971. The interior of the house is still decorated in the bright colors that Lucille favored, and while there are touches of luxury here and there, the home is remarkably middle-class considering Armstrong’s worldwide acclaim and success. It was designated a New York City Landmark in 1988 and declared a National Historic Landmark in 1976.

Louis Armstrong House and Museum

Kaufman Astoria Studios is a movie production facility located in Astoria, New York. The Studio was opened in 1920 by Adolph Zukor, a famous early film producer, for the Famous Players Film Company. Eventually, Famous Players became Paramount Pictures, and Zukor served as the president of Paramount Pictures until 1936. During its early years, the Studio was the center of the film community in New York, producing over 100 films during the 1920s and '30s. With more and more films being produced, Astoria Studios attracted talented actresses and actors to star in its productions, including Rudolph Valentino and the Gish Sisters.&nbsp; By the end of the 1930s, most movie productions moved West to California as Hollywood became the center of the film world. In 1942, with fewer movies being produced in New York, Kaufman Astoria Studios was taken over by the United States Army Signal Corps Army Pictorial Service at the start of World War II. The Army used the facilities to produce training and other instructional videos for military use, which they continued to do after the War. The Army Signal Corps stopped production at the Studio in 1970.&nbsp; The Federal Government took control of the property in 1970 after the Army classified it as "surplus property." Under the Federal Government's control, the Studio was used for the production of Thieves&nbsp;(1975) and The Next Man&nbsp;(1976). It was also leased out several times. The City of New York gained the title of the property from the Federal Government in 1982. After the City of New York took control, the property was leased to George Kaufman, a real estate&nbsp;developer. The Studio was renovated under Kaufman, with additional buildings added to the facility as well. Since then, Kaufman Astoria Studios has once again become a center of the film community in New York City, producing films like The Wiz, Hair, Glengarry Glen Ross, and Carlito's Way.&nbsp;

Kaufman Astoria Studios was opened in 1920 as the production facilities of Paramount Pictures on the East Coast. It was opened by Adolph Zukor, the film director who started Paramount Studios. The Army Pictorial Center took over the facilities at the beginning of World War II, and they used it to produce training videos, along with other military-related footage. After the Army Pictorial Studios left, the building was taken over by the Federal Government who kept control until giving the title to the City of New York in 1982. In 1982, George Kaufman, a real estate developer, was put in charge of renovating and expanding the complex. The project was completed by Kaufman, and today, the studio is used for producing both small and big-budget projects. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. 

