Opening with a five-hour production of Faust in 1883, the original Metropolitan Opera House attracted scores from Manhattan's industrialist class, many of whom had financed the construction of the house after the Academy of Music barred the new money industrialists from their board.

Initially, the exterior of the building was critiqued as being too plain, but the lavish interior was one of the most decadent spaces in the city, especially after renovations bringing the seating space to 3,625 patrons. The golden curtains, fantastic chandelier, and magnificent proscenium all added to the Metropolitan Opera House's status as a symbol of New York City's wealthy upper crust.

This specimen is a fragment of a brick saved from the demolition of the original Metropolitan Opera House at 1411 Broadway, New York City.

All specimens are enclosed in an acrylic specimen jar with a removable top which arrives in a handsome, glass-topped riker box case measuring 4x3x1". It comes complete with a 3x4" display card with photos of the Old Metropolitan Opera House and the specimen, as well as more information about the opera house. The larger cards also serve as the certificate of authenticity and feature the official Mini Museum Seal of Authenticity.

In addition to the larger card, we have also included our standard photo card, in case you wish to keep a unified look with the other Mini Museum items in your collection.

In 1883, after the Academy of Music denied any attempts by industrialists to join their ranks, the excluded families decided to fund their own rival company: The Metropolitan Opera.

On October 22, 1883, opening night arrived for the first production: Faust, with all the drama of the opera about to be staged. Resellers hawked phony tickets to those desperate to see the show, while those with real tickets still had to jostle to find their seats in the nearly sold-out venue. William Henry Vanderbilt, the richest man in America, hosted John Coleridge, the Lorde Chief Justice of England, among others, in his two reserved boxes. Below, those with cheaper tickets in the “family circle” near the stage had to crane their necks to get a view of the show.

Indeed, the Metropolitan Opera did not simply reflect the class divisions of its time—the house was built with this in mind. A separate entrance from the street allowed Vanderbilt and company to enter the house without interacting with the rest of the audience, while those below were stuck with the less desirable seats. The building itself seemed to highlight this contradiction: inside, the opera house boasted a Renaissance-style-inspired design, but outside, the building had a flat, industrial look, earning its nickname: the Yellow Brick Brewery.

Though many found the exterior of the building to be dull, its interior was magnificent. It could seat over 3,000 patrons after the 1903 renovations, which also included a new proscenium, red and gold decor, and iconic damask curtains. To many, the opera house was a world-class institution.

Although the Metropolitan Opera House provided the Gilded Age status symbol the city’s elites desired, problems still rose. Many seats had to contend with poor sight lines and uneven acoustics, rich and poor alike. For all the beauty in its form, the opera house was poorly received. The redesign in 1903 and a renovation and enlargement in the 1940s improved the space some, but one major issue persisted: the backstage space was too small for the company. The crew often had to take scenery and set pieces outside to lean against the walls.

For years, the Met searched for a new venue, finally settling on Lincoln Center. In 1966, the original Metropolitan Opera House drew its golden curtain for the final time. Despite the protest of company members and attempted preservation from the New York State Senate, the Met left the building.

The company then leased the property to developers on the stipulation that the theater be demolished to prevent rival companies from taking the space. In 1967, this came to pass after the opera house failed to achieve landmark status and was torn down.