THE IRREPRESSIBLE ELOISE, PICTURE BOOK STAR AND QUINTESSENTIAL NEW YORKER, RETURNS TO THE LIMELIGHT THIS SUMMER AT THE NEW-YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY Eloise at the Museum On view June 30 – October 9, 2017 Earns Whom You Know's Highest Recommendation! You Will Love, Love, LOVE IT!
Peachy Deegan is eternally six wanting to live at the Plaza Hotel, and we have reviewed every single Eloise book in print made available to us by Simon and Schuster (we think this was all of them) and it was one of our goals early on in Whom You Know to do this:
If you're bored with your life, for Lord's Sake, you ought to be reading both Whom You Know and all of the Eloise books!!! Can you just imagine what would happen if Eloise ever started going on the internet?!
You know Eloise is just fahbulous dahling in Hollywood:
And The Ultimate Eloise is simply tops:
And Eloise at Christmas time cooled us off in August:
and so did Eloise in Moscow:
and what could be more chic than going to Paris with Eloise:
and what fun it is to Take a Bawth:
If you want to see every single book of Eloise we reviewed, click this and go through every page:
We went looking for Eloise at The Rose Club at The Plaza when we reviewed that:
Even Mover and Shaker Ed Koch has something to say on the Simon and Schuster site:
"Eloise is one of the more delightfully fiendish literary heroines of our time."
-- Edward I. Koch (former NYC mayor!!!)
We were absolutely delighted to attend the launch of ELOISE by The New York Historical Society last night because we love love love Eloise and also this great cultural institution. We suggest reading all of the books before going so you can have the ultimate appreciation for this absolutely phenomenal exhibit. Thank you to the New York Historical Society for enhancing the world with this positive, fun, wonderful exhibit that is going to bring brilliant happiness to your life.
Louise Mirrer CEO of The New York Historical Society for Eloise Exhibit by Peachy Deegan
Hilary Knight, Illustrator of Eloise at The New York Historical Society by Peachy Deegan
Thank you Hilary for following us on Twitter all these years:
This
summer, the New-York Historical Society celebrates the feisty charm and audacious
spirit of Eloise, who continues to be a picture book superstar more than 60 years
after her debut. On view June 30 – October 9, 2017, Eloise at the Museum reveals the creative collaboration between
cabaret star Kay Thompson (1909–1998) and the young illustrator Hilary Knight
(b. 1926) that brought the precocious character to life. The exhibition
showcases more than 75 objects, ranging from original manuscript pages to
sketchbooks, portraits, photographs, and vintage dolls. Organized by The Eric
Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, MA, where it debuted earlier this
year, New-York Historical’s presentation fully immerses visitors into Eloise’s world with evocations of the
grand lobby of the Plaza Hotel, her bedroom―complete with a storytelling
corner―and her bubbly “bawthroom,” where she often made mischief.
“We are thrilled to celebrate Eloise with this special exhibition, as she is a
true New York character through and through,” said Dr. Louise Mirrer, president
and CEO of the New-York Historical Society. “Whether she is exploring the nooks
and crannies of the iconic Plaza Hotel or adventuring across the globe,
Eloise’s indomitable spirit is an inspiration to New Yorkers young and old, and
the story of her creation and her lasting impact on pop culture are equally
fascinating.”
“I am delighted to have so many pieces of rarely seen art in this exhibition,”
said Hilary Knight, who turned 90 this past November. “Kay Thompson and I were
both born under the sign of Scorpio, which I translate to mean people who work,
imagine, create, and fantasize. Eloise, a Scorpio herself, would say the same.”
Exhibition Highlights
Curated at The Carle by Jane Bayard Curley, the exhibition at New-York
Historical is overseen by Assistant Curator of Material Culture Rebecca Klassen
and includes rarely seen artworks from Hilary Knight’s archive, such as his
1954 trial drawings for the first Eloise
book, an Eloise in Paris sketchbook
featuring Eloise’s visit to the atelier of Christian Dior, and a magnificent
suite of final art from Eloise in Moscow.
