Renowned for their detailed coverage of history, art, and architecture, the Blue Guides can boast of a pedigree second to none. The series began in 1915 when Muirhead Guide‐Books published Blue Guide London and its Environs. Before the First World War the company had been the publishers of the English editions of the famous German Baedecker guides, thus attracting additional lustre and kudos. In 1933 the guides were acquired by Ernest Benn Ltd although a Muirhead remained with the firm for a further 30 years. Now published by A. & C. Black, 64 Blue Guides are currently in print, mostly European country or city in coverage, but with a number of thematic volumes also on the list, Literary Britain and Ireland, Victorian Architecture in Britain, Country Houses of England, etc. So, this latest title fits neatly into the pattern. Museums and Galleries of New York is a guide to more than 150 museums, galleries (and libraries), historic homes, gardens, and zoos, with a section on commercial art galleries and auction houses, in the five Boroughs comprising New York City: Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island.
Each institution, arranged A‐Z by its title within the five Boroughs, is organized with practical information first, address and telephone number, admission hours, price of entry (this may be discretionary), tour details, with symbols indicating the presence or absence of a restaurant, restroom, gift shop, wheelchair accessibility, together with the nearest bus, ferry or commuter train routes, car parking, and directions by foot. Then, depending on the size, status, purpose, and priorities of the institution concerned, there follow descriptive passages on its history, architecture (often with floor plans), and its permanent collections, their arrangement, and highlights. Naturally, the lengths of entries vary: the Metropolitan Museum of Art occupies almost 80 pages; the New York Public Library: Central Research Library five pages; the Pierpont Morgan Library six pages; and The Alternative Museum (Ahead of the times and Behind the issues) one page.
But bare statistics cannot possibly convey the true flavour of this well produced guide which, besides its usefulness to the eager culture vulture, footloose and fancy free on the streets of New York, also possesses a far from insignificant reference value for the art library. No doubt information on the city’s internationally famous institutions can easily be found elsewhere, but its wealth of information on many of the lesser known institutions and collections may not be available quite so readily or conveniently. Visitors with limited time available, seeking to satisfy a specialized interest, will be especially well served. Nine single or double page location maps, innumerable illustrations and floor plans, a 14‐page A‐Z thematic “where to find” collection guide, an index of artists represented in permanent collections, and alphabetical and location museum indexes, assist discriminating travellers and reference librarians alike.
