Lost & Found Exhibition

Objects come in and out of our lives. Lyndhurst has been fortunate to retain more than 10,000 pieces in its museum collection, but over time, some have vanished. Over the past decade, we have worked diligently to repatriate missing objects, have benefited from generous donations and strategic acquisitions, and even found supposedly missing pieces in our own storage areas. This exhibition highlights the many generous gifts and purchases made over the last decade, identifies rediscovered and lost works, and makes them and their stories available to the public.

In one sense, we are lucky. Lyndhurst was always sold intact with its decor and furnishings. In addition to detailed probate records, the interior of the mansion was photographed starting in the 1860s, providing an excellent record of what was here. So, how did pieces disappear from our collection? There are multiple ways and reasons things left. Weddings, engagements, and even the deaths of key family members meant that items were given away as gifts and dispersed to museums and other relatives. Damage leads to disposal, and broken items were relegated to dusty basements and attics under our noses.

Changing tastes result in changing attitudes toward significance, and in certain instances, particularly in our clothing and textile collection, objects were specifically deemed unessential and sold off or lent to others. Many of these lost objects are finding their way back: couture dresses sold at the sale, photo albums given to descendants, film reels shoved into the backs of closets, furniture from long-gone houses, books, and even artworks. Objects have their own life and travels, and the story of them being “lost and found” says something about who we are as individuals and how our sense of what is valuable changes over time. We welcome these objects back to share so that we can continue telling our stories in a broader, more engaging way.

Exhibition made possible with support from the NYCSA/GHHN Conservation Treatment Grant Program and the Coby Foundation.

The exhibition is open on days that the museum is open for tours and is included in your tour ticket or grounds pass. Our staff in the Welcome Center can show you where to find the Exhibition Gallery.