MUSEYON GUIDES

Spotlight On: Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:03:40 +0000

Never had dripping paint onto canvas been so revolutionary until Jackson Pollock, dubbed by Time magazine as “Jack the Dipper”, declared it as art. Stating that his masterpieces were never by accident but a purposeful vision, and ignoring the parameters of using only an easel and brush to create art, Pollock became a prominent figure in the Abstract Expressionist movement. Pollock did not begin his artistic career experimenting with his revolutionary “motion painting” but studied art with Regionalist painter Thomas Hart Benton in New York at the Art Students League and began dabbling slightly with murals and landscape art. But as his artistic talents grew to new heights of originality, Pollock began to battle depression and alcoholism—a disease that would plague Pollock for the rest of his life, ultimately leading to his death. Gaining more and more notoriety, Pollock was invited to show his work at a group exhibition of French and American artists, where his artwork stunned not only Peggy Guggenheim, but Lenore Krasner, a virtual unknown American artist whom Pollock would later marry.

Only two weeks after their marriage, and with a generous loan by Peggy Guggenheim, Pollock and Krasner purchased an estate in East Hampton of Long Island, now the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center. Originally built in 1879, Pollock and Krasner moved into their home in 1946 and made multiple renovations, including painting the walls white, creating an open loft space, and giving the house some artistic character in painting the outside shutters blue. But this house was more than a home; it was a place of artistic thought and creation. Both Pollock and Krasner used the house as their studio with Krasner in the back parlor and Pollock in an upstairs bedroom. Later, Pollock moved the estate barn and renovated it to serve his needs as his own personal studio. Not only stunning in its quaint simplicity, the Pollock-Krasner house is appealing to any Pollock fan wishing to step inside the space where the troubled master created his masterpieces, proven when the original floorboards were excavated with paint remnants of Pollock’s famous poured paintings, including Autumn Rhythm and Lavender Mist.

POLLOCK-KRASNER HOUSE
830 Springs-Fireplace Road
East Hampton, NY 11937-1512
631-324-4929

View Larger Map

Following in the Footsteps of The Godfather

admin — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 21:19:35 +0000

Not only is it one of the greatest movies of all time, one of the most quoted film in history (“[he] sleeps with the fishes”), and an epic tribute to mafia romance and tragedy, The Godfather is also a dedication to the back alleys and glamorous landmarks of New York. Before filming began, the movie on its way to Hollywood for production to the obvious disappointment of director Francis Ford Coppola, who waged a determined battle to have the gangster epic filmed on-location in New York City. And to the great relief of the loyal fan base for the original novel, the famed director won. From Staten Island to the Bronx, The Godfather, in its trademark sophisticated gangster swagger, gave the city its due amount of respect that even Don Corleone would be proud of.

The opening wedding scene shot in the Corleone’s backyard, but remembered for the dark atmosphere and monumental conversation in the Godfather’s office (“you come to me, and you say: ‘Don Corleone, give me justice.’ But you don’t ask with respect. You don’t even think to call me Godfather.”) was shot on Staten Island in the gardens of Emerson Hill. One of the most talked about scenes in the Godfather—the infamous horse’s head in Woltz’s bed that completes the Don making “an offer he can’t refuse”—was filmed on Long Island in the Falaise mansion of the Guggenheim Estate at Sands Point Preserve. A 216–acre preserve, the estate was first owned by a railroad heir before being purchased by the Guggenheim family.

Moving from one island to another: Manhattan, and the popular St. Regis Hotel on the corner of Fifth Avenue near Central Park is a sophisticated element of classic New York. Built in 1904 by the wealthy John Jacob Astor, who would later die on the doomed Titanic voyage, the five-star luxury hotel would endure countless improvements and glamorous additions to the already impressive frame. This hotel was the setting for the temporary residence of Michael Corleone and Kay Adams; it also provided Al Pacino a comfortable room while he filmed in NYC.

