The History News Service, founded in 1996 by Joyce Appleby and James M. Banner, Jr., continues to distribute op-ed pieces that contextualize current events and issues in historical terms to over 300 newspapers and wire services in North America. HNS op-eds have appeared in such newspapers as the Los Angeles Times, the International Herald Tribune, the Miami Herald, the San Francisco Examiner, the Chicago Tribune, Newsday, the Boston Globe, and similar newspapers around the country. The McClatchy Wire Service, successor to the Knight-Ridder-Tribune Wire Service, also received HNS articles for distribution to its large net of subscribers.
Holding itself out as a syndicate of professional historians, HNS defines that term broadly and accepts submissions (while making no promises) from graduate students and proven independent writers of history as well as from experienced academic scholars. It places no restrictions on the subjects covered nor on the eras or regions from which historical understanding of current matters may be gained. Thus, historians from all fields and of all subjects are invited to submit proposed articles to co-directors Joyce Appleby (appleby-AT-history.ucla.edu) and James M. Bannner, Jr. (jbanner-AT-aya.yale.edu), both of whom should receive texts simultaneously. Full guidelines, examples of how to write op eds, an archive of past HNS op eds, and other information may be found at www.h-net.org/~hns.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
History News Service Seeks Contributors
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Exhibition: NY Civil War Chattanooga Battle Flags
New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Commissioner Carol Ash has announced the opening of the "Chattanooga Colors" exhibition commemorating the 145th anniversary of the Civil War battles of Chattanooga, Tennessee. The flag exhibit will be on view in the New York State Capitol in Albany through September 2009.
"Chattanooga Colors" is the ninth installment in the New York State Battle Flag Preservation Project Capitol exhibition series, which highlights the ongoing collaboration between the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and the Division of Military and Naval Affairs to preserve and properly store the state's 1,900 battle flags. Many of the 850 Civil War flags in the state's battle flag collection incurred damage in battle. At the end of the war, the flags were furled on their staffs and placed in glass cases in the Capitol. Nearly a century and a half of poor storage subjected the flags to the harmful effects of humidity, light, gravity, and temperature variance.
The exhibit showcases six battle flags carried by volunteer regiments from throughout the State of New York that served during the battles for Chattanooga, Tennessee, and includes a small Unites States flag made by a group of women in eastern Tennessee who concealed the banner in a tea pot to prevent its capture by the Confederates. Flags carried by the 60th Infantry, 136th Infantry, 137th Infantry, 143rd Infantry, 154th Infantry and Battery I, 1st Artillery are included in the exhibit. Over 3,700 citizen soldiers followed their colors to faraway battles in Tennessee.
Each flag within "Chattanooga Colors" has been conserved and prepared for exhibition at State Parks' Peebles Island Resource Center as part of the New York State Battle Flag Preservation Project. Since 2000, the Flag Project has conserved and properly stored over 500 flags carried into battle by New York State regiments. The New York State Military Museum in the Saratoga Springs Armory is the permanent home of New York's battle flag collection.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Adirondack Museum Offers Virtual Exhibits
The Adirondack Museum has announced that it will offer a series of online exhibitions created especially for people who are unable to visit Blue Mountain Lake. Web exhibits can be found on the Adirondack Museum's web site at www.adirondackmuseum.org.
December marks the launch of "Adirondack Rustic: Nature's Art, 1876-1950," the first web exhibit. The new online feature offers artifacts, text, and historic photographs from the special exhibition that shared the multi-faceted story of Adirondack rustic traditions and charmed museum visitors throughout the 2007 and 2008 seasons.
The web exhibit examines the rich history of Adirondack rustic in three units that examine furniture and designs inspired by wilderness, share stories of local men who hand crafted rustic furniture, and explore the lives and influence of wealthy Gilded Age railroad magnates who designed and built elaborate Great Camps.
The virtual exhibition is lavishly illustrated with images of rustic furniture and historic photographs from the museum's extensive collections. The museum's Chief Curator Laura Rice and Web Coordinator Erin Barton developed the content of the online exhibit.
In 2009 the museum will introduce "Common Threads: 150 Years of Adirondack Quilts and Comforters" as a companion piece to the special exhibition of the same name that will open at the museum on May 22, 2009.
Friday, December 26, 2008
SUNY Plattsburgh to Host Conference on NY History
The State University of New York at Plattsburgh will host the 2009 Conference on New York State History, an annual meeting of academic and public historians, librarians and archivists, educators, publishers and other interested individuals who come together to discuss topics and issues related to the people of New York State in historical perspective and to share information and ideas regarding historical research, programming, and the networking of resources and services. The conference will be held June 4-6, 2009.
More than fifty individuals present formal programs in concurrent presentation sessions, workshops, and the keynote address. Special consideration is accorded first-time presenters, graduate students, and local government historians. The conference is self-sustaining and is organized by a committee of historians from a variety of institutions across the state.
The conference is organized by the New York State Historical Association in collaboration with New York State Archives Partnership Trust and is co-sponsored by
New York Council for the Humanities. Conference organizers are inviting individual paper abstracts, panel proposals, workshop plans, and other program presentations that consider any aspect of the New York State history over the past 400 years. Diverse theoretical perspectives and innovative methodological approaches are welcomed.
Those interested in participating are encouraged to discuss proposals and any conference-related ideas with Field Horne, conference chair, via e-mail at conference-AT-nyhistory-DOT-net. All proposals must be received by December 31, 2008 at 5:00 PM. If at all possible, submit an MS Word document by e-mail to the above e-mail address. A proposal should be a one-page description of each presentation-not the full manuscript-and must include the following information at the top of the page: paper and/or session titles, names, postal addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of all participants, and all equipment needs and scheduling requests. It should also briefly discuss sources, methodology, and argument. All program participants are required to register for the conference.
