The skilled craftsmen of New York founded The General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen in 1785, and the organization's history is aligned with the city's physical and cultural development. In 1820, The Society founded its library. It began a lecture series in 1837 and opened the Mechanics Institute in 1858 to provide free education in the trades. Prominent New York members included Andrew Carnegie, Peter Cooper, Abram S. Hewitt and Duncan Phyfe. The Society's educational programs continue to improve the lives of New Yorkers while fostering an innovative and inventive spirit. Historian Polly Guérin presents the distinguished history of this essential New York institution.
Polly Guerin is a former adjunct professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology and the author of one book, four textbooks and two video productions. Her features on art, antiques and design have appeared in several publications. She is a board member of the American Revolutionary Round Table, the Giulio Gari Foundation, the Art Deco Society of New York (ADSNY), and is a member of the Silurians, the Victorian, Browning and World Ship Societies and the Navy League. Visit her online, www.pollytalk.com