Ahead of its 125th Anniversary in 2027, The Newly Renovated Algonquin Hotel Debuts More than 100 Works by Al Hirschfeld Spanning Six Decades of His Career and a Century-Long Connection to The Algonquin
NEW YORK, Oct. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Moments before kicking off its 125th anniversary, The Algonquin Hotel, Autograph Collection is unveiling more than 100 works by legendary caricaturist Al Hirschfeld as part of its newly completed renovation and ongoing partnership with The Al Hirschfeld Foundation.
Spanning six decades of Hirschfeld's career across theater, music, literature, film and popular culture, the new collection brings his distinctive line work into guestrooms, corridors and public spaces throughout the hotel, including pieces that have not been publicly displayed since original publication. Except for two original, hand-signed limited-edition prints on loan from the Foundation displayed in The Algonquin's lobby, the works are custom reproductions created exclusively for The Algonquin.
At the hotel's famed Blue Bar Restaurant & Lounge, a striking new Hirschfeld mural of his classic portrait of the members Algonquin Round Table now joins the meticulously restored original table. As a central focal point, members of the legendary lunch group are depicted, creating a visual connection to the writers and personalities who helped establish The Algonquin as a center of literary and theatrical life a century ago. In addition, guests can also experience newly launched culinary and cocktail menus featuring iconic Hirschfeld artwork developed in collaboration with The Al Hirschfeld Foundation.
"Guests have never had a better opportunity to have a drink with Dorothy Parker, George Kaufman, and the others of the group," says David Leopold, Creative Director of The Al Hirschfeld Foundation. "You are literally at the same table with them."
"Al Hirschfeld's lines have been interwoven with The Algonquin Hotel's creative culture almost since the beginning, and they continue to serve as the setting for New York stories that continue to unfold," said Willis Loughhead, General Manager of The Algonquin Hotel. "Hirschfeld has long been part of the hotel's legend and lore. This collection gives that history a fantastic presence as we head into our milestone 125th anniversary. As part of our renovation, we took the opportunity to bring his work into the public and private spaces where guests can create their own legends, get into good trouble, and mingle not only with the infamous ghosts and pranksters of the Vicious Circle, but also the past and present Broadway, Film, Art and Music talents that continue to inspire."
The connection between Hirschfeld and The Algonquin dates to the start of the artist's career. Beginning in the 1920s, many members of the famed Algonquin Round Table had personal or professional ties to Hirschfeld, including Alexander Woollcott, who published Hirschfeld's first caricature in The New York World in 1925, and George S. Kaufman, who became his first editor at The New York Times in 1928.
Hirschfeld remained a frequent visitor to The Algonquin, eventually naming a suite in his honor. Today, along with many other creatives, the hotel has become a club house of sorts for the Al Hirschfeld Foundation where they have hosted book launches, exclusive parties, podcasts, and even an infamous séance of the Round Table. This new collection at the hotel marks a major expansion of this partnership and Hirschfeld's longstanding presence at the hotel.
"Al Hirschfeld's connection to The Algonquin is unlike any other artist's relationship with a hotel or really anything else," said David Leopold, Creative Director of The Al Hirschfeld Foundation. "As the hotel approaches its 125th anniversary, the newly renovated spaces offer a tour through American Popular Culture that only Hirschfeld could draw and that the Algonquin has been at the center for all this time. This collection of art, spanning Hirschfeld's nine-decade career, including pieces that have not been seen publicly in decades, is unprecedented. Most hotel art is anonymous, but as with so much at the Algonquin, the art at the hotel is distinctive. There is simply nothing else like these two New York institutions—and I don't think it is hyperbole to say legends—in partnership to give such a remarkable experience that is both truly New York and very universal."
The updated Hirschfeld collection at The Algonquin complements the hotel's newly reimagined interiors, designed by Brooklyn-based CRÈME / Jun Aizaki Architecture & Design in collaboration with LUCID, the design and development arm of Highgate Hotels. Throughout the guestrooms and corridors, Hirschfeld's work joins Art Deco references, jazz-inspired patterns, brass fixtures, rich walnut woods, ebonized oak and aged bronze finishes, creating a design language rooted in the hotel's history.
For more information on The Algonquin Hotel, visit www.algonquinhotel.com.
About The Algonquin Hotel, Autograph Collection:
Since opening its doors in 1902, The Algonquin Hotel has stood as a cultural landmark and one of New York City's most storied hotels. Just steps from Times Square and Fifth Avenue, the hotel has long been a gathering place for the city's literary and cultural elite. Most famously, the Algonquin Round Table of the 1920s brought together luminaries such as Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley, Harold Ross, Alexander Woollcott, Franklin Adams, and Robert Sherwood — a circle of wit and intellect that helped shape American literature and journalism. It was within these walls that The New Yorker magazine was conceived, further cementing the hotel's place in cultural history. Today, the 181-room hotel continues to honor its timeless legacy while welcoming modern travelers to create stories of their own. Guests can enjoy refined dining and handcrafted cocktails at The Blue Bar Restaurant and Lounge, and the hotel's distinctive blend of history, charm, and style. The Algonquin was inducted into Historic Hotels of America® in 2024, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation recognizing the nation's most iconic historic hotels and named one of the Top 25 New York City Hotels by readers of Conde Nast Traveler. For more information, please visit www.algonquinhotel.com.
About The Al Hirschfeld Foundation
The mission of the non-profit Al Hirschfeld Foundation is to promote interest in the dramatic arts by supporting theaters and similar cultural institutions. The Foundation fulfills its mission through grants and exhibitions of Hirschfeld's art. The Foundation maintains an extensive collection of Hirschfeld artworks and lends and/or donates pieces to institutions all over the world. www.AlHirschfeldFoundation.org.
Media Contact
Eleven Six PR, The Algonquin Hotel, 1 8644445385, [email protected]
SOURCE The Algonquin Hotel
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