History museums, and many art museums, sometimes have a hard time moving into recent decades, especially into pop culture. Is the subject really worthy of being in a museum? Is it scholarly enough? Etc.
The New-York Historical Society lucked out on this score. A couple of years ago, it realized it needed to do an exhibit on the Sixties, but what? It was lucky on four scores: One of its then-trustees, Emanuel Stern, was a Deadhead. The Grateful Dead were hoarders, saving what seems like everything they touched themselves and received from their rabid fans. In 2008, the Dead gave the archive to the University of California at Santa Cruz. 
And the Dead are the subject of serious scholarship.
So, from today through July 4, there’s The Grateful Dead: Now Playing at the New-York Historical Society. It’s the first and, for now, the only look at an archive that runs 600 linear feet. Interestingly, the IMLS gave UCSC more than $600,000 to help digitize the collection.
Deadheads will love the show, and others will get a lot of out it, too. The Dead were real innovators, and not just in music. They were great businessmen.
I wrote about the show for The Daily Beast (here), which has also posted a gallery of several items that are on view on Central Park West.