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FALL/WINTER 2019
NEW EXHIBIT NAV Y CAKES: A SLICE OF HISTORY
INTREPID ADVANCEMENTS
05 AIRCRAF T RESTORATION SPOTLIGHT
INAUGURAL VETERANS JOB AND RESOURCE FAIR
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INTERPRETING HISTORY AND TECHNOLOGY, PAST AND FUTURE I have the privilege of leading the talented teams that conduct programs for the many audiences we welcome throughout the year. The teams produce formal education programs for teachers, informal education programs for youth, teens and family on site and at locations throughout the five boroughs, and public programs that include many free events such as our popular Astronomy Night series. Where else but at the Intrepid Museum can you encounter space scientists and astronauts for an evening of conversation and star gazing in the most stunning location in the city—on a flight deck overlooking the Hudson River?
DOUBLE THE IMPACT OF YOUR GIFT! Many companies offer a matching gift program to encourage philanthropy among their employees. Visit doublethedonation.com/ intrepidmuseum to find out if your employer matches charitable contributions. If you have any questions, please contact Alice Stryker at astryker@ intrepidmuseum.org or 646-381-5279.
During the first half of this year, the Museum’s exhibits and programs teams designed projects to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing. Events presented both on site and at libraries and community sites connected participants to the transformative nature of this human space mission and encouraged all to consider what might be next as NASA forges public/private partnerships to return to the Moon and pursue the goal of exploring Mars. Our education team debuted a new experience, titled On the Wings of New York, staged in our pop-up planetarium. This immersive dome experience shines the spotlight on some lesserknown New York-based engineers and pilots who helped to advance aviation technology and create the technological marvels that turned the tide of World War II. You can read more about this new program later in this issue. Our curators, exhibit designers, fabricators and collections teams develop exhibits celebrating history, technology and innovation through the lens of the Intrepid experience. We incorporate personal stories of crewmembers, astronauts and scientists to humanize what may seem like unfamiliar and otherworldly experiences. And always, we illustrate why these stories are relevant in the twenty-first century. This autumn we are producing a playful exhibit entitled Navy Cakes: A Slice of History drawn from original artifacts including recipe cards, photographs and oral histories contributed by Intrepid and Growler former crew members and their families. This exhibit will reveal how cakes were—and are—an important part of Naval celebrations. They also represent the hard work of commissarymen—the sailors responsible for food preparation—and provide a glimpse into what life and work was like on board Intrepid and Growler. Navy Cakes: A Slice of History is on view through September 2020 and we hope you will have a chance to visit the Museum to experience this special exhibition. The collections that we steward include thousands of original artifacts, hundreds of oral histories with former crew members and dozens of historic aircraft. These collections are the core ingredients of all that we do. Thank you for your investment in our exhibits and programs that instill curiosity and wonder.
Elaine Charnov Senior Vice President of Exhibits, Education & Programming
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UPCOMING EVENTS AND PROGRAMS
PHOTO: Erika Kapin
Astronomy Night
INNOVATORS To Brooklyn and Beyond: New Lab in Space October 18, 7:30pm Meet visionary founders of companies based in the Brooklyn tech hub New Lab, who are helping to turn the borough into one of the nation’s leaders in the innovation economy. Beer and wine available for purchase with valid ID. Free. 21+. Register in advance.
MILITARY FAMILY PROGRAM Navigation: Finding Your Way November 3, 12:30–3:00pm Ships, planes, submarines and even space shuttles use navigation to find their way. Step into a pop-up planetarium to learn how people navigated in the past and how we find our way today. For military families and their children, ages 3–18. Free. Register in advance.
FREE FRIDAYS October 25, 5:00–9:00pm Explore the Museum and enjoy a variety of free after-hours programming including an educator-led pop-up planetarium show and a special Astronomy Night with telescopes for viewing the night sky! Learn more: IntrepidMuseum.org/FreeFridays
INNOVATORS November 8 Hear from NASA’s Steven González, who will discuss NASA innovations we take for granted every day and how NASA continues to share technology with the world. Beer and wine available for purchase with valid ID. Ages 21+. Register in advance.
ASTRONOMY NIGHT October 25, 5:00–9:00pm Celebrate Halloween and learn about the spookiest planets in the universe from American Museum of Natural History senior scientist Jackie Faherty. Following the talk, enjoy stargazing on the flight deck (weather permitting). All ages. Advanced registration required. This is part of Free Fridays.
INTREPID PRESENTS November 13 Learn about the search for Earth-like exoplanets in our universe at Intrepid Presents, an evening program and performance series.
OPERATION SLUMBER November 2, 9, 16 & 23 Spend a night aboard Intrepid ! Get exclusive access to the ship and Space Shuttle Pavilion, and sleep among the aircraft, just like enlisted sailors once did. Reserve your spot online.
VETERANS JOB AND RESOURCE FAIR November 15, Noon–6:30pm Join us for the Intrepid Museum's first Veterans Job & Resource Fair. The veteran community will be provided with the professional assistance and developmental resources necessary to find employment, or embark on a new career path. Open to veterans and their spouses. The Veterans Job and Resource Fair is presented by Bank of America.
