Valentine's manual of the city of New York 1917-1918

([New York] :  Old Colony Press,  c1918.)

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The Hispanic Society of America

On an elevation overlooking the Hudson, just where
Riverside Drive makes a graceful curve as if to spare
"Minniesland," the old home of Audubon, the great
naturalist (which we have also described), stands the
classic home of the Hispanic Society of America, which
is devoted to the advancement of Spanish literature,
art and history. The entrance proper is on Broadway
between One Hundred and Fifty-fifth and One Hundred
and Fifty-sixth Streets and the nearest station is at
One Hundred and Fifty-seventh Street. The Hispanic
Society is thus conveniently reached, and the stranger
who decides to spend an hour or two within its walls
will have visited one of the most remarkable institutions
not only in New York, but in the world as well. In
fact, the Hispanic Society probably is better known in
foreign countries than it is at home, though in recent
years its local fame has greatly increased, partly by
reason of the splendid exhibitions of Spanish art which
it has given from time to time. Its late exhibition of
Spanish tapestries is a case in point. Lovers of art
were thus enabled to use the best examples of the most
famous Spanish creations in this ancient art, and our
country thus received the benefit. The lately increased
interest in Spanish America has also given the society
an added importance that is rapidly growing as its
usefulness becomes more widely known.

The collections of the society, though small, are
of exquisite quality. No attempt has been made to
include the varying grades of certain illustrative originals,
the idea being to limit the exhibits to the very best
specimen obtainable in each class, and also one other
that might be described as generally typical. In this
manner the society has gathered examples of wood
carving, silver work, ivory plaques and combs of Phoeni¬
cian origin, Hispano-Moresque plaques, neolithic and
Roman pottery, Buen-Retiro ware, azulejos or glazed

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