Commentators sought: Qualified commentators for sessions are needed. Please indicate your willingness, with your areas of expertise, in an e-mail to the conference chair.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
The Holidays: The Bible's Buried Secrets
As a holiday historical treat (of sorts) I'd like to point readers to two recent posts over at Varnam, which describes itself as "a blog about history, archaeology and current affairs with focus on India." The author recently reviewed the archeological / historical evidence for the bible following the two-hour NOVA documentary, The Bible's Buried Secrets
It's an interesting read for the holiday season: Part One, Part Two.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Early American Ethnohistory 1st Book Prize Announced
SUNY Press is proud to announce a new competition for the best single-authored dissertation or first book manuscript in the field of early American Ethnohistory - The Francis Jennings First Book Manuscript Prize in Early American Ethnohistory. They welcome unpublished, nonfiction manuscripts that illuminate American Indian history or the history of Indian-European relations in what is now the United States and Canada from the time of initial contacts between American Indians and Europeans through the era of the early republic United States, ca. 1800. The competition is open to scholars who have not published a peer-reviewed book and whose work is grounded in cultural and/or cross-cultural analysis using ethnohistorical research methodology.
If a winner of the competition is selected, he or she will receive a publication contract with SUNY Press and a $3,000 advance. Non-winning manuscripts may also be considered for publication in the Ethnohistories of Early America series published by SUNY Press. All submissions must be postmarked by July 1, 2008, and should include a cover letter, C.V., proposal, including a 4-5 page overview of the scope of the project and analysis of competing titles, and a complete manuscript, at least 150 double spaced pages, Courier font.
Submissions should mention the competition in the cover letter, and also indicate if any material from the manuscript has been previously published. All submissions must be exclusive submissions to SUNY Press for the duration of the contest, and finalists will be notified by September 1, 2008.
Please send all submissions to:
Dr. Gary Dunham
Executive Director, SUNY Press
194 Washington Ave., Suite 305
Albany, NY 12210
Direct all questions to:
Dr. James T. Carson
Department of History
Queen's University
Kingston, ON K7L 3N6 Canada
Dr. Greg O'Brien
Department of History
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
PO Box 26170
Greensboro, NC 27402-6170
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Reading 17th Century Dutch Workshop
With funding from the Nederlandse Taalunie, Wijne de Groot, lecturer of Dutch at Columbia University is holding a weekly workshop on Reading 17th Century Dutch Texts in Spring 2009. The workshop will be held each Thursday at during the Spring Semester.
The workshop is open to all graduate students and researchers who have reading knowledge of Dutch or German. In past years there has been an eclectic mix of students interested in Dutch, early American and Art history.
Email Wijnie de Groot at wed23-AT-columbia-DOT-edu for details of the schedule and to register for the course.
Monday, December 22, 2008
NARA Civil War Records Now Available in NYC
While the detail within the records varies from district to district, they can be simply described as lists, reports, ledgers, and correspondence. Specifically, these records may include Registers of Enlistments, Substitutes, and Deserters; Descriptive Lists of Men Ordered To Report for Duty; Registers of Exemptions; Letters Regarding Medical Examinations of Draftees; and Letters Regarding Service. These series will include both those that served and those that didn't serve in the military. Information about the individuals may include names, ages, occupations, physical and mental characteristics, birthplaces, and family relationships. Additionally, essential information concerning freedmen and the New York Draft Riots are included in several series. The National Archives is open to the public Monday through Friday from 8:00 to 4:30 pm, and the first Saturday of each month 8:30 to 4 pm (computer and microfilm research only). The National Archives and Records Administration - New York office is located at 201 Varick Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY, 10014. Record Group 110: Records of the Provost Marshal General's Bureau (Civil War) from The National Archives Guide to Federal Records Military Resources at the National Archives: Civil War Civil War Draft Records: Exemptions and Enrollments by Michael T. Meier, from the National Archives magazine Prologue National Archives Reference Information Paper: Draft Records (Civil War and after)
The Northeast Region's New York City office announces the receipt of over 1,400 volumes of Civil War records previously held in Washington, DC. These volumes document arrested deserters, men enrolled for the draft, enlisted volunteers, and compiled statistics on the physical condition of recruits and military casualties for New York and New Jersey.
Record Group 110: Records of the Provost Marshal General's Bureau (Civil War) will provide significant insight into the Civil War era for historians and for genealogists alike. The records cover New York (1861-1868) and New Jersey (1861-1868) and are arranged by draft board. The New York volumes consist of records from 31 districts, records for several state mustering points, and records of the Park and Broome Barracks of lower Manhattan. The New Jersey volumes consist of records from 5 districts, staff offices, and the Draft Rendezvous Station at Trenton.
More from the National Archives:
Friday, December 19, 2008
This Week's Top New York History News
- » Historic Cottage Demolished at Paul Smith's
- » Fort Ticonderoga Art Sale Scratched
- » AHA: December Perspectives Online
- » Archaeology's Magainze Top Finds 2008
- » Preserving Susan B. Anthony's Hood
- » Mysterious Shipwreck Found in Lake Ontario
- » Paterson to Sign Indian Tax Law
- » West Point Summmer Seminar
- » National Archivist Resigns
- » NYT Interviews NYPL's Paul LeClerc
Sir William Johnson Papers on CD Revised
Twenty volumes of papers and correspondence of Sir William Johnson have been released in a revised second edition digital CD format by the New York State Library, which holds the papers. Johnson was British Superintendent of Indian Affairs in New York from 1755 through 1774. He is best remembered for his diplomatic achievements among the various Native American tribes and as a military leader during the French and Indian War. This set of primary documents dating from 1738 to 1808 provides a fascinating glimpse into the pre-Revolutionary interactions among the British, French, and Iroquois empires.
