The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum

Grand & Standing: Iconic 19th Century NYC Hotels
2024-04-14 14:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Stepping Stones Museum, 303 West Avenue, Norwalk, CT, 06850, United States
Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum will kick-off its 2024 Lecture Series with “Grand & Standing: Iconic 19th Century Hotels” featuring Deidre Dinnigan, a renowned archivist who has worked for the Waldorf Astoria and Plaza Hotels as well as with prominent New York City institutions and collections that reflect centuries of the city’s culture and change. The Museum’s lecture committee is chaired by Trustee Kathy Olsen. The lecture will be held at Stepping Stones Museum for Children’s Multimedia Gallery, 303 West Ave., Norwalk, CT. Admission is $15 for members, $20 for non-members. Light refreshments will be offered following the presentation.
The Plaza Hotel, 1890-1905, courtesy of New York Public Library’s digital collection.
A uniquely American invention, the Luxury Hotel saw unparalleled growth and use in New York City, the most cosmopolitan of 19th Century American cities. In her lecture, Deidre Dinnigan will discuss the growth of hotels in 19thcentury NYC, the emergence of the luxury brand, and how those still standing were able to achieve and maintain iconic status. Leveraging her work as Archivist of two of NYC’s most iconic hotels: The Waldorf Astoria and The Fairmont Plaza, she will discuss the elements that kept them viable, and helped to solidify them in the public psyche. Along the way, she will share archival facts and images, and captivating hotel stories.

The Waldorf Astoria, 1980-1929, courtesy of New York Public Library’s digital collection.
Deidre Dinnigan is a member of the Society of American Archivists (SAA), the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference (MARAC), and a longstanding member of the Archivist Round Table (ART). Deidre has served on the ART Board of Directors as Vice President (2018); President (2019); and Director of Programming (2021-2023). She holds a Masters of Arts from New York University and a Masters in Libraries and Information Science (with a specialization in Archives and Special Collections) from The Pratt Institute. Deidre is the Owner/CEO of ForKeeps Inc. which provides a range of heritage services to institutions and private clients. Since founding her company in 2016, Deidre has worked with a diverse clientele from both the profit and nonprofit sectors including hotels, hospitals, theaters, churches, restaurants, and academic institutions to help them harness, safeguard, and share their histories.
LMMM’s 2024 programs are made possible in part by LMMM’s Founding Patrons: The Estate of Mrs. Cynthia Clark Brown; LMMM’s Leadership Patrons: The Sealark Foundation; and LMMM’s 2024 Season Distinguished Benefactors: The City of Norwalk, The Maurice Goodman Foundation, and Lockwood-Mathews Foundation, Inc.
For more information on tours and programs, please visit www.lockwoodmathewsmansion.com, email info@lockwoodmathewsmansion.com, or call 203-838-9799.
