Cottage Industry: The Val-Kill Furniture Shop
18 Jul 2026 — 9 May 2027 at The Met Fifth Avenue
· New York
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
The Met Fifth Avenue
· New York
The Met Fifth Avenue is the primary museum building for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The building is located at 1000 Fifth Avenue, along the Museum Mile on the eastern edge of Central Park in Manhattan's Upper East Side.
