The National Design Museum

Joli and I recently visited the The Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in NYC. The exhibition when we were there was called "Made to Scale: Staircase Masterpieces." From the website:

"The models, the majority of them from 19th-century France, represented exercises in technical virtuosity, demanding knowledge of cantilevering, balance, forms of rotation, styles of balusters and other architectural details. In their combination of design, structural, architectural and cabinetry skills, the staircase models and accompanying drawings demonstrate the relationship between formal training, modeling, technical mastery and flights of creative fancy.

But one of the best parts of the visit was the gift shop. I could easily spend a few paychecks in that tiny store.