Finding 6: Move In and Opening of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

Opened in 1959, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum building was designed by renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Located at 1071 Fifth Avenue, it remains one of the most recognizable structures in the world. Though the core building remains unchanged, the use of its floor space has changed drastically to accommodate the museum’s growth. This contact sheet shows images of staff moving into the building and setting up the museum as Wright intended, with administrative offices located in the Monitor building, which is now known as the Thannhauser Gallery.

Frank Lloyd Wright and James J. Sweeney were often at odds over the use of building’s space and its function. When it opened, the Wright-designed building included Sweeney’s design for hanging artwork on the walls rather than Wright’s vision of free-standing easels. Yet another disagreement was settled after Wright’s death in 1959, when Sweeney brought in an engineering firm to redesign the lighting throughout the building to improve the viewing experience for visitors.

—Pete Asch, archives assistant