Category: Press

MIAMI – Following its highly acclaimed stops at the New York Public Library and the GRAMMY Museum^® at L.A. LIVE, the multimedia exhibit exploring the life and career of Frank Sinatra will start its run in Miami at the HistoryMiami Museum on March 4, 2016.

As the official exhibit of the Frank Sinatra Centennial, Sinatra: An American Icon, traces 100 years of Sinatra’s legacy, from Hoboken, N.J., through superstardom, chronicling the meteoric rise of his music career, his Hollywood success, personal life, and humanitarian work.   The exhibit, presented in cooperation with the Sinatra Family, Frank Sinatra Enterprises, USC School of Cinematic Arts, and the GRAMMY Museum at L.A. LIVE, combines photos, family mementos, rare correspondence, personal items, artwork, and, of course, music, to offer a look into Sinatra’s legacy.

On view in the Museum’s Special Exhibits gallery on the third floor from March 4, 2016- June 5, 2016, HistoryMiami will also present a special section that highlights Frank Sinatra’s connections to South Florida. During the mid-20th century, Sinatra not only performed at Miami venues, but also shot several movies and television programs in the region. On display will be concert programs, movie and television memorabilia, and other items that tell Sinatra’s Miami story.

“Sinatra has a remarkable legacy performing, working and playing in Miami, and being able to bring the official exhibit of the Sinatra centennial to our museum is truly a treat for fans in South Florida,” said Stuart Chase, President and CEO of HistoryMiami. “This exhibit not only celebrates his iconic music legacy, but offers visitors a rare look into what it was like to know him personally.”

Sinatra’s story is told through items of his clothing, including his signature fedora and tuxedo, and pajamas, original artwork by Sinatra, and his golf clubs.

Other items on display include:

• Numerous awards, including Sinatra’s GRAMMY Awards, Academy Award, and Golden Globe Award
• Archival video and audio recordings from Sinatra’s many TV and radio appearances
• Original audio from one of Sinatra’s recording sessions
• Revealing personal family photos, behind-the-scenes studio images, and Herman Leonard’s classic photographs of Sinatra

“By working together with the Sinatra family on this exhibit, we were able to provide fans a unique glimpse of what it was like to know the man behind ‘The Voice,’ said exhibition curator Bob Santelli, Executive Director of the GRAMMY Museum. “Through this collection of photographs and mementos, the exhibit brings visitors into the life of Frank Sinatra.”

HistoryMiami Museum will host a Grand Opening party in partnership with Ocean Drive Magazine on March 3,^, 2016. Tickets cost $45 for members and $75 non-members.  For more information visit https://historymiami.org/exhibition/sinatra-an-american-icon/

Tickets to see the exhibition starting March 4, 2016 cost $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and students, $5 for children, and free for children under 6 years old.

This traveling exhibition is made possible through the generous support of Jack Daniel’s, Sinatra’s drink of choice.

About HistoryMiami Museum

HistoryMiami Museum, a Smithsonian affiliate, is the premier cultural institution committed to gathering, organizing, preserving and celebrating Miami’s history as the unique crossroads of the Americas. We accomplish this through education, collections, research, exhibitions, publications and city tours. Located in the heart of downtown Miami, HistoryMiami Museum is a 70,000 square foot facility and home to more than one million historic images and 30,000 three-dimensional artifacts, including a 1920’s trolley car, artifacts from Pan American World Airways, and rafts that brought refugees to Miami.  For more information, call 305-375-1492 or visit historymiami.org.

About Frank Sinatra

Throughout his career, Frank Sinatra performed on more than 1,400 recordings and was awarded 31 gold, nine platinum, three double platinum and one triple platinum album by the Recording Industry Association of America. He extends his record to 57 for the most top 40 albums on the Billboard 200 with this year’s new Ultimate Sinatra release. Sinatra has had Top 40 hits on the charts for eight decades, which is as long as the Billboard charts have existed. He received nine GRAMMY Awards over the course of his career, including three for the prestigious Album Of The Year, and an Oscar. Sinatra demonstrated a remarkable ability to appeal to every generation and continues to do so; his artistry still influences many of today’s music superstars. He also appeared in more than 60 films and produced eight motion pictures.

Sinatra was awarded Lifetime Achievement Awards from The Recording Academy, The Screen Actors Guild and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), as well as the Kennedy Center Honors, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. Today, he remains a legend and an inspiration around the world for his contributions to culture and the arts.

