NEW YORK, NY.- This summer, the New-York Historical Society celebrates the feisty charm and audacious spirit of Eloise, who continues to be a picture book superstar more than 60 years after her debut. On view June 30 – October 9, 2017, Eloise at the Museum reveals the creative collaboration between cabaret star Kay Thompson (1909–1998) and the young illustrator Hilary Knight (b. 1926) that brought the precocious character to life. The exhibition showcases more than 75 objects, ranging from original manuscript pages to sketchbooks, portraits, photographs, and vintage dolls. Organized by The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, MA, where it debuted earlier this year, New-York Historical’s presentation fully immerses visitors into Eloise’s world with evocations of the grand lobby of the Plaza Hotel, her bedroom―complete with a storytelling corner―and her bubbly “bawthroom,” where she often made mischief.

“We are thrilled to celebrate Eloise with this special exhibition, as she is a true New York character through and through,” said Dr. Louise Mirrer, president and CEO of the New-York Historical Society. “Whether she is exploring the nooks and crannies of the iconic Plaza Hotel or adventuring across the globe, Eloise’s indomitable spirit is an inspiration to New Yorkers young and old, and the story of her creation and her lasting impact on pop culture are equally fascinating.”

Curated at The Carle by Jane Bayard Curley, the exhibition at New-York Historical is overseen by Assistant Curator of Material Culture Rebecca Klassen and includes rarely seen artworks from Hilary Knight’s archive, such as his 1954 trial drawings for the first Eloise book, an Eloise in Paris sketchbook featuring Eloise’s visit to the atelier of Christian Dior, and a magnificent suite of final art from Eloise in Moscow.

Select works on view show the evolution of beloved figures like Eloise’s dog Weenie, whose appearance changed dramatically from an early 1955 sketch by Knight titled “I Have a Dog Who Looks Like a Cat.” Weenie was redesigned to more closely resemble Thompson’s favorite dog breed, the pug, but the essence of Knight’s vision remains from the sketch to the final iteration: Eloise and Weenie wearing matching sunglasses. An unpublished color drawing of the Plaza Hotel lobby captures its grand chandelier, marble pillars, and glamorous “ladies who lunch,” as well as Eloise slumped in a chair.

Eloise’s exuberance is on display in unpublished 1957 illustrations from Eloise in Paris, as she rides into town like a conquering hero atop a luggage-laden car, learning French by singing out “Fromage is cheese ‘n fish is pois-son ‘n boats is les bat-eaux!” Also on view are Knight’s final illustrations from Eloise in Moscow, published in 1959 at the height of the Cold War, featuring scenes of Eloise dancing with pigeons and on the stage of the Bolshoi Theatre.

Another exhibition highlight is Knight’s original 1956 painting of Eloise, which vanished from the Plaza Hotel in November 1960, prompting headlines of “Eloise kidnapped!” Two years later, Knight received an anonymous call that the artwork could be found ripped to pieces in a trashcan; devastated, he put the ruined painting in a closet. In 1993, Thompson told a reporter that that she had “found” the painting in the trash herself, fueling further speculation that she staged its disappearance as a media moment. The original painting returns to public view in Eloise at the Museum after over three months of restoration work undertaken by Lansing Moore and the team from the Center Art Studio.

Eloise at the Museum also charts the careers of her two creators, from Thompson’s rise in the entertainment industry to Knight’s early artistic influences and later works. In addition, the exhibition looks at Eloise’s life outside of the books, featuring related merchandise created throughout the years, including dolls and doll outfits; a line of girl’s clothes; a 1957-58 children’s menu from the Plaza Hotel, where Eloise-themed tea-times continue today; and an Eloise Emergency Hotel Kit, complete with bubble gum, a red crayon, and turtle food, in honor of her pet turtle Skipperdee.

A kid-friendly audio guide narrated by illustrator and Eloise admirer Joan Avillez and hotel house phones that can be picked up to hear actress Bernadette Peters read excerpts from the books round out the visitor experience.