The Hyde Collection announces the call for entries associated with the 2010 Artists of the Mohawk-Hudson Region Juried Exhibition, which will be on view at the Museum from October 1 through December 12, 2010.
Founded in 1936, the exhibition is one of the longest running annual juried exhibitions in the country. The Artists of the Mohawk-Hudson Region highlights the finest works of contemporary artists working along the Mohawk-Hudson corridor.
This is the first year that The Hyde Collection will host the exhibition, which rotates among three venues. The other two hosts are The Albany Institute of History and Art and the University Art Museum at the University at Albany.
Juror for the 2010 exhibition is Charles Desmarais, deputy director of art at the Brooklyn Museum. Desmarais leads a staff of eighteen curators and manages the collection, conservation, education, exhibition, and library departments at the museum. He previously served as director of the Contemporary Art Center in Cincinnati and was director of the Laguna Art Museum and the California Museum of Photography at the University of California.
"The Hyde is thrilled to join the two Albany institutions in bringing the best of our region’s art to residents and visitors alike,” said Hyde Executive Director David F. Setford. "Each year, the caliber of works submitted for this annual show is testament to the artistic community that thrives in the areas surrounding the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers.”
As many as 300 artists are expected to submit works, in a variety of media, from which approximately fifty will be selected for the exhibition. Eligible artists include those who reside within a 100-mile radius of either Glens Falls or the Capital Region. The deadline for entries is March 26, 2010. Awards will be announced at the exhibition’s opening reception scheduled for October 1, 2010.
Artists interested in receiving information on the exhibition are asked to call (518) 792-1761 ext. 35. Submission entry forms and additional information are available on the Museum’s website at www.hydecollection.org.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Artists of the Mohawk-Hudson Region Call For Entries
By Editorial Staff
Saturday, January 30, 2010
The Row House Reborn:
Architecture and Neighborhoods in NYC, 1908-1929
By Editorial Staff
The New York City Historic Districts Council is co-sponsoring a lecture on row houses at the Museum of the City of New York (1220 Fifth Avenue) on Monday, February 8 at 6:30 pm.
In the decades just before and after World War I, a group of architects, homeowners, and developers pioneered innovative and affordable housing alternatives. They converted the deteriorated and bleak row houses of old New York neighborhoods into modern and stylish dwellings.
Join Andrew S. Dolkart, author of The Row House Reborn: Architecture and Neighborhoods in New York City, 1908--1929, as he traces this aesthetic movement from its inception in 1908 to a wave of projects for the wealthy on the East Side to the faux artists’ studios for young professionals in Greenwich Village.
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED
$6 tickets when you mention the Historic Districts Council!
*A two dollar surcharge applies for unreserved, walk-in participants.
To reserve your discounted ticket, please call 212.534.1672, ext. 3395 or e-mail programs@mcny.org and mention HDC.
Friday, January 29, 2010
This Week's New York History Web Highlights
By Editorial Staff
- YouTube: San Patricios - Chieftains and Ry Cooder
- Old Salt: St Lawrence Seaway's 50th Season
- Eastman's Online: Snoop Dogg Shocked by Genealogy
- Inside the Apple: J.D. Salinger's Early Life in NYC
- Franklin Co Historian: Bill Smith, Adirondack Hermit
- History Blog: Wilson Bentley, First Snowflake Photographer
- Adk Almanack: Adirondack Historic Management Areas
- Ephemeral New York: Staten Island’s Linoleumville
- Bowery Boys: Howard Zinn: History From the Ground Up
- New York State A to Z: Saratoga Automobile Museum
Thomas Cole Historic Site Seeks Paid Guides
By Editorial Staff
Applications are now being accepted for Visitor Center Guides, a seasonal paid position from April 1 through October 31, 2010, at the Thomas Cole Historic Site. Responsibilities include welcoming visitors to the historic site and orienting them to the opportunities that are available to them including guided tours, the orientation film, and the educational kiosks. The Guide operates the visitor center front desk including the cash register, and sells tickets and shop merchandise. The successful candidate will have excellent people skills, as he or she will be a visitor's first impression of the organization. Applications are due February 5th.
The hourly pay is $13.41, and the hours are Thursday through Sunday, 9:30am to 4:30pm, April through October. Please note: weekend work is required, and candidates must be available for the entire seven months. More information and an application can be found online.
Do not send applications to the Thomas Cole Historic Site directly. The application process is being handled by the National Park Service, and applications can only be accepted through USAJOBS.
The National Park Service will rank candidates based on their amount of training and work experience that relates to the position, therefore it is very important to include the exact dates of employment when you apply. For example, do not list the start date of a recent job as "January 2009". Instead, include the actual day, for example "January 10, 2009."