About The GRAMMY Museum^®

Paying tribute to music’s rich cultural history, this one-of-a-kind, 21st-century museum explores and celebrates the enduring legacies of all forms of music, the creative process, the art and technology of the recording process, and the history of the premier recognition of excellence in recorded music — the GRAMMY^® Award. The GRAMMY Museum features 30,000 square feet of interactive and multimedia exhibits located within L.A. LIVE, the downtown Los Angeles sports, entertainment and residential district. Through thought-provoking and dynamic public and educational programs and exhibits, guests will experience music from a never-before-seen insider perspective that only the GRAMMY Museum can deliver. For more information, please call 213-765-6800 or visit www.grammymuseum.org. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @TheGRAMMYMuseum on Twitter and Instagram, and like “The GRAMMY Museum” on Facebook.

MIAMI – The Miami International Map Fair, the longest continuously running map fair in the world, will return to HistoryMiami Museum February 5-7, 2016. Over 40 leading map dealers will gather from across the globe bringing an unparalleled selection of original antique maps, charts, town plans, and atlases. Thousands of maps from the 16th century to present day, and ranging in price from $25 to over a $100,000 will be on display offering something for the first time buyer, as well as the seasoned collector.

One of the rarest maps on display will be the first printed map of South Carolina, and the first to designate it as so. The map, drawn in 1695 and priced at $95,000, focuses on the developed region around Charleston, reaching southwards to the South Edisto River and north to “Sewee Harbor”. Also for sale will be a superb, scarce and important map of the Eastern Seaboard from Cape Lookout to Florida, with Cuba and the Bahamas, published by Theodore de Bry in 1591.The map was drawn by the French artist Jacques Le Moyne de Morgues, who’d accompanied French explorer René de Laudonnière to Florida in 1564.

“Maps are about history and HistoryMiami is proud to host one of the biggest events of its kind in the world, highlighting an ever-growing appreciation for international and rare maps,” Stuart Chase said, President/Chief Executive Officer for HistoryMiami Museum. “Each year, the Map Fair showcases rare maps that give a fascinating insight into the past and gives collectors and map enthusiasts the opportunity to come together and peruse visual pieces of living history.”

Held annually during the first weekend in February, the Miami International Map Fair provides buyers with a weekend to browse antique maps, rare books, panoramas and atlases from around the world, as well attend a series of special topical lectures. This is a unique opportunity to meet experts with an unrivaled depth of knowledge and scope of material.

The 2016 Map Fair Speakers include:

Maps to the Masses: Content, Creation and Dissemination at Stanford

Julie Sweetkind Singer, Saturday, February 6, 11 am

Assistant Director of Geospatial and Cartographic Data and the Head of the Branner Earth Sciences Library & Map Collections at Stanford University

Cartography and Culture: Using Old Maps in New Ways

Robert A. Leath, Saturday, February 6, 3 pm

Vice-President of Collections and Research at Old Salem Museums and Gardens

Mapping the Imagination: Fantasy, Science, and Making Maps in the Human Brain  

Catherine L. Newell, Ph.D., Sunday, February 7, 3 pm

Assistant Professor of Religion and Science in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Miami.

Additionally, The Florida International University GIS Center has partnered with the Miami International Map Fair and will present interactive GIS presentations throughout the weekend that will show the growth of Miami over the decades through aerial photographs.

Daily admission to the Map Fair is $20 for adults and children, $15 for HistoryMiami members and $10 for students with ID.  Full access weekend registration is $70 per person for HistoryMiami members and $80 for non-members and includes a VIP Private Preview on Friday evening before the fair opens to the public, a cocktail reception with the map dealers, and complimentary lunch on Saturday and Sunday.  A Friday night cocktail reception and dinner is available for $75 per person, in addition to the registration fee, and is open to full access weekend registrants only. Online Weekend Registration is open until February 3, 2016. Fair hours are Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 12 to 5 p.m. at 101 West Flagler Street in downtown Miami. Parking is available at the Cultural Center Parking Garage, 50 NW 2 Avenue.

The Miami International Map Fair sponsors include Miami-Dade County and BrandsMart U.S.A. Sponsorship and underwriting opportunities are still available, please contact 305-375-1618 or email mapfair@historymiami.org for more information. To register for the Miami International Map Fair or event information, please call 305-375-1618 or email mapfair@historymiami.org.

For high-resolution map images and credit information, please email Michele Reese at mreese@historymiami.org.

