On October 21, 1959, thousands of people lined up to visit the newly built Guggenheim Museum on its debut day. Its insides held untold riches, its outside shaped like a strange, white mass of circles.

Upon retirement in the 1930s, Solomon R. Guggenheim began collecting modern art, slowly amassing a collection that he wished to display. In 1939, his dream began to come true, and he showed his collection publicly, from a car showroom in New York. As Guggenheim collected more pieces, his collection no longer fit in the showroom, and he had to look for larger space.

In 1943 Guggenheim contracted famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright to design an art museum that he referred to as a “temple of spirit.” His goal was to build a place that would allow people to see and appreciate art in a different way.

For the next 16 years, the museum was designed and built, opening a mere six months after Guggenheim’s death. Visitors flocked to the doors not only for the riches within, but to get a look at the building that they saw as art itself: one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s greatest designs.

Today, the Guggenheim is a New York landmark and one of the most famous art museums in history. As you walk through, room flowing into room, you are surrounded by art all around you, truly creating the new experience that embodied Guggenheim and Wright’s vision.

(Photo via flickr cc)

The exhibition will be unveiled on September 18, 2007 and be on display in the museum’s Special Exhibition Galleries through January 6, 2008.

This collection is the finest in Dutch art outside of Europe. It includes 20 works by Rembrandt himself and a total of 228 masterpieces in all.

The artwork, dating between 1600 and 1700, offers landscapes, still lifes, portraits and historical and biblical paintings. Dutch artists such as Frans Hals, Johannes Vermeer, Gerard ter Borch and several other masters are featured in the exhibition.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is located at 1000 Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street in New York. The museum is open 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m, Sunday through Thursday (except Monday, when it’s closed). It is open late on Friday and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Suggested admission prices are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors, $10 for students and free for children under 12.

To learn more about The Met, please visit MetMuseum.org or call (212) 535-7710.

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In 1937, Me and My Girl began its performance run at the Victoria Palace Theater in London. Written by Douglas Furber with music by Noel Gay, the musical comedy began its performance life with little renown. However, after a matinee performance was broadcast live on BBC radio, popularity rose and Me and My Girl became a runaway success. On August 10, 1986, Me and My Girl made its way across the pond to play on Broadway at New York City’s Marquis Theater. It ran for an incredible 1420 performances before its final curtain call on December 31, 1989. A revised script, written by Britain’s Stephen Fry (the voice of Harry Potter audiobooks), updated the story of Bill, a cockney man who learns that he is the lucky 14th heir to the Earl of Hareford, entitling him to a considerable fortune. The catch? He will only receive his inheritance if he can prove to Sir John and the Duchess that he is worthy.

Hilarity ensues throughout the musical as Bill is groomed to become the 17th Baron and 8th Viscount to the Baronetcy of Hareford. Me and My Girl has a long history of success and popularity in pop culture. “The Lambeth Walk,” the show’s most well-known song, headlines a show-stopping walking dance down a generic street in the Lambeth area of London, England. As if to highlight its place in history, “the Lambeth Walk” has the significant distinction of being the only song to ever be the the subject of a headline in The Times. In October 1938, the United Kingdom newspaper, in existence since 1788, published a headline reading “While dictators rage and statesmen talk, all Europe dances – to the Lambeth Walk.” Such a popular musical will never die, and last September, the curtain was raised once more on Me and My Girl as it began its 2006 U.K. tour. Though these performances have since ended, this surely will not be the last we see of this musical.

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