But if any New York location can be called the most influential to the movie, it would be Little Italy in Lower Manhattan, which becomes a character itself in perhaps the more impressive The Godfather Part II. It is the beginning of it all for Don Corleone with the Genco Olive Oil company. Coppola shot the headquarters for the Corleone family business in the center of Little Italy in the Meitz building on 128 Mott Street, a location that now looks a lot more like Chinatown. To all the Godfather enthusiasts, it is more recognizable for being the spot where the Don gets gunned down, sparking Michael Corleone to begin walking the path of the mob boss in taking revenge for the attack on his father’s life. The nearby Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral gets a deserved cameo; it’s where Michael Corleone becomes the official Godfather in the famous baptism scene at the film’s end.

It’s no mistake that Little Italy plays host to these pivotal moments, having been the communal hub for Italian immigrants in the early 1900s– not to mention the impressive history and influence of the Mafia and the real Five Families lurking throughout the streets of Little Italy, including the Morello crime family, Matthew “Matty the Horse” Ianniello—who conducted business from Umberto’s Clam House (which moved from Mulberry to Broome St. before closing in 2011)—and the more recent John Gotti of the Gambino family who operated from the infamous Ravenite Social Club. Much of the Italian influence has left the area, except for the strip along Mulberry Street from Broome to Canal Street. For a taste of the way things once were, stop in for a dessert at Caffe Roma Pastry, followed by a drink next door at 100-year-old Mulberry Street Bar.

The impact of The Godfather on cinema history since its release has been monumental, but what’s obvious is the shining influence that New York—from the historic Five Points to the dangerous Five Families—had on The Godfather. — Nicole Ellul

I Spy: Museyon Guides

admin — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 23:05:11 +0000

Last week we swept the streets of New York City to visit our books in some of our favorite stores. Here are some of the places where you can find them in Manhattan!

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Whitney Museum of American Art

Barnes and Noble 86th Street

Museum of Modern Art

Metropolitan Museum of Art Store, Rockefeller Center

Barnes and Noble, CitiCorp Center

Barnes and Noble, 46th Street

Lower East Side Tenement Museum

McNally Jackson

Shakespeare & Co.

NYU Bookstore (Go Violets!)

The Strand

Barnes & Noble, 17th Street

Spotlight On: Coco Chanel

admin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:30:34 +0000

Coco Chanel and the artist Salvador Dalí

Coco Chanel. Gracefully rolling off the tongue, the name itself exudes a fierce confidence sewed together with a charming grace. Born August 18, 1983, Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel would grow up to revolutionize the fashion industry with her modernist mind, keen fashion sense, belief that women could sport the styles usually found on men, and of course, her little black dress. Chanel’s way to fashion began in a nunnery, where she learned the talent that would propel her forward into the Parisian fashion world: dressmaking. Bold, audacious, and determined, a young Gabrielle landed on the singing stage of bars for officers, who nicknamed her “Coco” short for “coquette” (a flirt) or “coquina” (naughty). One of her officer-lovers and textile mogul, Étienne Balsan landed her a job as a dressmaker and introduced her to Parisian high society, which was all the charismatic Coco needed to begin her industrious career.

She began designing hats at first and as she moved on from her new lover, Englishman Arthur Edward Capel, to the Duke of Westminster, Coco familiarized herself with British public figures, and, most importantly, English tailoring. The stylish and bold dress suit for woman erupted onto the fashion scene followed shortly by the now-legendary perfume, Chanel No. 5. Then, in 1926 came the little black dress, cementing Coco’s infamous status in not only fashion, but in everything chic and glamorous. After a short stint in Hollywood, where she designed clothes for both Katherine Hepburn and Grace Kelly, Coco returned to her beloved Paris and moved into a magnificent apartment located at her headquarters at 31, rue Cambon, while taking a suite at the fabulously elegant Ritz Hotel where she stayed until her death at 87 years old. But before her death, Coco would find herself arrested as a Nazi collaborator, declared on of the richest women in the world, and on top of the fashion world once more during the post-war fashion revival. Sophisticated, determined, brilliant, and as her name suggests, a bit naughty, Coco Chanel’s radiant influence is everywhere, living on in every woman’s spray of perfume, dress suit and little black dress.– Nicole Ellul

Chanel Boutique & Apartment
31 Rue Cambon
75001 Paris, France
+33 1 44 50 66 00 ‎

View Larger Map

The Ritz Hotel
15 Place Vendôme, 75001
Paris, France
+33 1 43 16 30 30 ‎

View Larger Map

See the Sets with On Location Tours

admin — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 20:04:57 +0000

If you’re anything like us, you get a thrill from seeing familiar places on the big and small screens. Then imagine the rush that comes with seeing dozens of your favorite places from film and television all in one action-packed tour! Since 1999, On Location Tours has offered guided sight-seeing bus and walking tours of famous film and television locations — everything from the Ghostbusters firehouse to the famous sandwich shop where Harry wooed Sally, even specialized tours dedicated to all things Sex and the City, Gossip Girl and Sopranos. For a complete list of tour offerings visit www.screentours.com.

Want to see it for yourself? For a chance to win two ticked to the tour of your choice just Tweet your favorite film/TV location to @museyon. We’ll select a winner at random this Friday, Jan. 20. Good luck!

Spotlight On: The Galeries Lafayette

admin — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 20:55:24 +0000

From Marie Antoinette’s powdered wig to Coco Chanel’s little black dress, Paris has always been the hub of fashion. The Parisian fashion world—the pinnacle for fashion designers, models and anyone interested in what colors are a must-have for fall—has dominated in all things couture. So, in 1893 when a pair of entrepreneurs decided to open up a fashion store at the heart of the fashion industry, the outcome would be one of the world’s premier department stores with the same mythical wonderment and glamorous awe to rival London’s iconic Harrods and New York’s Saks Fifth Avenue.

The Galeries Lafayette began as a little shop on the corner of rue La Fayette and rue de la Chaussee d’ Antin, then grew with the purchase of the shop’s building and others nearby. Yet, such new and open space tempted the ambitious owners to design a flagship store whose impressive décor would match the artistic reputation of Paris itself. Taking a page from the play book of one Monsieur Gustave Eiffel, the commissioning designer saw the creative and glamorous possibilities in manipulating cast iron and set to work on creating an astonishing 10 story cylindrical space topped by a dome of gorgeous colored glass and steel. Amongst its now 96 departments, which range from haberdashery to travel items, is a hair salon, a café and a library, and it includes jaw-dropping views of its designer’s main source of inspiration, the Eiffel Tower—no purchase necessary. –Nicole Ellul

The Galeries Lafayette
40, boulevard Haussmann
75009 PARIS
+ 01 42 82 34 56

View Larger Map

Hemingway’s Paris

admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:17:23 +0000

In the years before WWII, Paris was the most exciting place on the planet, drawing some of culture’s most creative minds. In the latest video from Museyon, discover the places where Ernest Hemingway lived, loved and found inspiration in Paris, France. See the places he and other members of the Lost Generation (F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein) hung out, then visit those places today.

Spotlight On: The Moulin Rouge

admin — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 19:31:31 +0000

The Moulin Rouge, or Red Windmill, is as famous as its counterparts the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum. Made immortal through literature, cinema, and of course, song, this popular cabaret opened for business in 1889 and forever revolutionized the meaning of the word “soiree.”

Better known by it French name, the Moulin Rouge–or “ The First Palace of Women” as its owners Charles Zidler and Joseph Oller often referred to it–was a club exclusively for men, with its voluptuous courtesans delivering suggestive song and dance numbers, including the wonderfully raunchy can-can. With a large windmill adorning the top and a plaster elephant holding a number of private rooms at the rear of the building, the grand cabaret was a sight to behold, tempting men to peek inside and become enamored with the grand flamboyancy of beautiful women dressed in stunning costumes swaying seductively to the musing radiating within its walls. Yet many of these curious men found the sensual spectacle of the Moulin Rouge addictive, such as the famous painter, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec who had a permanent seat reserved at the cabaret. Eventually, the notorious vulgarity of the happenings inside the Moulin Rouge sparked a public outcry that led to the cabaret’s transition from little more than a brothel to an exclusive performing hall for the upper class (who had deep and generous pockets).