The Sir William Johnson Papers were originally published in 14 volumes of print, including a general index, from 1921 to 1965. Valuable for colonial research, the earliest six volumes have been out-of-print for years. The newly released CD is a revised and expanded second edition of an earlier CD released in 2007. It includes the complete 14 volume set along with the “Calendar of the Sir William Johnson manuscripts in the New York State Library” compiled by Richard E. Day in 1909. The
CD also features several enhancements, including: more than 100 newly digitized illustrations from the New York State Library collections; dozens of new color digital photographs of locations and scenes from the Mohawk Valley and Lake George appropriate to Johnson’s legacy, including Johnson Hall and Fort Johnson; improved accuracy of scans to nearly 98%; electronic indexing allowing simultaneous searching of the entire collection; and bibliographic consistency in volume and page numbering with printed volumes.
The CD is available from the New York State Library for $20. To purchase a copy, contact Aimee Pelton in Documents and Digital Collections via phone at (518) 474-7492 or email apelton-AT-mail-DOT-nysed-DOT-gov.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
NY Correction History Society: Cattaraugus County
To mark this December month of Cattaraugus County's Bicentennial, the website of the New York Correction History Society (NYCHS) is unveiling a multi-page timeline presentation on the executions of 12 men convicted of murder in that "Enchanted Mountains County" of southwestern New York.
Besides detailing the 12 murder cases individually, the timeline presentation also serves as a vehicle to explore interesting historical developments that provide wider context to the cases. These include looking at the histories of the county jails, sheriffs, and courts as well as at execution methods and at other Cattaraugus-related murder case convictions not resulting in executions.
The timing of the presentation's unveiling is appropriate because the first and the last Cattaraugus murders resulting in executions took place during Decembers 70 years apart. The first happened Dec. 18, 1869; the last, Dec 9, 1939.
Of the 12 men executed, two were hanged at the Little Valley Jail (both involved December murders, 14 years apart), four were electrocuted at Auburn Prison, and six were electrocuted at Sing Sing.
Next to each date on the timeline appears a very brief entry outlining the case. Under each entry appears a link line "For more details." Clicking that link line accesses a page providing an in-depth account of the case.
In addition to the case narration and explorations of historical contexts, the individual case pages include notes discussing source materials used. The source notes sections are provided so that others interested in pursuing further research can have starting points for beginning their quests.
The NYCHS project was undertaken with the encouragement, support and assistance of Cattaraugus County administrator Jack Searles and County Historian Sharon Fellows. Thomas McCarthy is the NY Correction History Society's general secretary and webmaster.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
West Point Launches Center for Oral History Online
The Military Academy at West Point has launched an ambitious Center for Oral History to serve as a living archive on the experiences of American soldiers in war and peace. The Center aims to be a powerful learning tool for West Point cadets and an important research center for historians, as well as a destination for the public to gain greater understanding of the essential and unique calling of the U.S. soldier. The Center for Oral History will exist largely online, with high definition video and digital audio files, easing access for everyone from campus cadets to scholars, journalists and interested students half a world away. The New York History blog recently reported on the demise of the New York State Veterans Oral History Project at the New York State Military History Museum and Veterans Research Center in Saratoga Springs.
One of the Center’s first projects has been to interview members of West Point’s Class of 1967, who, upon graduation, were sent almost immediately to the war in Vietnam. Another has been to interview soldiers who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan as part of a comprehensive, anecdotal account of those current campaigns. Researchers are also gathering material from veterans of World War II, Vietnam and the so-called “forgotten war” in Korea. By definition, the Center will be a work in perpetual progress, continuously updated as history unfolds.
The objective is to assemble an unrivaled video, audio and text record of military life – in the field, as well as in the classroom and also the “war room,” since the Center hopes to include interviews with senior Pentagon strategists and former Secretaries of Defense and State who have helped shape military and foreign policy. But its core mission is to capture the personal narratives of those who have lived the military life.
The Center has the benefit of a Board of Advisers composed of military scholars, journalists, government officials and filmmakers to help set its agenda, develop new projects and content, and assist with fund-raising.
In addition to a number of military historians from around the country, board members include Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Brent Scowcroft, a 1947 West Point graduate whose long government career included serving as National Security Advisor to Presidents Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush; Rick Atkinson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist for the Washington Post and author of several major accounts of American wars, including The Long Gray Line and An Army at Dawn; Martha Raddatz, longtime correspondent for ABC News, who covered the Pentagon for National Public Radio and authored The Long Road Home (2007), the account of a surprise attack on the Army’s First Calvary Division in Iraq; and Ken Burns, whose opus The Civil War heralded a new standard for multi-part documentaries, which he followed with Baseball, Jazz and The War.
Much of the credit for creating the Center goes to Col. Lance Betros, who took over as head of West Point’s history department in 2005 and marshaled resources to secure initial funding and recruited senior faculty to help develop some of the early content.
The Center will develop projects devoted to different aspects of soldiers’ lives – as well as different eras in soldiering. One of the highlights is that compilation of interviews with members of the West Point Class of 1967, young officers who entered active duty at a pivotal time in the Vietnam War and later returned to steer the Army’s course on behalf of a nation reeling from social unrest and political scandal. Other subjects expected to be tackled through the Center’s oral histories:
Wartime decisions of former Secretaries of Defense, State, and
the Army, along with key members of Congress; The place of religious faith in soldiers’ lives; Case studies on insurgency, bioterrorism, the surge in Iraq and other topical subjects of warfare based on cross-section; interviews with returning troops, military leaders and policy makers; the historic role of athletics among West Point cadets, through interviews with soldier-athletes and former coaches of the legendary Army football team and other sports teams, many of whose players went on to illustrious professional sports careers; retrospective views on World War I, the Civil War and other major American conflicts offered by visiting historians and West Point’s faculty; contemporary social changes as experienced at West
Point itself, through oral histories with the Academy’s former superintendents, deans, commandants, cadets, and others.
Also in the works are publishing and broadcasting projects based on the rich lode of content the Center gathers. Discussions are underway with the renowned Fred Friendly
Seminars, whose charged situational debates have been broadcast on PBS. Mr. Brewster is working to develop a Fred Friendly program at West Point to take on the subject of fighting insurgencies, bringing together a hypothetical cast of players ranging from the President and Secretary of Defense to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a policy maven and even a White House press officer.
In hoping to draw maximum traffic and general interest users in addition to scholars, the Center will utilize universal search technology so that anyone searching the web for primary source interviews with veterans and soldiers will see links to the West Point content. Like a true archive, the site will have virtual rooms and chapters dedicated to certain subjects and periods in military history, from the Civil War to Vietnam and Iraq. Links to other web sites offering veterans’ interviews will also be provided. The oral histories will be integrated into West Point’s own curriculum, so that professors can easily draw from interviews as part of their own course materials.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
SUNY Press Announces Indigenous Studies Series
State University of New York Press has announced a new series in Indigenous Studies, the SUNY series in Ethnohistories of Early America (Edited by James Carson, Queen's University and Greg O'Brien, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro). This series showcases cutting-edge research in the field of ethnohistory, focusing on what is now the United States and Canada from the time of initial contacts between American Indians and Europeans through the era of the early republic United States, ca. 1800.
"Ethnohistory" is defined broadly to be more than American Indian history or the history of Indian-European relations-though that is expected to be the primary area of focus. We will also consider works in the time period on any subset(s) of the North American population that is examined and written about through cultural and/or cross-cultural analysis using ethnohistorical research methodology. To encourage a diverse readership, particularly students, all books in the series will be available simultaneously in hardcover, paperback, and electronic DirectText editions.
Manuscripts and proposals should be sent to:
Dr. Gary Dunham
Executive Director, SUNY Press
194 Washington Ave., Suite 305
Albany, NY 12210
Phone: 518-472-5000 / Fax: 518-472-5038
Direct all questions to:
Professor James Carson
Department of History
Queen's University
Kingston, ON K7L 3N6 Canada
Professor Greg O'Brien
Department of History
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
PO Box 26170
Greensboro, NC 27402-6170
Monday, December 15, 2008
Fort Ticonderoga Financial Crisis May Spread
The Associated Press is reporting that the New York State Board of Regents, which oversees museums in the state, may change their policy to allow museums to sell their collections in order to pay back debt. The change is a result of Fort Ticonderoga's recent financial troubles. Here is a clip from the story:The state Board of Regents started working on an "emergency amendment" to the rules governing how museums can manage collections because it appeared that Fort Ticonderoga, a historic site and museum in northern New York, was on the verge of bankruptcy, said James Dawson, chairman of the board's Cultural Education Committee... State rules currently require museums to use the money from such sales only to buy other works or enhance their collections.
The plan has come to light just two weeks after the National Academy in Manhattan (not subject to the Board of Regents) sold off two Hudson River School paintings. Other cultural institutions in the state are also facing financial hardships that have been reported here at the New York History blog, including local libraries and Amsterdam's Elwood Museum. Last month Fort Ticonderoga laid-off four employees and closed an office building (BTW, the Smithsonian is also facing financial hardship and recently cut salaries).
The emergency amendment would allow museums to sell off works to pay down debt if they can show that they have no other way to raise the money and would otherwise go bankrupt. The museums also would only be allowed to sell the works to another museum or historical society in New York.
The Board was to have taken up the amendment at a meeting Monday but Dawson — who represents northern New York on the Board of Regents — said he withdrew the proposal Thursday, partly because Fort Ticonderoga was able to raise enough money to stay out of bankruptcy court.
It was announced in July that Fort Ticonderoga faced financial ruin after Deborah Mars, a Ticonderoga native married to the billionaire co-owner of the Mars candy company Forrest Mars Jr., bailed on their long-time support for the fort just before completion of the new $23 million Deborah Clarke Mars Education Center. The Mars paid for nearly all of the new building's construction but left before it was finished leaving Fort Ti about two million dollars in debt. When the building bearing their name opened, they didn't show.
Other options that have been floated include applying for new short-term loans, a new capital campaign to raise $3 million to $5 million, asking the state for a bailout or to take over ownership of the fort, selling of some of the fort's property or collections or closing for an indefinite period until the finances are sorted out. Coincidentally, Ticonderoga was also considering selling a Hudson River School painting, Thomas Cole's 1831 "Ruins of Fort Ticonderoga."
According to the Associated Press:Anne Ackerson, director of the Museum Association of New York, said her group was among those opposing the idea of allowing museums to sell their collections to pay debts. While it might be a short-term fix for some museums' financial problems, it might dissuade others from seeking other solutions when money gets tight, she said.
The Board of Regents rules governing the sale of museum holdings were established in the early 1990s when the New York Historical Society faced financial problems.
Assemblyman Richard Brodsky, a Queens Democrat who chaired an investigative committee at the time, said he was happy to hear the Board of Regents had withdrawn the emergency amendment proposal but remained concerned that they might still try to tweak other parts of the rules that define what qualifies as part of a museum's collection.
Brodsky said he urged the Regents to hold off on making any changes until after a more thorough review involving museums, the Legislature and others with an interest.
Friday, December 12, 2008
This Week's Top New York History News
- » New Edition of Landmarks Guide Published
- » Video of Rock Annex Opening
- » Lost City: Landmarks Commission Updates
- » Blog: John Lennon in Greenwich Village
- » State Honors Troy Preservation Group
- » 104th NY Boat Show Sneak Preview
- » National Academy Sells Hudson River School Paintings
- » Fulton Co Updates its History
- » Push to Reopen Spruce Mt Fire Tower
- » Victorian Stroll Transforms Troy
New Netherland Exhibit Opens at NYS Museum
A traveling exhibition about New Netherland -- the 17th century Dutch province that stretched from modern-day Albany to parts of Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut – opens at the New York State Museum on December 12.
“Light on New Netherland,” open through February 8 in the Museum’s Terrace Gallery, provides insight into the role the Dutch played in the settlement and development of colonial America. Based on original Dutch documents in the collections of the New York State Library and State Archives, the exhibition traces the history of the Dutch in New Netherland, beginning with Henry Hudson’s exploration in 1609.