Kaufman Astoria Studios 

The Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI) occupies the historic Paramount Studios Complex. This site features nine historical buildings that were instrumental in the creation of media in the silent and early sound film era. MoMI occupies the earliest building constructed on the site, which was built in 1918. This structure is three-stories and composed of reinforced concrete. The building originally contained processing laboratories and offices for the movie industry. Another significant structure on the Paramount Studios Complex site was the East Coast’s largest sound stage for decades. Even into the 1970s, the stage remained one of the four largest in the world. Hundreds of commercial films were shot at the Paramount Studios Complex between 1920 and 1942. Many iconic celebrities such as Gloria Swanson, W. C. Fields, and Rudolph Valentino forged their careers in the Paramount buildings.By the 1940s, the film industry was centered firmly in Hollywood. Due to this, Paramount Studios moved west, and their complex was transferred to the War Department in 1942. The army produced a variety of films at the New York studio, including training tapes, World War II propaganda shorts, and full-length films that glorified the military. In fact, the army became the most prolific producer of movies in the world, averaging an incredible three hundred films a year from 1942 until 1970. The military studio even received nominations for Academy Awards. In 1970, the Army stopped using the site and turned the buildings over to New York City. Independent companies were permitted to rent the complex for projects, such as the 1975 movie, “Thieves” starring Marlo Thomas, and the 1976 movie, “Next Man” starring Sean Connery.Though the Paramount Studios Complex remained under New York City’s control, The Astoria Motion Picture and Television Center Foundation began managing the site in 1977. This foundation was a non-profit focused on revitalizing the historic site. They successfully nominated the site for listing on the National Register of Historic Places and began planning for a museum. George Kaufmann, a real estate developer involved with the Paramount Studios Complex, began serious talks with New York City to establish a museum. By 1982, he had secured one of the complex’s buildings. In 1985, The Astoria Motion Picture and Television Center Foundation was reformed as the American Museum of the Moving Image – the “American” part was later dropped as the collection expanded to include international works. The building chosen for the museum was renovated by Gwathmey Siegel &amp; Associates Architects at a total cost of $15 million before the museum opened to the public in 1985.After almost twenty-five years of operation, it was evident that MoMI was in need of a facelift. In February 2008, inauguration for a $67 million expansion and renovation project was held. Thomas Leeser of Leeser Architecture designed the new museum layout. The façade of the museum retained its symmetricity and utilitarian reinforced concrete. The only addition to the front face of the building was large glass letters set into the windows, which diffuse and refract light. Though the outside remained relatively untouched, the inside was completely redone in smooth dichromatic surfaces of white and rich blue. Sharp angles were avoided where possible. An entirely new structure composed of interlocking triangles was appended to the rear of the museum building. The modifications doubled the museum’s floorspace to 97,700 square feet, added several new theaters and amphitheaters, created a landscaped courtyard garden, and modernized the lobby and café. The overall goal of the project – which was completed in January 2011 – was to create a user-friendly space that allows visitors to immerse themselves in the museum’s works.The permanent collections at MoMI are one of the most extensive and ambitious collections of moving image items in the world. The central exhibition, “Behind the Screen,” explores the creative process of moving images through historical artifacts, commissioned artworks, and video clips. Another permanent exhibition, which has been on display since 2017, documents the life and work of Jim Henson. In addition to the permanent galleries, MoMI also hosts a cycle of travelling exhibitions and thematic shows. The museum also screens more than 400 films a year and hosts panel discussions of current and historical media. MoMI also engages in a variety of educational programs. Over 50,000 students – most of whom are from the local area – experience the museum’s tours and camps each year. Furthermore, MoMI offers workshops for educators and maintains a website archive of all presidential campaign ads, which is available for free to the public. From its historic location, MoMI continues to educate and present about the moving image.

The Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI) is the only museum dedicated to the art, history, technique, and technology of the moving image in the world. By embracing the moving in all its forms, and by providing this knowledge to the public, the museum is able to provide a deeper appreciation and understanding of the moving image. MoMI is a one-of-a-kind destination for audiences of all ages and interests, from connoisseurs of classic cinema to children and families to avid gamers. At the Museum, visitors will find exhibitions, screenings, educational camps, and other group programs. Permanent exhibitions include "Behind the Screen," which showcases the creative process involved in creating moving images, and a gallery devoted to the life and work of Jim Henson. MoMI's offerings are enhanced by its location in the historic Paramount Studios Complex.


Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI)

