Andrew Carnegie: Forging Philanthropy

On view April 10 - October 20, 2012

The Museum’s exhibit on industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie featured objects and documents from the Museum’s collection, as well as from the Andrew Carnegie Birthplace Museum and the Carnegie Corporation of New York Archives at Columbia University’s Rare Book and Manuscript Library. Highlights included George Soros’s Carnegie Medal for philanthropy, a $100,000 US Steel gold bond certificate issued to Carnegie for part of the sale of Carnegie Steel to JP Morgan and the two-sided American/Scottish flag that flew at Carnegie’s Scotland estate, Skibo Castle.

Portrait of Andrew Carnegie, circa 1913. Courtesy of the Library of Congress. Portrait of Andrew Carnegie, circa 1913. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.
$100,000 bond issued to Andrew Carnegie in 1901 when US Steel was formed as one of J.P. Morgan's outstanding corporate deals. Collection of the Museum of American Finance.
“Andrew Carnegie: Forging Philanthropy” exhibit, with Skibo Castle flag in the foreground.
“Andrew Carnegie: Forging Philanthropy” exhibit gallery.
Carnegie Medal for Philanthropy presented to George Soros in 2001. Courtesy of George Soros.
Flag from Carnegie’s Scotland estate, Skibo Castle, with stars and stripes on one side and Union Jack on the other. Courtesy of the Andrew Carnegie Birthplace Museum.
Tin Rolodex cards used by Carnegie’s Home Trust to distribute money and pay pensions to organizations, members, friends and public figures. Courtesy of the Carnegie Corp. of NY Records, Columbia University Rare Book and Manuscript Library.