Research Paper on:
Metropolitan Museum of Art and a Virtual Tour of the American Wing

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the imagination of the reader in order to conjure the "feel" of a different era. The historians might write that America is a nation of immigrants who brought with them  to the shores of North America an eclectic cultural heritage. However, by visiting a museum, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, one can  actually see this heritage for themselves. The collection of American decorative arts at the Metropolitan Museum of Art ranges in items from the late seventeenth century to the early twentieth  century and encompasses roughly 12,000 examples of such items as furniture, silver, glass, pewter, ceramics and textiles.1 In the American wing of the museum, one can see objects that  were manufactured early in the colonial era. In these objects one can see how colonial artisans faithfully endeavored to reproduce objects that they might have had to leave behind in  their country of origin2. In other words, the styles of these pieces represent, in large part, reflect the styles that people were used to from the Old World.  Scottish immigrant Duncan Phyfe, for example, designed and built furniture in New York City from 1792-1847.3 A graceful, rounded sofa in pale blue is part of the collection. Other items  represent American copies of European styles from Holland, France, and England. The craftsmanship on these pieces is excellent. They seem to say that American craftsmen rival those of their country  of origin. However, these early pieces are not, as yet, distinctly American. Over the next two centuries, American craftsmen assimilated trends and techniques from across the Atlantic, but, also,  the holdings on display in the museum also reflect that many original voices in American decorative arts also evolved. For example, the stained glass collection at the Metropolitan begins in