Select works on view show the evolution of beloved figures like Eloise’s dog
Weenie, whose appearance changed dramatically from an early 1955 sketch by
Knight titled “I Have a Dog Who Looks Like a Cat.” Weenie was redesigned to
more closely resemble Thompson’s favorite dog breed, the pug, but the essence
of Knight’s vision remains from the sketch to the final iteration: Eloise and
Weenie wearing matching sunglasses. An unpublished color drawing of the Plaza
Hotel lobby captures its grand chandelier, marble pillars, and glamorous “ladies
who lunch,” as well as Eloise slumped in a chair.
Eloise’s exuberance is on display in unpublished 1957 illustrations from Eloise in Paris, as she rides into town
like a conquering hero atop a luggage-laden car, learning French by singing out
“Fromage is cheese ‘n fish is pois-son ‘n boats is les bat-eaux!” Also on view are Knight’s
final illustrations from Eloise in Moscow,
published in 1959 at the height of the Cold War, featuring scenes of Eloise
dancing with pigeons and on the stage of the Bolshoi Theatre.
A star of the exhibition is Mr. Knight’s original Eloise portrait from 1956. It
hung, majestically, for four years at the Plaza where Kay Thompson lived. Then
it vanished—at its time, a headline event—until 1962, when Mr. Knight was
alerted by an anonymous phone call that it had been sighted, frameless and
damaged...in a dumpster. Stored away for over 55 years in Mr. Knight’s closet,
it has been revived, refreshed, and restored by a team that includes Lansing
Moore and his expert staff, in consultation with the original artist, Hilary
Knight. It now returns to public view for the first time in decades.
Eloise at the Museum also charts the
careers of her two creators, from Thompson’s rise in the entertainment industry
to Knight’s early artistic influences and later works. In addition, the
exhibition looks at Eloise’s life outside of the books, featuring related
merchandise created throughout the years, including dolls and doll outfits; a
line of girl’s clothes; a 1957-58 children’s menu from the Plaza Hotel, where
Eloise-themed tea-times continue today; and an Eloise Emergency Hotel Kit,
complete with bubble gum, a red crayon, and turtle food, in honor of her pet
turtle Skipperdee.
A kid-friendly audio guide narrated by illustrator and Eloise admirer Joana
Avillez and hotel house phones that can be picked up to hear actress Bernadette
Peters read excerpts from the books round out the visitor experience.
Another exhibition about the artist, Hilary
Knight’s Stage Stuck World, is on view at the New York Public Library for
the Performing Arts, at Lincoln Center until September 1.
Programming
A host of family activities bring the Plaza’s most famous resident to life,
inviting young visitors to explore the exhibition in creative ways. Eloise Storytime on Tuesdays–Fridays at 2 pm
welcomes young fans to hear all about the character’s exploits at the Plaza and
on her travels. Eloise’s Rawther
Fancy Party―family weekends taking place July 8 and 9 and September 30 and
October 1―features storytelling, artmaking, and mischief making (the good
kind), along with a special book signing featuring Eloise illustrator Hilary Knight.
The film Eloise at the Plaza,
starring Julie Andrews as Nanny, will be screened for families on several
Sundays (July 16, August 13, and September 10). On October 1, at a special
program about conservation, families can hear the story of the lost Eloise
portrait―and its restoration―from Lansing Moore of the Center Art Studio.
Eloise fans of all ages can experience Eloise
at the Museum with a special apres dejeuner on select Wednesday filled with
fawncy treats and delicious drinks. Families will start the afternoon in the
New-York Historical Society’s stunning restaurant, Storico, with a menu of
savory and sweet treats, and then continue the fun in the special exhibition Eloise at the Museum with a special read
aloud story time. A limited number of tickets are available to purchase at nyhistory.org; $45 per person (Members
$40).
Exhibition Credits
Support for Eloise at the Museum is
provided by Triad Foundation, the May and Samuel Rudin Family Foundation, Inc,
and Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. Exhibitions at New-York
Historical are made possible by Dr. Agnes Hsu-Tang and Oscar Tang, the Saunders
Trust for American History, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs,
and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew
Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.
About the New-York Historical Society
The New-York Historical Society, one of America’s preeminent cultural
institutions, is dedicated to fostering research and presenting history and art
exhibitions and public programs that reveal the dynamism of history and its
influence on the world of today. Founded in 1804, New-York Historical has a
mission to explore the richly layered history of New York City and State and
the country, and to serve as a national forum for the discussion of issues
surrounding the making and meaning of history
Photography by Peachy Deegan:
Photography by Peachy Deegan:
