Inside the Merchant's House Museum

The National Arts Club presents an inside look at the Merchant's House Museum in Manhattan. Anthony Bellov, acclaimed for his in-depth knowledge of the house and its collections, explores the Museum in a way no casual visitor ever experiences. He open doors and drawers and explore overlooked features that tell us much about the house, the era, the residents and the servants who made it all possible.
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[@flutelady101]

My daughter moved to Manhattan last year, and we thought it would be fun to go to this museum. By sheer coincidence, I recognized the name--Seabury Treadwell (the Merchant) as being last names of families on my father's side. The Merchant was my g-g-g-g-g uncle!!! This connection made our visit even more special and amazing :)

[@welshblush]

I've watched a few lectures with Mr. Bellov and each time I'm really impressed with his engaging, immersive, candid style. He's a veritable font of knowledge and I would love to watch more of his lectures! I'm totally besotted with the Merchant's House and hope to get there some day. Thanks so much for this great upload!

[@jody6851]

Too bad they didn't talk about the most intriguing aspect of the house: that it is haunted with numerous sightings of apparitions in the house. I visited Merchant's House about twenty years ago for a Member's open house with refreshments when a member -- also an NAC member -- gave me his ticket because he couldn't attend, and the staff was quite open about this. They all say they see ghosts in the house quite often. One staffer who had just been hired a few weeks earlier told me -- totally matter of fact as someone else would talk about the weather -- that within the first three days of her employment she personally saw the ghost of Mrs. Merchant emerge out of a wall, cross the hallway and then simply disappear through the facing wall. The staffer who told me this didn't seem the type to deliberately cook up stories just to garner up membership money. Her account was so clinical and unemotional, that either this staffer missed her calling and should have pursued an acting career -- or become White House press secretary -- or she really did see the ghost of Mrs. Merchant. I've never really believed in ghosts, but the way she recounted her experience, I have no choice but to keep an open mind.

[@anthonybellov4042]

Hi Jody - - - Anthony Bellov here. Thanks for watching and for your comments. There are a plethora of videos available that delve into the reputation of the House being haunted, some of them quite level-headed, others decidedly more sensational. That wasn't the topic of this examination of the House's physical characteristics - which in their own way could be interpreted as "ghosts" - phantoms of days gone by and the way the occupants - Tredwells AND servants - once lived.
I hope you enjoyed the presentation regardless.