Two new exhibits open at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame opened two new exhibitions to the public on July 14, coinciding with opening day of the Saratoga Race Course summer meeting.
Betting on America: The Immigrant Experience and the Hall of Fame is making its debut in the McBean Gallery, while Jim Raftery: A Turfotos Retrospective (from the collection of Barbara D. Livingston) is exhibited in the von Stade Gallery.
“We’re excited to share these two new exhibits with everyone. I think our visitors will find them both to be memorable experiences they won’t soon forget,” said Cate Masterson, the museum’s director, in a press release. “The Museum staff has been enthusiastic about telling these incredible stories of thoroughbred racing with great attention to detail. We’d like to thank everyone in the industry who helped us with these exhibits, especially Barbara Livingston, without whom this amazing Jim Raftery experience would simply not be possible.”
Betting on America: The Immigrant Experience and the Hall of Fame is an in-depth look at the lives and impact on the sport of the Hall of Fame inductees born outside of the United States. The exhibit features multimedia content, artwork, memorabilia, photography and much more to tell the inspiring stories of the 41 foreign-born members of the Hall of Fame and the 16 Hall of Fame racehorses bred outside the United States.
Jim Raftery: A Turfotos Retrospective, from the collection of Barbara D. Livingston, examines the remarkable career of photographer Jim Raftery, featuring more than 60 iconic images of the racing scene Raftery covered in his unique style for more than half a century. Additional Raftery images will be added throughout the summer to an online gallery on the museum’s website racingmuseum.org.
Two other special exhibitions also opened recently at the museum. The Paintings of Richard Stone Reeves features a selection of original works by the legendary artist from the Museum Collection, including Hall of Fame racehorses Cicada, Exceller, Gallorette, Ruffian, Susan’s Girl and Sword Dancer, among others. This exhibition is located in the museum’s Link Gallery.
Along with Betting on America, the McBean Gallery is featuring the Charles H. Thieriot Collection, a seasonal exhibition featuring several paintings from the masters of British sporting art.
The Edward P. Evans Gallery space allows the museum to highlight more of the treasures from its diverse permanent collection and honor the legacy of Evans and his passion for the sport of thoroughbred racing. Current featured exhibits include Selections from the Edward P. Evans Trophy Collection, The Triple Crown, Selections from the James E. “Sunny Jim” Fitzsimmons Collection, The Legacy of Man o’ War, The Grand National, Tiffany & Co. in the National Museum of Racing Collection, and A Salute to Hollywood Park. New for 2022, Fifty Years Ago is an exhibit highlighting the racing achievements of 1972 and displaying the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes trophies won by Hall of Fame horse Riva Ridge.
More information about the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, including upcoming events, can be found online at www.racingmuseum.org or by calling (518) 584-0400.