Now on
Cottage Industry: The Val-Kill Furniture Shop
18 Jul 2026 — 9 May 2027 at Metropolitan Museum of Art
· New York City
Cottage Industry: The Val-Kill Furniture Shop tells the story of a remarkable experiment in American craft and social enterprise. Founded in the 1920s by Eleanor Roosevelt and her associates, Val-Kill Industries operated a small furniture workshop on the grounds of the Hyde Park estate in New York, producing hand-crafted reproductions of Early American furniture.
The shop was conceived not merely as a commercial venture but as a means of providing sustainable livelihoods for local rural workers during a period of economic hardship. It reflected Eleanor Roosevelt's deep commitment to social reform, community development, and the dignity of labor.
This exhibition examines the history, products, and legacy of the Val-Kill Furniture Shop, showcasing surviving pieces, archival photographs, and documents that illuminate both the craft traditions and the progressive ideals that drove the enterprise.
The shop was conceived not merely as a commercial venture but as a means of providing sustainable livelihoods for local rural workers during a period of economic hardship. It reflected Eleanor Roosevelt's deep commitment to social reform, community development, and the dignity of labor.
This exhibition examines the history, products, and legacy of the Val-Kill Furniture Shop, showcasing surviving pieces, archival photographs, and documents that illuminate both the craft traditions and the progressive ideals that drove the enterprise.
About the venue
Metropolitan Museum of Art
· New York City
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the fourth-largest museum in the world and the largest art museum in the Americas. With 5,727,258 visitors in fiscal year 2025, it was the most-visited museum in…