It is curated by Robert E. Mulligan, retired history curator at the State Museum, and produced by the New Netherland Institute to celebrate the 2009 quadricentennial of the Hudson voyage. The Institute works to enhance awareness of the Dutch history of colonial America by supporting the translation and publication of early Dutch documents through the New Netherland Project, located in the State Library and also supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities. The New Netherland Project has been working since 1974 to translate and publish the official 17th-century Dutch colonial documents of one of America’s earliest and longest-settled region.
The exhibition presents information about the fur trade that initially brought settlers to New Netherland, as well as the growth of farming and communities as families relocated there. It discusses the establishment of government, the practice of religion, and the interactions between settlers and native peoples, among other aspects of life in the colony.
Although New Netherland existed only from 1609 to 1664, when the colony was conquered by the English in a time of peace, the Dutch language, religion and culture could still be found in various pockets of the province well into the 19th century. The Dutch influence is still apparent in present-day American institutions and culture. Santa Claus and American Christmas traditions trace back to Sinterklaas or St. Nicholas, the patron saint of Holland and New Netherland. Former Presidents Martin Van Buren and Franklin Roosevelt, and modern-day celebrities Tom Brokaw, Bruce Springsteen and Meryl Streep, all share a Dutch heritage. The exhibition also notes that the tolerance the Dutch showed to neighbors and new settlers set the stage for the ethnic and cultural diversity for which New York and America have long been recognized.
Many of the illustrations in the exhibition are the work of Len Tantillo, the foremost artist in recreating historical images of New Netherland. He was the subject of a public television documentary entitled “Hudson River Journeys” in March 2004. In 2005, the American wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art commissioned him to create a painting for a permanent exhibition of Dutch architecture in colonial America.
“Illuminating New York’s Dutch Past,” a short video about the New Netherland Project, will be shown in the exhibition gallery. Nineteen volumes, or about 60 percent of the 12,000 volumes that survive, have been published to date under the direction of Dr. Charles Gehring, project director, and Dr. Janny Venema, associate director.
At the conclusion of the Museum exhibition, “Light on Netherland” is scheduled for various sites in New York State, as well as some in Connecticut, Delaware and Michigan.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Olana/Cedar Grove Symposium on Hudson Valley
“Glories of the Hudson” is a joint symposium convened by Olana State Historic Site and the Thomas Cole National Historic Site and hosted by The Fisher Center at Bard College in celebration of New York State’s 2009 Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial on Sunday April 26, 2009. The goal of this particular symposium is to expand and enrich our collective understanding of the Hudson River School of Art through the exploration of interdisciplinary intersections between art and other fields of inquiry in Hudson Valley history during and throughout the 400 years celebrated.
The Hudson Valley has long been at the forefront of popular movements in American history; the Hudson River and its surrounding communities have served as witness to four centuries of changing views in American culture, society, politics, and environment. In this call for papers, “Glories of the Hudson” seeks papers that demonstrate the interconnectivity between the art and architecture of the Hudson Valley and the larger historical narratives of Hudson Valley cultural, social, political, and environmental history.
This symposium is open to undergraduate and graduate students within a fifty-mile radius of Olana, Cedar Grove and Bard College. Candidates should submit a 300-500 word abstract and resume in MS Word or Adobe PDF format. Longer submissions will not be considered. Abstracts must contain a title page with author identification, but there should be no reference to the author's identity elsewhere in the abstract to enable blind review.
All abstracts must be sent via email to: gregory-AT-thomascole-DOT-org by Feb 13th, 2009. Do not send abstracts via postal mail.
Your e-mail must contain: your name, school, its address, your major(s), anticipated date of graduation, and degree; contact phone, address and email; a short abstract of your manuscript; permission for Olana State Historic Site, The Olana Partnership, The Thomas Cole National Historic Site and/or Bard College to reproduce and/or publish your abstract in print or digitally for marketing and/or educational purposes, and a one page resume.
Authors will be notified of the results of the blind peer review by March 1st, 2009.
The symposium, Glories of the Hudson, occurs in conjunction with River-themed exhibitions opening in 2009 at both Olana and Cedar Grove. The inaugural exhibition for Olana’s changing exhibits gallery, Glories of the Hudson: Frederic Church at Olana, lends the symposium its name. The paintings, oil sketches and pencil drawings chosen document Church’s passion for the Hudson River as transformed by the seasons, weather and light. In addition to the material by Church, there will be a small selection of works by contemporaries inspired by the view of the River from Olana. A similar exhibition of over a dozen Hudson River School paintings depicting the Hudson River and its tributary streams will also be on exhibit at Cedar Grove.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
NY Heritage Announces 14 New Additions
New York Heritage Digital Collections has added fourteen new digital collections to its cooperative site at newyorkheritage.org , including three from Queens College; two each from the Brooklyn Public Library, CUNY Graduate Center, Yeshiva University, and Brooklyn College; and one each from SUNY Maritime College, Lehman College, and Metropolitan New York Library Council. These collections total 3016 items, and represent a broad range of research interests, including Brooklyn Democratic Party Scrapbooks, Fulton Street Trade Cards, Murray Hill Collection, Sailors' Snug Harbor Archives, Waterways of New York, Breslau Memorial and Prayer Book, and Bronx Business for Everybody collections.
NewYorkHeritage.org is a project of the NY3Rs Association, which uses OCLC’s CONTENTdm Multisite Server to bring previously digitized collections together, allowing researchers to search across all items simultaneously. This project provides free, online access to images of cultural and historical significance in New York State.
Participants in New York Heritage Digital Collections are committed to enhancing the site by adding both content and contributing institutions on a regular basis. The goal of the project is to eventually connect one thousand collections and one million items from throughout New York State. All institutions interested in participating in the project are encouraged to contact the 3Rs organization that serves their region.
