This fall, The New York Historical (170 Central Prk W, New York, NY 10024) invites visitors to explore the rich and diverse stories of the city’s immigrant communities through its newest exhibition, Stirring the Melting Pot: Photographs from The New York Historical Collections. On view from November 28, 2025, to March 29, 2026, the exhibition offers a compelling glimpse into the everyday lives, traditions, and resilience of New Yorkers from around the globe.
“New York has always been a city of immigrants, and the photographs on view in Stirring the Melting Pot tell the story of resilience, identity, and belonging across generations,” said Dr. Louise Mirrer, president and CEO of The New York Historical. “Through candid moments, the images reveal how individuals and families both preserved their heritage and transformed the city itself, creating community along the way.”
Curated by Valerie Paley, senior vice president and Sue Ann Weinberg director of the Patricia D. Klingenstein Library, alongside curatorial scholar Keren Ben-Horin, the exhibition draws on the vast holdings of the Patricia D. Klingenstein Library to showcase more than 100 photographs and objects. The collection paints an intimate portrait of immigrants’ contributions to the city and the ways in which New York shaped their lives.
Spanning the 20th century, the exhibition captures a wide array of experiences: children at play and in classrooms, seniors enjoying recreational centers, workers in sweatshops and factories, families gathered at home, and communities celebrating parades and festivals. Together, these images create a vivid visual record of adaptation, perseverance, and the building of community.
Among the exhibition’s poignant highlights are photographs documenting the aftermath of the 1904 General Slocum steamboat disaster, revealing how tragedy reshaped immigrant families and neighborhoods. Visitors will also encounter scenes of cultural and religious life, including Greek Orthodox churches, Cambodian Buddhist temples, Jewish synagogues, and Sikh temples, illustrating the city’s extraordinary spiritual and cultural diversity.
Stirring the Melting Pot invites New Yorkers and visitors alike to reflect on the enduring impact of immigration on the city’s identity, offering both historical insight and a celebration of the human spirit.
Exhibition details
- Dates: November 28, 2025 – March 29, 2026
- Location: The New York Historical, New York, NY
- Curators: Valerie Paley and Keren Ben-Horin
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