Join us for a special guided visit to The James B. Duke House, a landmark Fifth Avenue town home built in 1912 by Horace Trumbauer and his chief designer, Julian Francis Abele, who modeled the design on the Château Labottière, an 18th century hôtel particulier in Bordeaux. The mansion has been home to the Institute of Fine Arts of New York University since 1958, a gift of Nanaline and Doris Duke, and its interior was remodeled for its new academic use by the architect Robert Venturi that same year.

The tour will be led by art historian and curator Daniella Berman, an editor of the new book Duke House and the Making of Modern New York: Lives and Afterlives of a Fifth Avenue Mansion (Brill, 2023). This new edited volume, recipient of a FRIENDS 2023 Annual Award, places Duke House within its historic and cultural context, tracing the architectural development of Fifth Avenue at the turn of the 20th century and the broader societal transformations that shaped it, and the ways in which we interpret and understand this urban history today.

Please note that this is a walking tour through the building. Although there is an elevator, the stairs will be used for much of the tour to point out significant architectural elements. Those with accessibility needs or questions are invited to be in touch with Nuha Ansari (nansari@friends-ues.org) in advance of registering. Participation is limited to 10 people per tour so please sign up early. Tours will start promptly at the stated times. Register below.