See their EMPLOYMENT page on their website.
This Week's Top New York History News
By Editorial Staff
- Coffin’s Emblem Defies Certainty
- Louis Harlan, Former Pres of AHA, Dies
- Scenic Overlooks Planned for Niagara Gorge
- SUNY Fights Governor's Cuts to Higher Ed
- Dick Dunham, 80, Served Rockefeller and Wilson
- 'People's History' Author Howard Zinn Dies
- Met Finds Artworks Aren’t Restored Overnight
- New Ferry Opening Near Old Bridge
- Hudson River's Glorious Era of Steam
- Face Of A Famous Skull Found On Flickr
Thursday, January 28, 2010
State Archives Social Networking Pilot Project
By Editorial Staff
The New York State Archives is participating in a New York State Education Department pilot project testing the value of social networking sites in the government environment. The Archives currently has posted videos, images and news updates to Flickr, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. The Archives is welcoming feedback either through the sites or via email at archinfo@mail.nysed.gov. Here are the the various sites:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nys_archives/
http://www.facebook.com/nysarchives
http://www.youtube.com/nysarchives
http://twitter.com/nysarchives
Brooklyn Museum To Host Major Andy Warhol Exhibit
By Editorial Staff
Andy Warhol: The Last Decade is the title of a major touring exhibition that will run June 18 to September 12, 2010 at the Brooklyn Museum (Robert E. Blum Gallery, 1st floor, and Morris A. and Meyer Schapiro Wing, 5th floor). The exhibit is the first U.S. museum survey to examine the late works of American artist Andy Warhol (1928–1987). With nearly fifty works, the exhibition reveals the artist’s vitality, energy, and renewed spirit of experimentation. During this time Warhol produced more works, in a considerable number of series and on a vastly larger scale, than at any other point in his forty-year career.
It was a decade of great artistic development for Warhol, during which a dramatic transformation of his style took place alongside the introduction of new techniques. He continued to create his screen-printed portraits, but he also reengaged with
painting. In the late 1970s, Warhol developed a new interest in abstraction, first with his Oxidations and Shadows series, and later with his Yarn, Rorschach, and Camouflage paintings. His return to the hand-painted image in the 1980s was inspired by collaborations with Jean-Michel Basquiat, Francesco Clemente, and Keith Haring.
The exhibition concludes with Warhol’s variations on Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper, one of the largest series of his career. Andy Warhol: The Last Decade provides an important framework for understanding Warhol’s work by looking at how he simultaneously incorporated the screened image and pursued a reinvention of
painting.
The exhibit is being organized by the Milwaukee Art Museum. The exhibition was
curated by Joseph D. Ketner II, Henry and Lois Foster Chair of Contemporary Art, Emerson College, Boston. The Brooklyn Museum presentation is organized by Sharon Matt Atkins, Associate Curator of Exhibitions, Brooklyn Museum.
A catalogue published by Prestel accompanies this exhibition.
Tour: Milwaukee Art Museum, September 26, 2009–January 3, 2010; Museum of Modern Art, Fort Worth, February 14–May 16, 2010; Baltimore Museum of Art, October 17, 2010–January 9, 2011.
Photo: Andy Warhol at the Jimmy Carter White House during a reception for inaugural portfolio artists in 1977. Courtesy the National Archives.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
2010 Meeting of the American Society for Ethnohistory
By Editorial Staff
The 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Society for Ethnohistory, will take place at the Lord Elgin Hotel, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, on October 13 - 17, 2010. The American Society for Ethnohistory (ASE) was founded in 1954 to promote the interdisciplinary investigation of the histories of the Native Peoples of the Americas. The ethnohistorical method, as it has come to be known, involves developing histories informed by ethnography, linguistics, archaeology, and ecology.
The theme for the ASE Ottawa 2010 is titled ‘Creating Nations and Building States: Past and Present,’ focusing on indigenous societies and their relations with expanding colonial and modern state structures of Canada, America, and Latin America. This general theme is intended to initiate discussions on the complex and often fractious relations between Native societies and expanding state structures in the Americas from contact onward.
Papers on instances of ethnogenesis, persistence and transformation of identity, culture and social structures over time are especially welcomed. Since the meeting is being held in Canada’s capital during the 125th anniversary of the second Métis provisional government and resistance movement at Batoche, the organizers are encouraging discussions and reflection on alternative models of indigenous nation building, displacement and violence in the interior, and the vast process of native exclusion in the construction of modern states.
The organizers invite proposals that speak to and think creatively about this year’s theme on the formation and transformation of both state and national entities, but they accept other ethnohistorical topics as well. Complete panel proposals with presenters, and chair are preferred, but individual paper proposals are also accepted.