Today, the Moulin Rouge is an expensive restaurant/cabaret and its red windmill still stands strong among the neighboring Parisian buildings, drawing both male and female tourists eager to catch remnants of the cabaret’s infamous aura. Although much has changed from 1889 to now, the Moulin Rouge has ensured one constant to be ever present: the can-can. –Nicole Ellul

Moulin Rouge
82, boulevard de Clichy
75018 Paris, France
+ 33 01 53 09 82 82

View Larger Map

Introducing: Chronicles of Old Paris

admin — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:55:03 +0000

It’s a new year and here at Museyon, we’ve got lots of news to be excited about. First off, our newest title, Chronicles of Old Paris: Exploring the Historic City of Light by John Baxter. The third title in our “Chronicles” series of historical guidebooks, this book reveals the dramatic 2,000-year history of one of the world’s most beautiful cities–from the headless walk to Saint Denis to the séances of the Surrealists. Join us as we follow in the footsteps of Marie Antoinette, Napoleon, Toulouse-Lautrec, Ernest Hemingway and many, many more.

For more juicy stories from Paris history pick up a copy of Chronicles of Old Paris and stay tuned to museyon.com for more stories from the City of Lights!

French Cuisine, Classic and Extreme

admin — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 19:01:49 +0000

The French are known for their delectable cuisine along with the passion and creativity their talented chefs display in every morsel of their food, and Allard is no exception. However before the Allard opened it doors, the city’s restaurants had to endure the siege of Paris by the Prussians in 1870 and the unavailability of meat. It was at this time that one Parisian restaurant and its cook took the creativity and ingenuity of French cooking to the extreme—a very large extreme.

For five months the siege of 1870 dragged on, cutting off the Parisians and visitors from the outside world with balloons and pigeons as the sole means of communication. But with the price of food soaring and meat, such as pork, beef, and mutton running out, Parisians feasted their eyes on their messenger carriers to fill their empty stomachs. Soon pigeons ran out too, and butchers began suggesting another type of animal to quench the Parisian appetite for meat at a time when meat was scarce. And so, horse soared to the top of the menu, with approximately 70,000 horses consumed during this difficult time. Noticing the large appetite Parisians had for horse, Chef Alexandre-Etienne Choron of the prestigious Parisian restaurant, Voisin’s, understood the art of food experimentation and was willing to provide, for his more refined guests, a menu more exotic than cat, dog or even horse. The issue for Choron however, was not how to prepare the exotic meat in an edible and tasty dish, but how to acquire the animals. Then, in December of that year, the Paris zoo announced that no longer would it be able to feed its animals. The zoo decided, reluctantly, that its animals would therefore be available for sale as . . . livestock. A delighted Choron found his animals.

Deer, antelope, bear and yak sold quickly. Yet not all the zoo animals were sold: a hippopotamus couldn’t find a buyer, monkeys were considered to human-like to be eaten, and no one had the courage required to get close enough to kill the lions and tigers. But there was one animal just exotic enough and less dangerous to kill than a tiger that provided, in the mind of Choron, a perfect and hopefully tasty challenge to fill the demands of his critical clientele: elephant. On Christmas day, Choron had outdone himself, providing the guests of the Voisin’s a legendary menu that included an appetizer of stuffed donkey head, elephant soup, kangaroo stew, cat flanked by rats, and for dessert, rice pudding with preserves. Having developed a taste for the creature, the guests at Voisin’s ate Choron out of his famous elephant dishes. When the siege finally ended in January, pork beef and mutton were reintroduced into the city that creatively found a way to survive without these less exotic forms of meat. And so 1870 became less known for the year of the Prussian siege, but the year the French chefs proved their reputation as masters of the kitchen and introduced pigeon, horse and, of course, elephant onto the French menu—most likely served in a savory red wine sauce.

Though Voisin’s closed in 1930, the legendary Allard, which survives in area of the former restaurant that once dared to serve elephant trunk and roasted camel, maintains the discreet 19th century ambiance of Voisin’s. –Nicole Ellul

Allard
41 Rue Saint-André des Arts
75006 Paris, France
+33 1 43 26 48 23 ‎

View Larger Map