ACCESS PROGRAM Stories Within: Working Below Deck November 14, 2:00–3:30pm Find out why Intrepid was a "city at sea" and explore where sailors ate, slept and worked to celebrate their important their contributions. For individuals with dementia and their care partners. Free. Register in advance. OPERATION SLUMBER December 7 & 14 Spend a night aboard Intrepid ! Get exclusive access to the ship and Space Shuttle Pavilion, and sleep among the aircraft, just like enlisted sailors once did. Reserve your spot online. TO LEARN MORE, VISIT INTREPIDMUSEUM.ORG. Programs are subject to change.
Access Programs are generously supported by The J.E. and Z.B. Butler Foundation, The Barker Welfare Foundation, The Far Fund, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the Joseph Leroy and Ann C. Warner Fund. Veterans Programs are made possible by public funds facilitated by the Councilman Chaim Deutsch, Chair of the Committee on Veterans, in partnership with the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. These programs are also supported by the Craig Newmark Philanthropic Fund. The Intrepid Museum is a private not-for-profit institution. All support helps to fulfill our mission to promote the awareness and understanding of history, science and service through collections, exhibitions and programming, in order to honor our heroes, educate the public and inspire our youth.
FALL/WINTER 2019
NEW EXHIBIT NAV Y CAKES: A SLICE OF HISTORY TO OPEN AT THE MUSEUM
The Museum’s newest special exhibition, Navy Cakes: A Slice of History, opened to the public on October 11 and features photographs, recipes, artifacts, oral histories and other materials from the Museum’s collections. This accessible exhibition uses cakes as a lens to explore the day-to-day experiences of the men who created—and consumed—elaborate confections aboard Intrepid and Growler while the vessels were in service.
Cakes brought together crew members as they celebrated holidays, as well as significant milestones, such as the vessel’s commissioning anniversary and achievements including a high number of arrested landings. Highlights of the exhibition include a massive mixer from Intrepid’s
Navy Cakes: A Slice of History will be on display until September 2020 on Intrepid’s hangar deck. An online version of the exhibition will be available on the Museum’s Google Arts & Culture Page, which will remain live indefinitely. After the exhibition closes, interpretation in Intrepid ’s mess deck will be updated to include information and artifacts about cake baking so future visitors may learn about this beloved aspect of the crew’s life on board. ❙ Navy Cakes: A Slice of History is made possible by a grant from the Navy Supply Corps Foundation. The exhibition has also been made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.
PHOTO: The Collection of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
Cakes were a beloved part of celebrations for both Intrepid’s and Growler’s crews. Each cake reflected the ingenuity and creativity of the ship’s commissarymen, who had the job of creating cakes that, in Intrepid ’s case, could weigh as much as 1,000 pounds and feed 3,000 people.
galleys, representations of the large quantities of ingredients required to create a crew-size cake, Navy recipe cards, a dress white jumper from a commissaryman first class, historic training manuals and the firsthand memories and stories of the crew members that made and ate these unique confections.
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AVIATION HISTORY TAKES FLIGHT AT INTREPID
Museum Educator Elysia Segal as Eleanor Smith
In 2019, the Museum began offering two new education programs exploring aviation history and technology. Both programs offer a chance for visitors to learn about the singular role New Yorkers played in the evolution of aerospace over the course of the twentieth century.
PHOTO:Karen The Collection of the Intrepid Sea,Vitale; Air & Space Museum PHOTO: Obrist; Christin Butler; Eric Mark Grreenberg
In February 2019, the Museum premiered On the Wings of New York, a live, interactive planetarium show. The show underscores the singular contributions in aviation history that took place across New York State, taking viewers on a journey from the earliest efforts at flight through the golden age of aviation, and beyond. The presentation incorporates archival photos,
film footage, animations and the words of the men and women who created and piloted history. This spring, we began offering a special talk on the Hangar 3 Stage featuring a costumed Museum educator performing as Elinor Smith, an early aviation pioneer who flew under all of the bridges connecting Manhattan to Long Island when she was only 17 years old. As Ms. Smith, the Museum educator shares the history of aviation, talks about her own achievements and describes the science behind how aircraft fly. Elysia Segal, who originated the role of Elinor Smith, is a Museum educator and
lead teaching artist. In order to create the character of Ms. Smith, Segal dove into primary sources to research Smith’s life and her famous flight under New York’s East River bridges. She examined several newspaper articles, interviews, Ms. Smith’s autobiography, and family photos. “As a result, the majority of the script consists of her actual words and I feel honored to bring her to life each day for our visitors,” says Segal. Segal’s performance has captivated visitors from all around the world. ❙ On the Wings of New York is made possible in part thanks to the support of the Emil Buehler Perpetual Trust and Northrop Grumman Corporation.
FALL/WINTER 2019
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! There are many ways to get involved at the Museum.
