The 90 works on view were drawn from the Kelly Collection of American Illustration. Richard Kelly and his wife, Mary, began collecting American illustration in the early 1990s and filled their collection with works, now numbering 350 pieces, by many of the most celebrated names of the golden age: Norman Rockwell, NC Wyeth, Howard Pyle, Jessie Willcox Smith and Maxfield Parrish. Not only did many golden age illustrators’ names become known throughout the country - literally household names - the images they created remain popular and widely circulated in reprints of their books; on prints, calendars and greeting cards; and on the same type of novelty items that were popular when they worked.

Groundbreaking innovations in printing technology provided a major impetus for the rise to star status of these artists. Before this time, popular printed material was illustrated with engravings. When it became possible to reproduce full-colour and tonal artwork in quality that approximated viewing the work close up, American illustrators were inspired to create museum-quality pieces that stand on their artistic merit, apart from the purpose for which they were contracted. Many of the illustrators studied with classically trained, renowned teachers at home and abroad, and achieved a remarkable mastery of their mediums.

Another reason for the popularity of their work - and of popular publications - was the growing interest in film, which was a mass-market phenomenon aimed at entertaining large audiences. Like magazines and advertisements, film helped to capture the dynamic, adventurous and entrepreneurial spirit of Americans. Other important themes that make up the mythos of America were easily examined in these mediums as well: the 'pretty girl'; childhood innocence; the frontier and Western expansion; flight, symbolised by the Wright brothers’ experiments at Kitty Hawk; and a thoroughly American mix of nostalgia and modernity.

The spirit behind Orville and Wilbur Wright's historic 1903 flight, for example, was portrayed by JC Leyendecker (1871-1954) in 'First American Ride', an oil painting commissioned by Collier's and reproduced on the cover of the 28 August 1909 edition, while the 'pretty girl' theme was explored by many celebrated names: Coles Phillips (1880-1927) with the 'Fadeaway Girl'; Harrison Fisher (1875-1934) with his 'Fisher Girl'; and Charles Dana Gibson (1867-1944) with the ubiquitous 'Gibson Girl'. Gibson was the highest paid illustrator of the time; Collier's awarded him a $100,000 contract to use his hallmark style in their service. His most famous creation epitomised the ideal modern American woman - fresh and high-spirited, but anchored in cherished hometown ideals.

Female illustrators were prominent during the era, and they helped to explore the theme of childhood innocence and domesticity. The first woman to receive a notable amount of illustration work was Alice Barber Stephens (1858-1932). She studied with Thomas Eakins at the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Art, created black line illustrations for books and magazines, and worked as a wood engraver for Harper's Weekly, Harper's Young People and Scribner's. Other notable female illustrators of the period included students of Howard Pyle (1853-1911): Elizabeth Shippen Green, Sarah Stilwell Weber and Jessie Willcox Smith. Before studying with Pyle at Drexel Institute, Smith (1863-1935) attended the Philadelphia School of Design for Women and, like Stephens, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts under Eakins. Her now-famous portrayals of children and illustrations for such classics as Robert Louis Stevenson's Child's Garden of Verses and Louisa May Alcott's Little Women remain in the public consciousness; reprints of these books are easily obtainable, while her paintings of adorable children in their childlike world adorn calendars, greeting cards and many other items. One can see similarities between works by these students of Pyle - a flat, poster-like effect, bold use of colour and subject matter that has a strong emotional impact.

Pyle and Edward Penfield were two of the most important teachers of the period. Both men helped to shape the style of the work being produced and inspire enthusiasm for it. In his role as a mentor, Pyle founded the School of Illustration in Wilmington, Delaware, and taught summer sessions in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. In his own work, he favoured historical subjects but his range was wide and included children's stories, fantasy and adventure on the high seas. Penfield (1866-1925) studied at New York City's Art Students League and became one of the country's most prominent poster designers. As art director of Harper's magazine group from 1891-1901 and a teacher at the Art Students League, he influenced many prolific illustrators.

The biggest stars of the age were, of course, Norman Rockwell (1894-1978), Pyle student NC Wyeth (1882-1945) and Maxfield Parrish (1870-1966). Their names immediately call to mind favourite images, pictures that have become synonymous with American cultural history: Rockwell's depiction of small-town America and the treasures of life on Main Street; Wyeth's swashbuckling adventures, medieval knights and menacing giants; and Parrish's otherworldly meditations on an idyllic world, a Garden of Eden this side of heaven. Parrish's love of experimentation led to new techniques in which he built up colours to a luminous, nearly transparent sheen.

One foreign illustrator, Wladyslaw Benda, and one self-taught artist, Franklin Booth, are represented in the show. Benda (1873-1943) was born in Poland but moved to America, studying with Robert Henri at the Chase Art School in New York City. Now known for his theatrical masks, he began his career in the USA by creating illustrations in charcoal, watercolour and pastel. At a distance from academic environments, Booth developed a personal style in which his love of drawing materialised in highly detailed pen on paper. His 'In the Golden Land of Dreams', reproduced in the 9 April 1911 edition of Associated Sunday Magazine, provides a visual image for a poignant poem describing the parting of soulmates.

Before entering the exhibit, visitors will pass through galleries featuring works from the museum's holdings. On the way out, following the same path, they may find themselves drawn to works by John William Waterhouse (‘Study for Dante and Beatrice’, ca. 1914-19), Laurence Alma Tadema (The Staircase, 1870) and Jean-Leon Gerome (1824-1904). Viewing these paintings at this point, visitors may conclude that some of the works in 'Stories to Tell' might fit comfortably here. Certainly, 'Sea of Galilee' (1926) by Dean Cornwell (1892-1960) shares with Tadema and Waterhouse many qualities of technique and emotion, while Gerome's ‘Michelangelo being shown the Belvedere Torso’ (1849) could be a grandfather to a painting by Parish, remarkable for an almost two-dimensional, poster-like effect of the characters upon a shimmering background.

The Dahesh Museum opened in its current location in September 2003. Named for a Lebanese author, philosopher and art collector, Dr Dahesh (1909-84), the museum is unique in the USA as it focuses on work by academically trained European artists of the 19th and early 20th centuries. In conjunction with the exhibits, the museum offers visitors a wide range of multimedia and educational events. Tours of related sites in Manhattan, as well as other locations, are scheduled, led by museum staff and art historians. Films being shown to amplify the illustrations shown in 'Stories to Tell' include ones on JC Leyendecker, Norman Rockwell, Maxfield Parrish, Charles Dana Gibson, the Wyeth family and one of the first masters of animation, Winsor McCay. 'Stories to Tell' was funded in part by the Morris and Alma Shapiro Fund. The educational activities received financial support from the Wyeth Foundation.

Cindi Di Marzo