How it all began…
Lost in New Haven has a collection ranging from colonial to contemporary. We engage visitors from 1 to 100 years old. The best way to understand the breadth of our collection is to visit!
Lost in New Haven assembles antiques and artifacts that tell the many incredible stories of New Haven, CT. The collection is curated by Founder/Executive Director Robert Greenberg and showcased to the public. Greenberg has been collecting artifacts since he was a child, inspired by his kind-hearted grandfather, Simon Evans, who customized toy vehicles with the hand-painted names of local businesses that were lost during urban renewal. These painted toys were given as gifts to the independent businesses of New Haven or kept as mementos. Simon’s collected toys started as a hobby to honor the New Haven community but soon grew into a vast catalog of New Haven’s late 20th century local economy. Simon Evans’s creativity, spirit, collector’s ingenuity, and love for New Haven inspire Lost in New Haven to this day.
Simon Evans tabling at a local event with his grandson Robert Greenberg, 1980
1962:
First Artifact…
Robert Greenberg collects New Haven artifacts before he can walk. This metal toy truck, painted by the creative hand of his maternal grandfather Simon Evans to honor Greenberg’s paternal grandfather’s family business, Acme Furniture Co., is the first item in Greenberg’s collection. Over the next four decades, Greenberg collects more New Haven artifacts without knowing exactly why. It isn’t until later in life, when he has a close encounter with the “spirit world,” that he realizes he’s got to leave New York City for New Haven and build an epic museum. There’s a lot of time between this first artifact and Lost in New Haven. During this time, Greenberg establishes himself as an artist, designer, historian, collector, and preservationist.
Robert Greenberg with Mayor DiLieto celebrating Greenberg’s winning New Haven 342nd birthday poster design, 1980.
1962-1985
New Haven at heart
A student of the New Haven public school system (Beecher Elementary to Sheridan Middle to R.C. Lee High and ECA), artist Robert Greenberg has always been an active member of the New Haven community. He won the Elm City’s 342nd Birthday poster design contest and the Public Works fleet logo contest. Other artistic contributions include graphic design work for high schools and art for venues like Toad’s Place and The Moon.
Robert Greenberg's design for ECA's tote bag, 1978
Greenberg's design for R.C. Lee High School's arts and literature magazine, 1979
Greenberg’s winning "Paint the Works" Public Works logo featured in The New Haven Register, 1981
Greenberg in front of his newly applied Public Works logo (which lasted over 30 years), 1981
Greenberg’s winning "Paint the Works" Public Works logo featured in The New York Times, 1981
Robert Greenberg's tee-shirt design for The Moon, 1989
Left: An assignment Greenberg received in 1st grade at Beecher Museum School. He credits this handout for inspiring his famous croc art. Right: Greenberg's "Croc on the Moon," painted for The Moon, 1989.
Advocacy
In adulthood, Robert Greenberg’s artistic contributions to New Haven dovetail with his passion for history. From barges to gravestones, Greenberg’s voice for historical preservation is heard throughout the city and beyond.
The New York Times: "An 1850's-Era Oyster Barge Is Saved for Yet Another Life on the East River," by Cory Kilgannon
"Hidden History: The Old Barge," by Samantha Schoenfeld
"Before Makeover, Artists Preserve Winchester Legacy," by David Sepulveda
"Demolition Begins for a Historic Building in New Haven Despite Protests," by Kent Pierce
"Historian Thwarted in History-Rescue Quest," by Allan Appel
"Construction at CenterPlan Unearths Artifacts from New Haven's Past," by Ray Hardman
"Dead Speak On The Green," by Thomas Macmillan
"George Washington was Rescued Here," by Paul Bass
"Construction Crew Unearths Colonial Gravestone," by Thomas Macmillan
"Historian Takes Construction Protest to New Level," by Thomas Macmillan
2000
The Collection grows…
Robert Greenberg grows his collection of New Haven artifacts in a small room inside his father’s Acme Office Furniture building at 33 Crown Street. He builds the collection while living in New York City, working as an Art Director and designer for such iconic companies as MTV and Spin Magazine.
Greenberg amidst his collection in the old Acme Office Furniture building, 33 Crown Street, 2013
2011
…and overflows
The collection fills the allotted room in the Acme Office Furniture building, and Robert Greenberg is struck by a sudden and intense ambition. After 26 years in NYC, Greenberg officially returns to his hometown of New Haven and commits to building a museum.
"New Haven Man Collects Elm City's Past Through 375 Years of Artifacts," by Ed Stannard
"Saving Scraps From the Past Amid New Haven's Revitalization," by Allison Leigh Cowan
"One Man's Treasure," by Christopher Arnott
"A Local Collector of Tangible History," by Zoe Gorman
2017-2019: Life on Grand
The Acme Office Furniture building is sold, and Greenberg finds a small warehouse space on Grand Avenue in Fair Haven to hold his collection. This enlarges the Collection’s footprint to 4,500 sq ft. After tireless reimagining of the space, Lost in New Haven opens its doors as a hidden museum, making rounds in the local news and attracting New Haven history buffs, culture builders, and schools.
"Lost in New Haven," photoessay by Leigh Busby
"Lost and Found," photoessay by Dan Mims
"History Found at Lost in New Haven," by David Sepulveda
2020: Seeking a New Home
In 2020, the Grand Avenue space is no longer available for leasing. Furthermore, Greenberg’s collection is outgrowing its box; New Haveners know who to call when a business closes their doors and removes their signage, when a construction dig reveals colonial era artifacts, or when maps are discovered in an abandoned attic. Donations and acquisitions expand the collection during a difficult time of transition. Many CT media groups amplify Lost in New Haven’s call for assistance. The Elm City loves its cabinet of curiosities.
"Extensive Collection of New Haven Artifacts in Need of a New Home," by Suzie Hunter
"5,000" Curiosities On the Hunt for a New Home," by Lucy Gellman
"Randall Beach: 'Lost in New Haven' needs our help," by Randall Beach
Present Day
80 Hamilton
With the help of New Haven’s most influential cultural advocates, philanthropists, and arts patrons, Lost in New Haven finds its forever home on Hamilton Street in 2020.
At the time, 80 Hamilton is just an abandoned paint warehouse last leased by the New Haven school system, full of drop-ceiling and old carpet. Over the next five years, the building is renovated by a small but dedicated team. The collection is transported and displayed, and the first phase of the opening plan is reached. There is still so much to do, but our passion and momentum has never been stronger!