Curator's Choice: Recent Acquisitions

The Albany Institute of History & Art presents an assortment of its latest acquisitions in the museum’s Entry Gallery. Items on display include a spectacular twelve-piece silver serving set presented to Thomas Schuyler (1811–1866) in January 1859. The well-known Albany philanthropist, business leader, ship captain, and owner of the Schuyler Tow Boat Company received the silver presentation set from a group of friends and business associates. The large tray is engraved with an image of the towboat America, owned by Schuyler’s company. The engraving is taken directly from a painting of the towboat by James Bard (1815–1897), completed in 1852, that is in the museum’s collection.

The silver, painting, and other manuscript materials will be on view, along with a history of the towboat company started by Thomas Schuyler’s father, Captain Samuel Schuyler (1781–1842), who was one of Albany’s most successful businessmen of African heritage.