Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum exists today because of the vision of Sarah and Eleanor Hewitt. In 1897, a longtime dream of the sisters was realized when they formally opened the galleries of The Cooper Union Museum for the Arts of Decoration to the public. The collection they established for that museum is the foundation of Cooper Hewitt's collection today. Sarah (1859–1930) and Eleanor (1864–1924), also known as "Sallie" and "Nellie," were two of six grandchildren of industrialist and educator Peter Cooper, and daughters of Abram and Sarah Hewitt. An upbringing that prioritized education and philanthropy shaped the women's creative and spirited personalities, inspiring them to pursue charitable interests of their own. Eleanor wrote, "Love of beautiful and exquisite workmanship was an inheritance from two practical and artistic grandfathers . . . producing . . . a natural interest in the arts of decoration." In the early 1890s, Sarah and Eleanor began designing a museum for the arts of decoration within The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, the public school founded by Peter Cooper in 1859. The purpose of the museum was not only to inspire good American taste through a study of historical decorative arts, but to offer a path to professional employment in the field of design. The sisters called their museums "modern," and planned galleries, collections of objects, and reference materials to be freely accessible to students and a broad public. This exhibition marks the 125th anniversary of The Cooper Union Museum and celebrates the Smithsonian Institution's 175th year.
Hardware such as furniture mounts and locks and keys were collected as examples of ornamental as well as functional embellishments of furniture.
Hardware such as furniture mounts and locks and keys were collected as examples of ornamental as well as functional embellishments of furniture.
Hardware such as furniture mounts and locks and keys were collected as examples of ornamental as well as functional embellishments of furniture.
The sisters often traveled in a touring car, driven by a chauffeur, with room for luggage and purchases in a rack on the top. This vintage photograph shows the 1905 Renault Town Car owned by Sarah Hewitt. The plaque on the dashboard reads: “Miss Sarah Cooper Hewitt, 9 Lexington Avenue”; the reverse side reads: “Miss Sarah Cooper Hewitt, Hôtel du Rhin, Place Vendôme, Paris.” The French importer’s plaque reads: “Mühlbacher & Fils, Paris.” The drawing was possibly produced for the Hewitts and intended to be installed on a Renault frame.
Sarah and Eleanor avidly collected buttons as examples of artistry. Eighteenth-century button makers were inventive in their choice of materials, using gold, porcelain, ivory, glass, shell, metallic threads, and other enhancements of fashion.
Declaring “To Architects, Designers, Decorators and Artisans! A Free Museum for the Study of the Arts of Decoration,” this announcement, handwritten by either Sarah or Eleanor and posted at Cooper Union, proclaims the mission of the early museum. It was open Tuesday through Saturday, and in later years stayed open in the evenings to accommodate visitors who worked during the day.
The floor plan of the museum’s galleries outlines how the space was organized for viewing and studying objects. Eleanor explained, “People come to this museum to learn . . . and the arrangement of the Museum in small sections and with a mass of objects in each . . . does invite comparison and discussion as to material, workmanship, and design.” Emphasizing the functional purpose of this museum, work tables are stationed in many of the galleries. In 1924, the open area in the center was floored over to create more exhibition space for the growing museum.