Traveling Exhibition: The Lure of Niagara:  Highlights from the Charles Rand Penney Historical Niagara Falls Print Collection

(begins traveling in April 2019)

Number of Works: This exhibition features 42 framed works of art dating from 1698 to 1950. They are arranged in seven thematic sections as described at right, and accompanied by a single-fold, full-color interpretive brochure. Fifty will be provided at no additional cost.

Exhibition Space: Minimum of 150 running-feet of wall space.

Insurance: A certificate of insurance must be provided by the exhibition venue.

Rental Fee: $2,500 and shipping fees both ways. Shipping will be arranged and costs assumed by borrowing venue.

Exhibition Period: 12-18 weeks; bookings are available starting in April 2019.

Contact: Michael J. Beam, Curator of Exhibitions and Special Projects, Castellani Art Museum of Niagara University, NY, 716-286-8286 mjbeam@niagara.edu

Museum Store Merchandise

Publication Impressions of Niagara—The Charles Rand Penney Collection(2003), 200 page illustrated compendium of the collection.

Poster John Bornet, Niagara Falls, American Side (1855) museum poster,

19 x 26 in.

It is believed that more prints were made of Niagara Falls before the twentieth century than of any other specific place, and The Charles Rand Penney Collection of Historical Niagara Falls Prints is the largest collection of this genre. Viewing so many images of one subject together, we can gain new insights not only about the location itself, but also about the manner in which the scene has been depicted, emerging with a deeper understanding of the history of Niagara Falls.

The collection is organized into seven thematic categories—Hennepin & Derivatives, A Variety of Depictions, Niagara As a Symbol, Popular Prints, Prints for the Wealthy, Extraordinary Events, and Maps. The immense size and fragility of the complete collection precludes a presentation in its entirety. The Lure of Niagara: Highlights from the Charles Rand Penney Historical Niagara Falls Print Collection features works, representative of the larger holdings of the collection, that are symbolic, commercially popular, historically relevant, and particularly unique.

Categories: Traveling Exhibitions