Isamu Noguchi Isamu Noguchi was born to an American mother and Japanese father in 1904. After expressing interest in becoming an artist, Noguchi's father allowed him to study with Gutzon Borglum, best known for designing Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Borglum was harshly critical of Noguchi's work and told the young artist that he would never become a sculptor. In 1924, disparaged Noguchi moved to New York and enrolled in medical school. However, he continued to take art courses on his mother's advice, and Noguchi's instructors were impressed with the young man's work. After only a few months of enrollment, Noguchi dropped out and began creating sculptures full-time. In 1926, Noguchi applied for and was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship -- despite being three years younger than the minimum age. By 1927, Noguchi had moved to Paris and was studying under internationally acclaimed artist Constantin Brancusi. During his time in France, Noguchi's artistic connections and interests developed further. Over the next decade, he travelled between France and the United States, and also took trips to Russia, China, India, and Japan. Noguchi's body of work expanded to include murals, live performance sets, and domestic designs. Despite this, Noguchi still considered himself foremost a sculptor. Throughout World War II, Noguchi opposed the backlash against Japanese citizens living in the United States. Noguchi was even placed in an Internment Camp at his own request. After the war, he increased his political activism as some of his work began to reflect his political views. Over the course of the twentieth century, Noguchi became one of the most recognized sculpture artists in the world. Aside from sculptures, Noguchi created gardens, furniture, ceramics, and other art. Much of the influence for his work came from his travels across the world. Noguchi's pancultural approach to creation led to him being courted by many significant organizations and individuals. The Japanese Garden at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France is just one example of many of Noguchi's works. The artist was also recognized with the Edward MacDowell Medal, the National Medal of Arts, and Order of the Sacred Treasure for a lifetime of arts contribution. The Museum In 1974, Noguchi purchased a 31,000 square foot photogravure plant across from his New York residence as additional space to store his work. The building was constructed in 1929, and served as the site of Astoria Photo-Engravers Supply Company. By 1980, Noguchi had resolved to create a museum for his work. He purchased the gas station at the end of the block upon which his warehouse sat, and razed it to create more space. Once Noguchi was the sole owner of the uniquely triangular block, Shoji Sadao helped convert the space into something befitting of a museum. The once derelict courtyard of the building became a garden filled with Noguchi's sculptures. Noguchi also enlisted Tim DuVal, a horticulturist, to find unusual plants that were indigenous to the East Coast. The artist used these plants to help populate the courtyard. On the interior of the building, Noguchi left many of the industrial surfaces exposed, as they appealed to his utilitarian design aesthetic. The museum was opened to the general public in 1985. Since the Noguchi museum was founded in Long Island City, it helped established an art district in the area which was followed by other popular museums soon after. The museum was designed with ten galleries and an open-air garden inside of the converted industrial building. The museum has since expanded to include thirteen galleries. In 2005, the Noguchi Museum merged with the Isamu Noguchi Foundation which allowed the museum to achieve provisional status from the New York State Board of Regents. The museum currently holds the largest collection of Noguchi's works. These works are occasionally loaned out so that art can be experienced all over the world. The New York State Council on the Arts has recognized the Noguchi Museum as having outstanding educational programs, especially those tailored for children and families.

Japanese-American sculptor Isamu Noguchi established this museum of art and culture in 1985. The museum is in a former industrial building which has been converted to include open-air sculpture gardens and galleries that provide a reflective space to experience Noguchi's body of artistic work. The museum also includes an archive of over 17,000 photographs and documents related to Noguchi's career and life. Visitors will find a variety of programs at the museum, ranging from tours to educational activities for schools and families. The New York Council on the Arts has recognized the Noguchi Museum as having exceptional educational and community outreach programming. 

Noguchi Museum

60,000 square feet across four stories would be reserved for a museum dedicated to the history of film and the history of the Kaufman Astoria facility. Spearheaded by founder Glenn Ralston, a local planner and music producer, the Foundation hired Rochelle Slovin, former director of the Cultural Council Foundation Project to be the Museum of the Moving Image's executive director. 	Slovin and the Foundation ultimately selected the architectural firm Gwathmey Siegel and Associates of Manhattan to draw up plans for MOTMI. The Museum’s estimated cost was $13.2 million provided by the city government, the federal government, Kaufman, and donations from corporate sponsors, supportive foundations, and sympathetic individuals, many of whom were wealthy Hollywood filmmakers and performers.	A $67 million expansion and renovation occurred between February 2008 and January 2011. Designed by Thomas Leeser, the expansion was paid for by the New York City Cultural Affairs Department and a grant from the Carnegie Corporation.

MoMA PS1 is one of the oldest and largest nonprofit contemporary art institutions in America. The institution was founded in 1971 by Alanna Heiss as part of the Institute for Art and Urban Resources. The Institute was devoted to organizing exhibitions in underutilized and abandoned spaces across New York City. MoMA PS1 was built inside an abandoned public school that had become a warehouse owned by the City of New York. The Romanesque Revival Building was built in 1885 as the first school in Long Island City, and closed in 1963 due to low enrollment. 
Heiss and the Institute strove to establish a place in New York for site specific art, and opened the first exhibit, Rooms in 1971. MoMA PS1 does not have a permanent collection, rather it began through the transformation of the existing school rooms into long term site specific installations. In the subsequent years, it served as a studio, performance, and exhibition space. In 1997, the Institute became the P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center following a three-year renovation that increased the exhibition space of the museum, including a large outdoor gallery. In 2000, P.S. 1 became an affiliate of MoMA and in 2010 was renamed MoMA PS1 to solidify the merger. The Institution continues to specialize in site specific exhibits, and a commitment to experimental art. 

Driving-Tour of Queens Museums Selected by Public History Students of St. John's University

Lewis Latimer House Museum

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information