The New York 3Rs Association is a partnership among New York’s nine reference and research resource systems. The New York 3Rs was incorporated in 2003 to further the ability of those systems to provide statewide services. The members of the New York 3Rs Association are: the Capital District Library Council, Central New York Library Resources Council, Long Island Library Resources Council, Metropolitan New York Library Council, Northern New York Library Network, Rochester Regional Library Council, Southeastern New York Library Resources Council, South Central Regional Library Council, and Western New York Library Resources Council.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
NYS Recommends 25 to National Register of Historic Places
The New York State Board for Historic Preservation today recommended the addition of 25 properties and districts to the State and National Registers of Historic Places. Property owners, municipalities and organizations from communities throughout the state sponsored the nominations.
"These nominations reflect the incredible diversity of architectural vision, craftsmanship, innovation and history that are present in buildings and landscapes across New York State," said Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Commissioner Carol Ash. "Listing these landmarks will give them the recognition and support they deserve."
Ash highlighted a number of unique nominations recommended for listing, including:
Congregation Beth Abraham/Mt. Zion Church of God 7th Day – a representative example of New York City's early 20th century synagogue design, which was built in 1928 by first- and second-generation Eastern European Jewish Immigrants in the East Flatbush section of Brooklyn.
Bullard Block – the ornate High Victorian five-section commercial block has been the anchor of Schuylerville's Broad Street since its construction in 1881 and retains a high degree of its original fabric.
Pine Grove Community Church – an 1895 Victorian Gothic non-denominational church in rural Watson, Lewis County that retains a remarkable degree of its original form.
Chenango Canal Prism and Lock 107 – a surviving portion of the canal that opened in 1836 near Chenango Valley State Park – built very close to the specifications of the original Erie Canal – which provides a rare illustration of the first generation of New York State canals.
Midway Park – established as a trolley park in 1894 and transitioning into a "kiddieland" amusement park, what is now Midway State Park in Chautauqua County retains its original picnic grove and lakeside swimming facilities, along with 18 amusement park rides from the mid-20th century.
Listing these properties on the state and national registers can assist their owners in revitalizing the structures. Listing will make them eligible for various public preservation programs and services, such as matching state grants and federal historic rehabilitation tax credits.
The New York State Board for Historic Preservation is an independent panel of experts appointed by the governor. The Board also consists of representatives from the following state organizations: Council of Parks; Council on the Arts; Department of Education; Department of State and Department of Environmental Conservation. The function of the Board is to advise and provide recommendations on state and federal preservation programs, including the State and National Registers of Historic Places, to the State Historic Preservation Officer, who in New York is the State Parks Commissioner.
The State and National Registers are the official lists of buildings, structures, districts, landscapes, objects and sites significant in the history, architecture, archeology and culture of New York State and the nation. There are nearly 90,000 historic buildings, structures and sites throughout the state listed on the National Register of Historic Places, individually or as components of historic districts.
During the nomination process, the State Board submits recommendations to the State Historic Preservation Officer. The properties may be listed on the New York State Register of Historic Places and then nominated to the National Register of Historic Places where they are reviewed and, once approved, entered on the National Register by the Keeper of the National Register in Washington, D.C. The State Historic Preservation Office and the National Park Service, which is part of the U.S. Department of Interior, jointly administer the national register program.
For more information about the New York State Board for Historic Preservation and the State and National Register programs, contact the Historic Preservation Field Services Bureau at (518) 237-8643, or visit the state parks web site at www.nysparks.com.
STATE REVIEW BOARD RECOMMENDATIONS
Broome County
1. Chenango Canal Prism & Lock, near Chenango Forks
2. Rivercrest Historic District, Vestal (Approved for state registry only)
Cattaraugus County
3. 520 Hostageh Road, Rock City
Chautauqua County
4. Midway Park, Maple Springs
Clinton County
5. Alice T. Miner Museum, Chazy
6. Werrenrath Camp, Dannemora
Columbia County
7. Rockefeller, Simeon House, Germantown
Erie County
8. J.N. Adam/AM&A's Historic District, Buffalo
Herkimer County
9. Holy Trinity Monastery, Jordanville
Kings County
10. Congregation Beth Abraham, Brooklyn
11. Parkway Theater, Brooklyn
12. H. Lawrence & Sons Rope Works, Brooklyn
Lewis County
13. Pine Grove Community Church, Watson
New York County
14. Shearwater schooner, Manhattan
15. 240 Central Park South, Manhattan
Onondaga County
16. Louis and Celia Skolar Residence, Syracuse
Oswego County
17. Brosemer Brewery, Oswego
Saratoga County
18. Victory Mills, Victory
19. Bullard Block, Schuylerville
Suffolk County
20. Hopkins, Samuel House, Miller Place
21. Shelter Island Country Club, Shelter Island
22. Friendly Hall/Tuthill-Lapham House, Wading River
Tompkins County
23. Rogues Harbor Inn, Lansing
Ulster County
24. New Paltz Downtown Historic District, New Paltz
Wyoming County
25. Fleming, Bryant House, Wyoming
Monday, December 8, 2008
2008 NY State Historic Preservation Awards Announced
New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Commissioner Carol Ash today announced the recipients of the 2008 New York State Historic Preservation Awards. The State Historic Preservation Awards were established in 1980 to honor excellence in the protection and rejuvenation of New York's historic and cultural resources. The recipients were honored at a ceremony held at the Historic Preservation Field Services Bureau at Peebles Island State Park, north of Albany:
Individual Achievement presented to Dorothy Marie Miner, Esq.
Preservation Law pioneer, advocate, educator and mentor, Miner was a powerful force for civic good, a fearless voice for the rule of law and the built environment. Ms. Miner was instrumental in the development, implementation and defense of preservation laws at local and statewide levels, and her pioneering work was significant in establishing preservation law at the national level. She was informed of her award before her death on October 21, 2008.
Individual Achievement presented to Harold L. Zoch
For his extraordinary efforts and commitment to the documentation and preservation of the historic and cultural resources of Schoharie County and New York State.
Project Achievement presented to the Willow Street Lofts, LLC, Syracuse
For outstanding commitment to community revitalization and the adaptive use project of the former CW Snow Warehouse.
