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THE WEST 156TH STREET GROUP


The Hispanic Museum, The Numismatic Society and the American Geographical Society.

 There is an art center on the upper west side of Manhattan that will well repay a visit. Take the Subway to Broadway and 157th Street.

Leaving the Subway, walk down one street and you will see an attractive group of buildings occupying an entire block. All are open free, daily 10 A.M. to 5 P.M. Sunday hours vary—the Hispanic Museum is open the same as other days, the Numismatic Society from 1 to 5, and the Geographic from 2 to 5.

At the corner of Broadway and 156th Street is the American Geographical Society, founded in 1852 and the oldest geographical society in the United States. From the south entrance, on the court, one goes to the exhibition hall, where, from time to time, there are special displays of maps.

The building is really a working library, rich in reference ma­terial. On the upper floors there are about 50,000 volumes and 33,000 maps and manuscripts. The oldest original piece is a map of the world made in 1452 by Giovanni Leardo.

Going up the brick paved terrace we now reach the cen­tral and largest building of the group, the home of the Hispanic Society of America.

It is a long low building of In­diana limestone. The main facade consists of engaged Ionic columns and the frieze bears the names of Columbus, Cervantes, Lope de Vega, Camoens, Loyola, and Velaz­quez.

The "building is dedicated to the Memory of Collis Potter Huntington," and was the gift of his son, Archer M. Huntington, to whose personal interest is due the entire set­ting of the group.

The purpose of the Hispanic Society is the "advancement of the study of the Spanish and Portuguese languages, literature, history and art." The Museum is primarily for the use of members of the Society and for students. The Reference Library, located in the western wing, is freely opened to students. It contains many valuable manuscripts and about 75,000 volumes, including current Spanish periodicals.

 

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