March 5-31: Closet Archaeology + Opening Reception

Closet Archaeology—an Accidental Time Capsule: Monday, March 5-Saturday, March 31

Ace Hotel New York
20 W. 29th St.
New York, NY 10001

A reception for the exhibition will be held on Thursday March 8 from 6-8p.

During the winter of 2015, an East Village fourth grader attending Children’s Workshop School peered into the dusty crevices beneath his classroom’s closet floorboards. He wondered what treasures might have fallen there in the 104 years since the building was constructed. His classmates took notice and joined in, poking and peeking under the boards.

Through this “closet archaeology,” an accidental time capsule —built over a century by generations of students— was excavated for the world to see. Led by their teacher, Miriam Sicherman, these junior archaeologists have unearthed love notes, spelling tests, caps from glass milk bottles, portraits of silent film stars, penny candy wrappers and more. They have evenlocated the former students, now adults, who lost these items across the decades.

The collection was first exhibited in 2017 at The City Reliquary, a not-for-profit museum and civic organization located at 370 Metropolitan Avenue in Williamsburgh, Brooklyn. Through permanent displays of New York City artifacts, rotating exhibits, and annual cultural events, The City Reliquary connects visitors to both the past and present of New York.

Closet Archaeology will be on display from March 5-31.

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