Project Achievement presented to the Oswego Public Library
For outstanding commitment to community revitalization and the rehabilitation and rejuvenation of a distinguished historic property.
Project Achievement presented to Judith Wellman, PhD.
The Equal Rights Historic District, Sherwood, Cayuga County for outstanding scholarship in National Register documentation, and dedication to the ideals of those Americans who have advanced the cause of equal rights and reform.
Project Achievement presented to the Rural Ulster Preservation Company
For outstanding commitment to community revitalization and the rehabilitation and adaptive use of the Kirkland Hotel, Kingston.
Project Achievement presented to Jedediah Hawkins Inn, Jamesport
For outstanding commitment to community revitalization and the rehabilitation and adaptive use of a distinguished historic property.
Project Achievement presented to Historic Saranac Lake
For outstanding commitment to community revitalization and the rehabilitation and adaptive use of the Saranac Laboratory.
Community Achievement presented to Village of New Paltz and Historic Huguenot Street
For outstanding commitment to the documentation and preservation of historic and prehistoric archeological resources as an integral part of community improvement projects.
Not-for-Profit Achievement presented to the Hudson Mohawk Industrial Gateway
For outstanding leadership and commitment to community revitalization efforts and the promotion of and advocacy for the region's industrial history and architecture.
The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), which is part of the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, helps communities identify, recognize, and preserve their historic resources, and incorporate them into local improvement and economic development activities. The SHPO administers several programs including the federal historic rehabilitation tax credit, state historic preservation grants, the Certified Local Government program, and the New York State and National Registers of Historic Places, which are the official lists of properties significant in the history, architecture, and archeology of the state and nation.
Friday, December 5, 2008
This Week's Top New York History News
The Global 1989: A New Generation Conference
2009 brings the 20th anniversaries of a wide variety of major events across the globe: the Cuban withdrawal from Angola; the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan; the Ayatollah Khomeini's fatwa against Salman Rushdie; the Polish and Hungarian Round Tables; the protests at Tiananmen Square; the fall of the Berlin Wall; the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia; and the breakdown of old regimes in Mexico, Chile, and Brazil.
In an attempt to take a global approach to 1989, its antecedents, and its consequences, Princeton University will convene and host on 22-24 October 2009 a conference devoted to 1989. The ultimate panel themes will depend on the topics of the paper proposals submitted. They are particularly interested in moving toward new conceptual models, for example in the following areas: ethics and norms, intellectual history/history of ideas, law, microeconomics, migration, popular culture, and religion. The organizers see it as essential to underscore also the conference's global scope, i.e. that it should encompass (but not necessarily limit itself to) variously defined Asian, Cold War, European, inter-American, Sino-Soviet, and transatlantic studies. We welcome also submissions concerning, for example, the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East, or South Africa.
Organizers aim to provide a forum for recent work related to a doctoral dissertation, whether published or unpublished, complete or incomplete. Submissions are welcome from junior faculty and postdoctoral fellows as well as current graduate students. Submissions from around the globe are welcome, as the budget will cover the travel expenses of all of the scholars whose proposals have been accepted.
The organizers caution that the intended small scale of the conference will likely necessitate a highly selective review process. The program committee looks forward to the broadest possible range of submissions that fall within the intended scope of the conference, and it will arrange panels based on those submissions that it receives, yet we will likely be able to accommodate only a fraction of these submissions.
Submissions of a brief (300 words) abstract, as well as a more detailed prospectus (5 pages, double-spaced) that fleshes out the intended argument of the presentation in greater depth, will be accepted on a rolling basis until 1 February 2009.
Early submissions are particularly welcome.
Proposals should be submitted to Barbara Leavey (blleavey-AT-princeton-DOT-edu); questions can be directed also to conference chair Piotr H. Kosicki (pkosicki - AT- princeton -DOT -edu).
This conference is a joint initiative of Princeton University's Department of History, Davis Center for Historical Studies, Institute
for International and Regional Studies, Program in Law and Public Affairs, University Center for Human Values, and Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
NYPL Puts 'Treasures' Online, Joins Social Web
There was an interesting story in USA Today recently by writer Anne Godlasky outlining some of the NYPL's new media / live web / social marketing initiatives. Here's a sample:
The New York Public Library quietly rolled out a new video series last month. Titled "Treasures," it showcases 11 gems of the library's vast collection of more than 50 million items.
And since then it has joined Facebook, broadening an online reach that already included YouTube and iTunes pages to gain more of an audience — which, for one of the world's largest public libraries, includes "everybody from preschool toddlers to the greatest writers in the world," says president Paul LeClerc.
Curators and administrators whittled a list of hundreds of ideas to record videos of the most "visually grabbing," says director David Ferriero.
The library has made the videos available on its site, nypl.org, as well as on YouTube— where its photography piece is by far its most popular with more than 13,000 views. The video, "Knowing What to See" is the only one featuring current events: the drug trade in Afghanistan as photographed by Stephen Dupont.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Patterson Names Wife 'Honorary Chair" of 400th
Governor David A. Paterson today announced that First Lady Michelle Paige Paterson has been named Honorary Chair of the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial Celebration. Next year, 2009, marks the 400th anniversaries of the voyage of English Captain Henry Hudson, who led the first European expedition to sail up the river that now bears his name, and the voyage of Frenchman Samuel de Champlain, the first to discover the namesake lake. To celebrate these simultaneous 400th anniversaries - as well as the 200th anniversary of Robert Fulton's maiden steamboat journey up the Hudson River - New York State is planning a yearlong series of events, programs and projects that highlight the discovery of New York, celebrating the State's Dutch, French and English roots and heritage.
"This is a momentous occasion in our State's history," said First Lady Michelle Paige Paterson. "I am so proud to be able to serve this important role as ambassador for the 400th anniversaries of the exploration of our historic Hudson River and Lake Champlain, celebrating our rich history and our embrace of diversity, tolerance and innovation. Perhaps most importantly, we are utilizing the occasion to focus attention on the most important legacy of all -- environmental and economic sustainability starting with the next 100 years."
