Hamilton exhibit in Flushing

Although he constantly stares at people from the face of the $10 bill, not many people know the numerous ways that Alexander Hamilton, a founding father of the United States, economist and lawyer, contributed to America’s development.
However, the public can now learn all the details about Hamilton’s life at an ongoing photo exhibit entitled “Alexander Hamilton: The Man Who Made Modern America.” The free exhibit will be on display inside the Queens Library in Flushing, which is located at 41-17 Main Street, through October 3.
The exhibition features photos of letters Hamilton wrote, guns he used in battles and notes he scribbled while drafting the Federalist Papers - essays explaining to the public the need for a U.S. Constitution, according to Susan Brandehoff, program director at the American Library Association, which is involved in the exhibit’s organization.
The photos capture all periods of Hamilton’s life, beginning with his poverty-ridden childhood in the Caribbean in the 1760s through his death in 1804 during a duel with Aaron Burr, Brandehoff said.
“Being an immigrant child, Hamilton’s story is so relevant to the population of Queens,” said Joanne King, associate director of marketing and communications at Queens Library. “[This] exhibit is of great interest to anybody who wants to see what the American Dream can provide to somebody with drive and talent.”
Hamilton’s numerous contributions to the country’s development include serving as a special aide to General George Washington during the American Revolution, creating a single type of currency for all U.S. states as well as founding The Bank of New York during his tenure as the country’s first Secretary of the Treasury.
This photo exhibit travels around the country to educate people about Hamilton’s role in U.S. affairs and its next location is Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, NJ.
The New York Historical Society, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and the American Library Association organized the exhibit, which has been made possible in part through a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
It is based on the New York Historical Society’s exhibition commemorating the 200th anniversary of Hamilton’s death as well as the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Society in 1804.
For more information on the exhibit go to www.alexanderhamiltonexhibition.org or call the Queens Library at 718-990-0700.