About HistoryMiami Museum

HistoryMiami Museum, a Smithsonian Institution affiliate, is the premier cultural institution committed to gathering, organizing, preserving and celebrating Miami’s history as the unique crossroads of the Americas. We accomplish this through exhibitions, city tours, education, research, collections and publications. Visit www.historymiami.org to learn more.

MIAMI – HistoryMiami Museum will capture the spirit of the magic city during Art Basel Week while hosting  one of the most popular art events in recent years: the Miami Street Photography Festival. The festival and exhibitions are part of HistoryMiami’s newly-established Center for Photography, created as a part of a Knight Arts Challenge grant, and will feature world-class photographers, exhibitions, lectures, workshops, photo walks, and portfolio reviews. Legendary photographers Bruce Davidson, David Alan Harvey, Peter Turnley and Maggie Steber will be this year’s featured guests.

Now in its fourth year, the Miami Street Photography Festival is expanding to HistoryMiami Museum after gaining success in Wynwood during the previous three Art Basel Weeks. The festival’s mission is to give exposure to up-and-coming photographers from around the globe, and highlight the best in international street photography.

“The Miami Street Photography Festival creates an interactive platform for photographers to showcase their work during a time of high exposure for art,” said Juan Jose Reyes, founder of

The Miami Street Photography Festival. “This level of talent in photography cannot be found anywhere else during Art Basel Week and partnering with HistoryMiami helps solidify our standing in the community during one of the most prestigious art events in the world.”

As part of the festival’s program, HistoryMiami Museum will exhibit:

• Photographs of the finalists of the MSPF Street Photography Contest and of the Miami Photo Series competition; two international, juried competitions currently underway.
• New Cuba photography from David Alan Harvey in the festival’s featured artist gallery.
• Images from two respected street photography collectives – SPontanea from Italy and The Street Collective, an international group.

“Each of these photography exhibitions are in-line with our mission to preserve and document history, as street photography captures life as it is lived,” said HistoryMiami Museum President/CEO Stuart A. Chase. “This is a great opportunity for HistoryMiami to partner with an existing festival and expand our reach to new audiences by bringing world-class photography to the museum.”

The Miami Street Photography Festival expects to receive contest submissions from more than 50 countries. The exhibitions featuring the finalists of both contests will be displayed not only during the festival, but also for two months surrounding it, from November 20, 2015 through January 17, 2016.

This year, the Miami Street Photography Festival will be sponsored by Leica, Leica Store Miami, Adobe, Image Pro, Epson, Ona Bags and AroundTown Magazine.

Museum Hours and Fees:

HistoryMiami will be offering free admission during the festival, from December 3 – 6, 2015.

Hours: 10 am -10 pm.

Regular museum admission and hours:

$10 for adults, $8 for seniors and students with ID, $5 for children 6-12, and free for members and children under 6; Monday-Saturday, 10 am-5 pm; Sunday, 12 pm-5 pm.

About The Miami Street Photography Festival
Established in 2012, The MSPF© has evolved rapidly to become the leading street photography event in the world. The event is an international photography festival showcasing the best of contemporary street photography as viewed through the eyes of emerging photographers in this genre. The goal of the festival is to establish a global platform for learning through exhibitions, workshops, lectures, and other events. This event is a collaborative effort to advance the work of photographers who pay attention to everyday life in order to capture the world around us. For Festival information and submissions visit: www.miamistreetphotographyfestival.org or visit
facebook.com/MiamiStreetPhotographyFestival for more information.

About HistoryMiami Museum

HistoryMiami Museum, a Smithsonian affiliate, is the premier cultural institution committed to gathering, organizing, preserving and celebrating Miami’s history as the unique crossroads of the Americas. We accomplish this through education, collections, research, exhibitions, publications and city tours. For more information, call 305-375-1492 or visit historymiami.org.

MIAMI – Imagine leaving your homeland as a child, without your parents, to live in a foreign country. Will you ever return home? Will you ever see your parents again? What does your future hold?

That was the reality for the more than 14,000 unaccompanied Cuban boys and girls who left their homeland to come to the United States in what became the largest recorded child refugee exodus in the Western Hemisphere, which lasted from 1960-1962.

“I think it’s impossible for most people to understand how utterly frightening this was,” recalled Tony Argiz, one of the many children sent away from his parents and family in pursuit of freedom at age 9. “Remember, most of us had no idea if we were ever going to see our families again. And we were too young to understand why we were being sent away.”