BECOME A VOLUNTEER Interested in volunteering at the Museum? Please contact volunteers@intrepidmuseum.org or 646-381-5058.
AIRCRAF T RESTORATION SPOTLIGHT
HELP OUR COLLECTION GROW Are you interested in donating objects to the Museum’s collection? Please contact collections@intrepidmuseum.org.
CONNECT US WITH FORMER CREW MEMBERS Did you or a family member serve on Intrepid or Growler? Please contact FCM@intrepidmuseum.org or 646-381-5351 to stay connected with fellow crew members and the Museum.
JOIN OUR LEGACY SOCIETY Chart a course for future generations by joining the Museum’s Legacy Society. The Legacy Society recognizes Museum supporters who have included the Museum in their estate plans. If you are interested in learning more about the Legacy Society and planned giving, please call 646-381-5279 or visit intrepidmuseum.org/LegacySociety.
Each year, the Museum’s dedicated aircraft restoration team spends thousands of hours caring for the more than two dozen aircraft in the Museum’s collection. Working in the Museum’s Aircraft Restoration Hangar, located on Intrepid ’s flight deck, the team identifies damage and fabricates replacement parts when an aircraft in the collection shows signs of wear. The team performs everything from routine maintenance and research on the aircraft to major restorations of signature artifacts. On April 26, 2019, the aircraft restoration team proudly unveiled the Museum’s Douglas A-1 Skyraider after conserving the aircraft over a two-year period. The Skyraider is a propeller-driven attack aircraft that was active on Intrepid during the Vietnam War, nearly 20 years after its production began at the end of WWII. The aircraft required extensive corrosion repair and replacement parts, several of which were sourced from the Museum’s own historic collections. The Skyraider is now on display on the flight deck for all visitors to learn from and enjoy.
The restoration of the Skyraider has been generously supported by Travis Patton and Jeff Seese, Thomas and Mary Laraine Hines, Kenneth B. and Tudy Russell, Peter and Mary Rose Weiland, Joseph R. and Geraldine Bracken, Willard and Carolyn Zimmerman, and Mike Skirka. The conservation of the A-12 has been generously supported by Stanley and Karen Hubbard, Bruce Mosler, Virginia Davies and Willard Taylor, Steve and Denise Sultan, Larry Arnold, Robert Lourie, and an anonymous donor.
PHOTO: Tyson Reist
The aircraft restoration team’s next project will be the conservation of our
Lockheed A-12, which was added to our aircraft collection more than 25 years ago. The fastest and most mysterious aircraft at the Museum, the Lockheed A-12 reconnaissance aircraft was the product of Project Oxcart, a top-secret CIA program to develop a supersonic, high-altitude spy plane. The Museum’s A-12 was last used in testing at Area 51 and now plays an essential role in our STEM programming for all ages. Since it has been exposed to the elements on Intrepid ’s flight deck, the A-12 is in need of corrosion mitigation and repainting. The project will take an estimated two years to complete and will be taking place right on Intrepid ’s flight deck. On your next visit, we encourage you to visit the aircraft and witness this impressive restoration project first-hand! ❙
PHOTO: Erika Kapin
INAUGURAL VETERANS JOB AND RESOURCE FAIR AT THE INTREPID MUSEUM
A key aspect of the Museum’s mission is to present a range of programs for active military personnel, veterans and military families. These programs are designed to support our nation’s veterans and service men and women and raise public awareness of the contributions veterans and military personnel make to our communities. Our programs have a nationwide reputation for welcoming veterans of all service eras, from every branch of the military and of all backgrounds. This fall, the Museum will be adding another program to our array of offerings for veterans and military
families with our inaugural Veterans Job and Resource Fair, which will take place on November 15, 2019 and is presented by Bank of America. The Veterans Job and Resource Fair will feature 40 businesses which are all hoping to recruit veterans and military spouses to join their workforces. In addition, the event will include breakout sessions that focus on résumé writing, interviewing and networking skills, and financial wellness to help veterans and military families transition to civilian life. To promote the event, the Museum
06 will partner with our Council of Veteran Advisors and New York City’s Department of Veterans Services. The event will offer a communal space for veterans to connect and highlight the array of resources available for veterans and military families at the Intrepid Museum and throughout the New York metropolitan area. ❙
To learn more and view the full schedule of events visit IntrepidMuseum.org/VetJobFair.
Office of Institutional Advancement One Intrepid Square W. 46th Street & 12th Avenue, New York, NY 10036-4103
NON PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID CENTRAL ISLIP, NY PERMIT NO. 9
On March 23, 1965, helicopters from Intrepid picked up Gemini 3 astronauts John Young and Virgil “Gus” Grissom and their two-person capsule after a three-orbit, five-hour space flight. This image shows the Gemini 3 capsule being hoisted onto Intrepid ’s starboard side aircraft elevator. Intrepid ’s crew crowded onto the flight deck above to greet the two astronauts and watch the capsule recovery.
Collection of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. P00.2013.01.432