The Guggenheim and Museum of Modern Art in New York City have long attracted avid art enthusiasts.
But a lesser-known institution is a must-see for anyone curious about the bumpy business history of the US. Located at 48 Wall Street, on the corner of William Street, the Museum of American Finance is touted as the country's only independent public museum dedicated to "celebrating the spirit of entrepreneurship and the democratic free-market tradition, which has made New York City the financial capital of the world".
The museum, which is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and says its founding was "inspired" by the stock market crash of 1987, is running a special exhibition called Checks & Balances: Presidents and American Finance.
It includes some interesting historical artefacts, including a bond issued to-and signed by George Washington, the president who struggled with national debt following the Revolutionary War.
Woodrow Wilson, meanwhile, who became president in 1913, had to find ways to fund the First World War. His image graces the front of a US$100,000 (Dh367,320), gold banknote specimen on display in the exhibition.
Some of Wilson's challenges eerily echo today's debate raging in Congress. His Democrat base opposed taxes, because they fell disproportionately on lower-income Americans. Bonds were also unpopular at the time because they unduly benefited wealthier citizens, who could afford to buy more and collect more interest.
Republicans, at that time, argued it was unfair to tax the affluent too heavily. The museum's instalment focuses not only on the fiscal challenges former presidents ran into, but spotlights their personal approaches alongside those of important Treasury secretaries.
It also tracks significant financial markets, such as how much different leaders were paid, as well the introduction of the consumer price index.
Running through November, US election month this year, the exhibition seeks to "create a dialogue between the nation's financial past and the present," says Robert Wright, a financial historian who guest curated the installation.