New York's First Lady will lend her support to several projects across the State, including the "Walkway Over the Hudson" in Poughkeepsie that will transform the Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge into a spectacular park in the sky, the longest elevated walkway in the world. On Lake Champlain, the newly refurbished Crown Point Lighthouse will shine again over the stabilized ruins of two nearby forts - Crown Point and St. Frederic - that symbolize the region's English and French heritage. And Governor's Island, the site of one of New York's first Dutch settlements and a strategic 19th-century coastal fortification, will soon allow visitors to have access to the entire perimeter promenade for the first time, and will create a picnic area with unparalleled views of the Statue of Liberty, New York Harbor, and the Manhattan skyline.
Other Quadricentennial events include the valley-wide event "River Day" celebrating 400 years of boats, ships and the Hudson River; the Quadricentennial Sustainability Expo at the American Museum of Natural History, the International Commemorative Stamp Expo at the Empire State Plaza - featuring the loan of the original Henry Hudson 1909 stamp from the National Museum, the New York Medal of Discovery-the first annual medal from the Governor to a distinguished New Yorker, the "400 Years of History" conference at Marist College, and a special visit from the Dutch Royal Family.
U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer said: "This event provides a golden opportunity to celebrate the history of New York State and three of the giants who defined it for the last four hundred years. Over this past year, I have worked tirelessly for the Quadricentennial to ensure the celebration provides a big boost for our tourism economy. I know with Michelle Paterson as the Honorary Chair of the Quadricentennial we can only expect even greater success."
U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton said: "First Lady Michelle Paige Paterson is an excellent choice to chair the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial celebrations. Under her leadership, this celebration of New York's rich past will be a truly historic success."
U.S. Congressman Maurice Hinchey said: "The Quadricentennial celebrations presents New Yorkers with so many exciting ways to celebrate and learn about the extraordinary historical events that occurred right here in our own backyard several centuries years ago. I am very pleased that First Lady Michelle Paige Paterson will be taking on such an important leadership role that will ensure we fulfill the cultural, educational, and economic potential that these upcoming events have for our State."
Hugo Gajus Scheltema, Consul General of the Netherlands, said: "We are thrilled that the First Lady is Honorary Chair for the Quadricentennial Celebration. We look forward to working together for next year's events. From our side we have set up a number of festivities in the framework of the Quadricentiennial and expect several Dutch dignitaries to visit New York State next year, including members of the royal family."
Deputy Secretary for the Environment Judith Enck said: "We are honored to have First Lady Michele Paige Paterson integrally involved in commemorating the 400th anniversary of our magnificent Lake Champlain and Hudson River. The Hudson River and Lake Champlain are not only rich parts of our past but also are key to our future. In the upcoming Quadricentennial year we will celebrate history while stepping up our efforts to reduce water pollution and to advance policies that protect the shorelines of these vitally important water bodies. Having the First Lady in this leadership position signals how important this commemoration is for our great State."
Joan Davidson, Chairperson of the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial Commission (HFCQ), said: "The Commission is inspired by Governor Paterson's vision of a revitalized Hudson River Corridor and the Champlain Valley as a strong economic engine for New York City and State. We are delighted and honored that New York's First Lady, Michelle Paige Paterson, has agreed to serve as Honorary Chair of the Commission and we look forward to working with her toward next year's great events."
Tara Sullivan, Executive Director of the NYS HFCQ, said: "New York's communities, historic and environmental organizations, and State agencies have worked this past year to craft the 2009 plan for celebrating our past and planning for our future. New York's First Lady will bring the prestige and gravitas to usher in this plan on the eve of the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial!"
For more information on the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial Celebration, visit: www.ExploreNY400.com.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Center for International History Grad Student Conference
The Columbia University Department of History invites paper proposals (deadline for abstracts is 1/1/2009) for a Graduate Student Conference titled "Claiming the World: Universalisms as Doctrine and in Action" to be held on March 27, 2009.
From the Roman notion of civitas to the Islamic duty of da'wah and the French colonial mission civilisatrice, universal claims have been deployed in the service of causes, movements, and ideologies of all kinds. They attempt to create order, unity, and meaning, yet thereby give rise to contestation.
This conference seeks to address the following questions: What kinds of universal claims have been advanced and how have they been transformed over time in different regions and historical periods? How do such claims take concrete form in the actions of polities and the practices of communities from the local to the global? How do they accommodate or resist particularities or rival universalisms? We wish to consider a range of entities that promulgate universal claims (such as states, nations, empires, religions, and social and political movements) in a multitude of realms (such as law, morality, norms, and identities). As this conference is presented in conjunction with the Center for International History's annual theme, “In the Name of Humanity,” we are especially, but not only, interested in the ways in which universal claims have been embodied in the discourses and politics of human rights and humanitarian intervention.
We invite submissions from all time periods - ancient, medieval, early modern, and modern - and various geographic regions. Papers on topics that are broadly transnational or global in scope are preferred. Additionally, we encourage interdisciplinary research, and although proposals with a historical perspective are particularly welcome, we will also consider contributions from the fields of anthropology, sociology, literary studies, political science, and economics. Please send an abstract of no more than 300 words and a recent CV as email attachments (Word preferred) by January 1, 2009 and any inquiries to Simon Stevens at the following address: sms2236@columbia.edu
For more information regarding the conference can be found at the Center for International History's website (beginning December 15th):
Monday, December 1, 2008
1965 NYC Landmarks Preservation Law Lecture
Anthony M. Tung, author of Preserving the World's Great Cities: The Destruction and Renewal of the Historic Metropolis
The event will be held Wednesday, December 10th at 6:30 PM at Grace Church School, 84 Fourth Avenue, NYC; admission is free but reservations are required. RSVP to hdc@hdc.org or (212) 614-9107. This event is co-sponsored by the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation and Neighborhood Preservation Center.
