After 220 years of existence, New-York Historical Society is changing its name to the New York Historical, and will christen a new wing devoted to American democracy after H.M. Agnes Hsu-Tang and Oscar L. Tang, in honor of their $20 million gift, the museum announced on Sunday.
The name change — which becomes effective on Tuesday — is intended to distinguish the museum from the many other historical societies around the country, but also to be more welcoming, given that “society” in a title “has a bit of a highfalutin’ vibe,” said Ken Weine, the museum’s senior vice president and chief content officer.
Weine acknowledged that “the New York Historical” doesn’t necessarily make grammatical sense, but he likened it to the former Apple marketing campaign, “Think different.”
“Brands can take a little bit of license,” Weine said. “We will officially be known as the New York Historical, but the shorthand can be, ‘Hey, I’ll see you at the Historical.’ That could be a name that we fall upon years down the road.”
The new Tang Wing for American Democracy, designed by Robert A.M. Stern, is under construction and will open in 2026, which the museum notes will coincide with the nation’s 250th anniversary.
The Tangs, who are married, also recently made significant contributions to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and to the New York Philharmonic. Hsu-Tang is an archaeologist and historian of ancient art. (Her husband is a financier.)