The firm deadline for applications is April 15, 2010. Note the earlier than customary date of the conference as well as the earlier than usual deadline for the submission of proposals and abstracts. Applicants will be notified of the status of their proposals by June 15, 2010.
It is not necessary to register for the conference in order to have a paper or panel accepted. Once papers and panels are accepted, however, participants MUST register as an ASE member by August 1, 2010.
Click here for conference information.
Special Editor's Session
The Editors and Editorial Board of Ethnohistory invite proposals for an invited Editors' Session to be held at the 2010 meeting in Ottawa. They are looking for a session proposal that closely mirrors the theme of the conference “Creating Nations and Building States: Past and Present,” which involves representatives from several regions and disciplinary orientations exploring a common theme. The successful session proposal will be published as a special issue of the journal. Completed papers will be due within six months of the meeting. The session should consist of 6-8 papers. In order to for a session to be considered for the Editor's Session, submit a session proposal, including a session abstract and abstracts of individual papers by the April 15th deadline. Be sure to check the box ''For consideration of the Editor's Session.'' Submissions not accepted for the Editors' Session will be considered for inclusion in the regular program without prejudice.
Program questions should be directed to:
ASE Program Committee Chair
Professor Jean Francois Belisle
History Department
University of Ottawa
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada K1N 6N5
jbelisle@uOttawa.ca
1-613-562-5800 #1293
Local arrangements questions should be directed to:
ASE Local Arrangements Committee Chair
Professor Nicole St-Onge
History Department
University of Ottawa
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada K1N 6N5
nstonge@uOttawa.ca
1-613-562-5800 # 1317
NYS Archives: Rights of Women in Early New York
By Editorial Staff
The New York State Archives is providing teachers and students with online access to historical records that illuminate the history of women’s rights in New York State from its earliest days as New Netherland through the mid 19th century through it's quarterly online Document Showcase program which highlights a topic from state history using records from the Archives.
Each Showcase includes sample documents, an historical sketch and links to educational activities for classroom use. The topics are based upon the State Education Department’s core curriculum for 7th and 8th grade social studies as well as special events of that quarter. The educational activities are created by a teacher and correlate to New York State learning standards. Each Showcase also provides links within the State Archives’ website for further information on the topic.
In addition, because many early documents are difficult to read, translations and transcriptions are provided where necessary. This quarter’s Document Showcase on women’s rights can be found on the Archives website at www.archives.nysed.gov, and includes an excerpt of a marriage contract from 1643, a petition by a widow’s sons that she be granted a letter of administration from 1670, a law excerpt from 1710 classifying women as equals of minors and those “not of Sound mind,” and a law excerpt from 1848 protecting the property of married women.
Photo: Excerpt from the Laws of New York from 1848, Chapter 200, allowing women to own and manage real property separate from their husbands. Courtesy the New York State Archives.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
North Atlantic Conference on British Studies
By Editorial Staff
The North Atlantic Conference on British Studies will meet in Baltimore, Maryland, from November 12-14, 2010. The Program Committee of the NACBS welcomes participation by scholars working on all aspects of the British empire and the British world. They invite panel proposals addressing selected themes, methodology, and pedagogy, as well as roundtable discussions of topical and thematic interest, including conversations among authors of recent books. North American scholars, international scholars, and graduate students are all encouraged to submit proposals to the NACBS Program Committee.
Strong preference will be given to complete panel or roundtable proposals that consider a common theme. Panels typically include three papers and a comment; roundtables customarily have four presentations. Individual paper proposals will also be considered in rare cases. Those with single paper submissions are strongly encouraged to search for additional panelists on lists such as H-Albion or at venues such as the NACBS Facebook page.
Applicants may also write to the Program Chair for suggestions (nacbsprogram@gmail.com).
Committed to ensuring the broadest possible participation of scholars in British Studies, the Program Committee will give priority to those who did not read papers at the 2009 meeting. Panels that include both graduate students and established scholars are encouraged, as are submissions with broad chronological focus and interdisciplinary breadth.
All submissions must be received by March 1, 2010. For details, directions, and online submission, see www.nacbs.org/conference.html or contact Lara Kriegel, Program Chair, at nacbsprogram@gmail.com.
Photo: French Expansion and British Conquests in North America to 1763.
'Virtual Vacations' For Youth at Fenimore Art Museum
By Editorial Staff
Young people will take a walk on the wild side this February as the Fenimore Art Museum presents "Virtual Vacations." Each day, children (ages 5 to 8) will be transported to faraway places using the Museum’s advanced video conferencing technology. The Museum will connect “live” with professionals from the Life Science Education Center at Marian College and The Toledo Zoo for entertaining and educational programs focusing on various types of animals. After each lesson, children will participate in a hands-on activity based on the theme of the virtual visit. Each “Virtual Vacation” will feature two live animals via video conferencing.
