- Cooper-Hewitt
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in full Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museummuseum in New York (New York City), N.Y., noted for its holdings centred on historical and contemporary design.The Cooper-Hewitt was originally founded in 1897 by the granddaughters of American industrialist Peter Cooper (Cooper, Peter) and is now a part of the Smithsonian Institution. It is located in the Carnegie Mansion on New York City's Fifth Avenue. The 64-room mansion, a national landmark, is itself an example of design innovation, having been the first American home to have a steel frame and central heating. The Cooper-Hewitt was the first—and for many years the only—American museum dedicated solely to design. Its library is also renowned.The museum's permanent collection consists of more than 250,000 pieces, including both one-of-a-kind pieces and mass-produced objects. The collection is organized into four categories: product design and decorative arts; drawings, prints, and graphic design; textiles; and wall coverings. Among the objects are a Michelangelo drawing of a candelabrum, furniture plans by Frank Lloyd Wright (Wright, Frank Lloyd), and more than 400 textile stencil patterns. Also present are drawings and prints by artists such as Winslow Homer (Homer, Winslow) and Frederic E. Church (Church, Frederic Edwin). The product design and decorative art collection contains some 40,000 three-dimensional objects, with examples from ancient times to the 21st century. The collections of textiles and wall coverings are also extensive. The Cooper-Hewitt annually presents a group of design awards.
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Universalium. 2010.
