If you’re looking for a great way to kill a summer afternoon (in the air conditioning, of course), look no further than the New York Public Library. In addition to stacks full of good reads (check out one of these awesome art books!), the NYPL has an exhibition of Frank Sinatra’s personal effects that is sure to transport you right back to the 1940s.

“Sinatra: An American Icon” celebrates the centennial of Sinatra’s birth, and features his original clothing and stage costumes, along with photographs, family mementos, correspondence, personal items, artwork, awards, and music. Curated by the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, much of the exhibition is on loan directly from the Sinatra family.

Photo: Courtesy of The New York Public Library.

Sinatra—who was often called “Ol’ Blue Eyes,” or simply “The Voice”—was born and raised just across the Hudson River in Hoboken, New Jersey. He began singing professionally as a teenager in the 1930s, learning music by ear. Despite never learning how to read music properly, he found success rather quickly. By 1941, he was a full-blown star.

Of course, the crooner’s legacy has endured throughout the years. “He had the most rare of gifts: an immaculately sculptured voice of soul and strength, one rich in both tone and texture to go with the phrasing of a poet and an uncanny knowledge of nuance,” reads a press release for the exhibition. “He could turn a simple ballad into an emotional odyssey that ventured into the deepest part of our hearts, and he could celebrate a city and a people in way that drew us together like nothing else during good times and bad.”

“Sinatra: An American Icon” will be on display at the New York Public Library until September 4, 2015. 

Photo: Courtesy of The New York Public Library.

Photo: Courtesy of The New York Public Library.

Photo: Courtesy of The New York Public Library.

Photo: Courtesy of The New York Public Library.

Photo: Courtesy of The New York Public Library.

Photo: Courtesy of The New York Public Library.

Photo: Courtesy of The New York Public Library.

Photo: Courtesy of The New York Public Library.

Photo: Courtesy of The New York Public Library.

Photo: Courtesy of The New York Public Library.

Photo: Courtesy of The New York Public Library.