For immediate release:

Contact:
Kristin Aguilera
Museum of American Financial History
Communications Director
212-908-4695
kaguilera@financialhistory.org

1,000 CRANES BRING HOPE AND PEACE

Financial District, New York City - Eight weeks after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, a gift of hope and peace arrived at the Museum of American Financial History in Lower Manhattan.

The Museum, an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution located mere blocks from the World Trade Center site, had just recently reopened its doors when the staff received a package from another Smithsonian Affiliate, the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles. The box contained a gift of 1,000 origami cranes carefully constructed and mailed by the museum's staff, volunteers, and visitors as an expression of love and a symbol of solidarity.

"In a gesture of support for those who have suffered as a result of this tragedy, we are creating thousands of Japanese paper-folded cranes. In the Japanese American culture, one thousand cranes is the symbol of best wishes for hope and peace," said Japanese American National Museum Director of Administration John Katagi in a letter enclosed with the gift. "As we look ahead together, may we continue to partner for a future that holds both hope and peace for our cities, our nation and our world."

The cranes are on display at the Museum of American Financial History, located at 26 Broadway.

The Museum, the nation's only independent public museum dedicated to the "American dream" story of opportunity and entrepreneurship in our democratic free market economy, is open to the public Tuesday - Saturday, 10 am - 4 pm. Its current exhibition on J.P. Morgan was curated by biographer Jean Strouse, recently the recipient of the prestigious MacArthur fellowship.