Hidden Stories from the South Street Seaport Collection

Join Susan Winchell-Sweeney, NYSM Anthropology Collections Manager, for an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the South Street Seaport archaeology collection—a trove of over 2 million artifacts spanning 300+ years of Manhattan’s past.

Gain an insider’s perspective on this extraordinary collection, which includes the largest archaeological assemblage from Dutch New Netherland and discover how its transfer deepens our understanding of early New York City.

From clay pipe fragments smoked by Dutch settlers to broken China cups from mid-19th-century tea sets, Susan will reveal how these seemingly ordinary objects hold extraordinary stories. Learn how even the tiniest artifacts help reconstruct the daily lives of early New Yorkers, and why these mundane fragments remain vital for ongoing research and reinterpretation.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher New York State Museum