With the support of Operation Pedro Pan Group, Inc., the organization that connects the children of the Pedro Pan exodus and preserves its artifacts and memories, HistoryMiami museum will open its doors to the exhibition documenting the emotional journey these children – and their families – underwent to escape indoctrination.

The exhibition will not only display the artifacts but also tell the story of how these families came to make this life-changing decision and what became of the children. Using video testimonials, private letters, journals and photographs, the exhibition will take visitors on a journey from Cuba to Miami and beyond; giving visitors a glimpse of the children’s past and the camps they lived in once they reached the United States through recreated environments.

With the support of a $300,000 grant from the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the 5,000 sq. ft. exhibition Operation Pedro Pan: The Cuban Children’s Exodus will be on view from June 26, 2015 – January 17, 2016.

Admission to the museum is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors and students with ID, $6 for children 6-12, and free for members and children under 6. Museum hours are: Monday-Saturday, 10 am-5 pm; Sunday, 12 pm-5 pm. For more information, call 305-375-1492 or visit historymiami.org.

Operation Pedro Pan Group, Inc. (OPPG) is a non-profit charitable organization founded in 1991 by the former children of Pedro Pan. The organization has played an integral role in documenting and educating the public on this important chapter of the history of Cuba and the United States. Learn more about OPPG at www.pedropan.org or facebook.com/OPPGI

About HistoryMiami

HistoryMiami, a Smithsonian affiliate, is the premier cultural institution committed to gathering, organizing, preserving and celebrating Miami’s history as the unique crossroads of the Americas. We accomplish this through education, collections, research, exhibitions, publications and city tours.

MIAMI – HistoryMiami is excited to announce a rare discovery that was made during its nationally acclaimed exhibition, The Complete Audubon: The Birds of America, which is currently on view.  An Audubon and natural history prints dealer from Alexandria, Virginia, discovered that the museum’s signed edition of the Ornithological Biography was a personal gift from John James Audubon to Dr. John Argyle Robertson of Scotland. The book, which is personally inscribed by Audubon and signed by his wife, Lucy, has been part of the HistoryMiami collection since 1984, but has not been on display since 1988.

“It is very rare to see a volume of Ornithological Biography signed by John James Audubon or another family member; it is even more remarkable to see one signed by both John James Audubon and his wife Lucy,” said Leslie Kostrich, who made the discovery and documented her visit to the museum on her blog.

This discovery helps further piece together the history of this particular copy. It is now known that the book was gift from John James and his wife after the doctor treated Lucy when she fell ill while the couple was in Scotland, completing the writing and printing of Ornithological Biography. The book eventually made its way to South Florida and was part of the rare book collection owned by businessman, art collector, and philanthropist Charles Deering.

“We really weren’t expecting this story. While we knew it was autographed, we didn’t know the story behind the autograph or who Dr. Robertson was or how he came to know the Audubons,” said Rebecca Smith, head of special collections at HistoryMiami, who curated The Complete Audubon: The Birds of America. “I had wondered over the years why Lucy and John James had signed this and it’s neat to know that it’s more than just a fan seeking an audience; it was a gift for good medical work.”

Although the museum does not have documentation as to how the book passed from Dr. Robertson to Deering, it is known that Deering avidly collected rare books and was also a bird watcher, so this was a natural fit for him. When the Deering family sold the estate to Dade Country in 1984, HisortyMiami (then the Historical Museum of Southern Florida) received several items; one being the signed, five-volume set of the Ornithological Biography,  published in Edinburgh from 1831 to 1839; two volumes of which are now on display.

“This is very exciting for us,” said President / Chief Executive Officer of HistoryMiami, Stuart Chase. “A good exhibition usually involves some discovery about the collection, and our staff always gets excited when this happens.”

The nationally acclaimed exhibition, The Complete Audubon: The Birds of America, is currently showing at HistoryMiami through May 31, 2015.

For more information on Kostrich and this discovery, please visit http://minniesland.com.

HistoryMiami is open Monday through Saturday 10 – 5 p.m. and Sunday 12 – 5 p.m. General museum admission is free for HistoryMiami members and children under 6. Admission for adults is $8, seniors and students are $7, and children 6 – 12 years old are $5.

About HistoryMiami

HistoryMiami, a Smithsonian affiliate, is the premier cultural institution committed to gathering, organizing, preserving and celebrating Miami’s history as the unique crossroads of the Americas. We accomplish this through education, collections, research, exhibitions, publications and city tours.