The National Racing Museum and Hall of Fame Opens Two New Exhibits
Munnings and Livingston
A Daily Double if Ever There Was One
William G. Gotimer, Jr.
June 12, 2026
Lost in the excitement of the Belmont Stakes last week was the opening of two new exhibits at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs. The two exhibits highlight art and photography of the equine form – the early twentieth century art of Sir Alfred Munnings and the contemporary photography of Barbara D. Livingston.
At an opening celebration of the new exhibits, during Belmont Week, invited guests enjoyed a cocktail reception, sponsored by the Daily Racing Form and mingled among benefactors, patrons, artists and museum members anxiously awaiting the opening ceremonies.
The exhibit in the Von Todd Gallery entitled A Discerning Eye – the Art of Sir Alfred Munnings – highlights a private collection of artwork by the preeminent equine artist from in the early part of the 19th century. Munnings’ works chronicled the equine form stemming from his rural English upbringing eventually reaching the highest levels of society. His works are among the most valuable pieces of equine artwork, and both his works and opinions were tremendously influential in his field. This exhibit runs through September 13, 2026.
The Peter McBean gallery, located directly inside the entrance to the National Racing Museum and Hall of Fame is dedicated to local resident and equine photography icon Barbara, D Livingston. The exhibit entitled – Capturing and Preserving Greatness: A Life’s Passion The Photography and Historic Collections of Barbaraa D. Livingston, focuses on Ms. Livingston’s extensive photographic works and her tireless efforts in uncovering, cataloguing and preserving the historic collections of other equine photographers. Ms. Livingston’s efforts have earned her six Eclipse Awards for thoroughbred photography, and her work is viewed by millions each year acting as a daily diary of all things thoroughbred. Her separate work of collecting, sorting and documenting the voluminous historic collections of others provides a record of thoroughbred racing history that would have been lost but for her painstaking efforts and tireless dedication. The exhibition of Ms. Livingston’s works extends though the end of 2026.
The opening ceremony provided an opportunity for Museum Vice Chair George Strawbridge to speak to the assemblage of his admiration for Sir Alfred Munnings and his dedication to the horse. Strawbridge was followed by Barbara Livingston herself who confessed that she originally aspired to be an equine artist, even going so far as to read Munnings’ voluminous three volume, detailed autobiography, before determining her talent lie behind a camera rather than a paint brush. Ms. Livingston humorously recalled some early and unkind advice from a photography professor that she “not focus so much on horses” – a recommendation she fortunately refused to follow.
Both exhibits are open with admission to the National Racing Museum and Hall of Fame.