1899 book cover for Ancient Legends of Ireland by Lady Wilde showing a simple artwork depicting a river valley with the sun rising or setting.

Lady Jane Wilde (1821–1896). Cover of Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms & Superstitions of Ireland. London: Chatto & Windus, 1899. Rare Books Collection, Princeton University Library, Gift of Leonard L. Milberg '53 in honor of Robert Fagles

Irish Literature: History & Myth Since 1798

September 18, 2026 - January 17, 2027

Explore how Irish literature provides a model for why art matters in times of crisis and how it functions as an agent of political transformation.

Location

2nd floor, Luman Reed Galleries

Irish literature has long flourished and circulated beyond the confines of the small island. Irish poems, plays, and fiction have been instrumental in conjuring and shaping Ireland as a nation and created possibilities for meaningful change. Featuring highlights from the collections of Leonard L. Milberg, Irish Literature: History & Myth Since 1798 explores how Irish literature provides a model for why art matters in times of crisis, how it functions as an agent of political transformation, and what power it holds to craft alternative historical trajectories.

Irish writers—based in Ireland and across the diaspora—turn to mythmaking as they wrestle with questions of exile, national belonging, and identity. The exhibition celebrates how such writing plays an integral role in the formation of ideas about Irish history, myth, nationhood, and cultural renewal. Emphasizing formal and aesthetic literary experimentation, Irish Literature: History & Myth Since 1798 features more than 135 rare books, manuscripts, broad sheets, playbills, drawings, prints, and illustrations. Curated by Renée Fox, PhD; Greg Londe, PhD; and Anne Lessy, assistant curator of history exhibitions and academic engagement at The New York Historical

Exhibitions at The New York Historical are made possible by the Saunders Trust for American History, the Evelyn & Seymour Neuman Fund, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. WNET is the media sponsor.