“Virtual Vacations” programs are designed for children ages 5-8 and take place from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day (February 16, 17, and 18) at the Fenimore Art Museum. The cost per program is $15 for NYSHA members and $20 for non-members. Or attend all three - $40 for NYSHA members and $50 for non-members. Pre-registration is strongly recommended. To register, please call Karen Wyckoff at 607-547-1410.
Schedule:
Tuesday, February 16 - Catch Me If You Can: Why do some animals have scales, stripes, stingers, or spines? Join the Life Science Education Center at Marian College to explore how some of nature’s most amazing creatures protect themselves. We’ll even see some of the animals!
Wednesday, February 17 - Desert Dwellers: The Toledo Zoo takes participants to the desert! We’ll learn what a desert is and explore some of the fascinating animals that live there. Discover how living things have adapted to the arid conditions and temperature swings.
Thursday, February 18 - Animal Coverings: Join the Toledo Zoo and play a game to discover how animal groups are formed using similarities and differences. Live animals will help us learn the differences between the 5 classes of vertebrates: fish, birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Moving Bricks on the Hudson Gallery Tour
By Editorial Staff
On the closing day of the exhibit, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010, at 2 pm and at 3 pm curator T. Robins Brown will lead a gallery tour of Moving Bricks on the Hudson, the Haverstraw Brick Museum’s Hudson Fulton Champlain Quadricentennial exhibit. The show highlights the sloops, schooners, towboats, tugs and barges that transported bricks on the Hudson in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Visitors will discover the stories of the captains, crew, and boat builders that were part of the maritime enterprise that carried up to 1,000,000,000 (yes, billion) bricks annually. The exhibit brings together for the first fascinating illustrations and items donated or loaned to the museum by descendants of brick boatmen and from other individuals and museums including the Mariners’ Museum in Newport News, Virginia, the Peabody Essex Institute in Salem, Massachusetts, the Hudson River Maritime Museum in Kingston, and the Historical Society of Rockland County.
A slide show documents the dangers of transporting brick by water. A short film of 1903 gives viewers a speedy trip on the Hudson River from Haverstraw to Newburgh. A unique three-foot model of a barge with cutouts on loan from the Reynolds Shipyard Corp. allows visitors to inspect the structural system used to carry the very heavy brick cargo.
Through Jan. 31 the exhibit is open during the museum’s regular hours, Wed., Sat., and Sun, 1-4 pm. Children are welcome. A gallery guide for children encourages them to find fascinating items in the exhibit and they can also build a “tow” with model boats.
Photo: On Minisceongo Creek, a “bricker,” a brick-carrying schooner, awaits its cargo of bricks from the Shankey brickyard. On board are brickyard workers as well as the brick boat’s crew. The two women, the wives of the captain and first mate, were likely part of the boat’s crew. They lived aboard and cooked, watched tides, pumped bilge water, and performed other tasks that required less strength. Photograph from de Noyelles, Within These Gates.
Adirondack Research Library's Adk Chronology
By Editorial Staff
Fans of Adirondack history will want to check out the Adirondack Chronology. The Chronology is a project of the Protect the Adirondacks!'s Adirondack Research Library at the Center for the Forest Preserve in Niskayuna. The Chronology consists of a chronological listing of significant events (natural or human-made) over the years and centuries, back to prehistoric times, that have taken place directly in the Adirondacks or which directly impacted the Adirondacks. The document, available as an online pdf, stretches to more than 300 pages and covers everything from the Big Bang (15 billion years before present) to a sunspot cycle in 2012 and 2013 that is predicted to causing major impacts on global electronics. The Chronology also includes an extensive and useful bibliography of relevant sources.
The Chronology is easily searched using the pdf search function, making it one of the most important documents for Adirondack history. Here is a short description of some of the kinds fo things you'll find there from the Chronology's introduction:
The Adirondack Chronology deals with all aspects of the Adirondack region to best suggest the various causal processes at work; several examples: forest exploitation leading to forest fire, in turn leading to protective legislation; trails of the Haudenosaunee leading to roads fostering development and then protective legislation, and so on. Crucial events also often occur well outside of the Adirondack region, e.g. invention of the snowmobile, the building of coal burning plants in the Mid-West, the growth of nickel-copper smelting in the Sudbury region of Ontario, the explosion of Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines, federal and state legislation, the introduction of the European Starling in New York City, the painting of a great picture or the writing of an inspirational poem.
The Chronology, last revised and enlarged in November 2009, is edited by Carl George, Professor of Biology, Emeritus at Union College, Richard E. Tucker of the Adirondack Research Library, and newest editor Charles C. Morrison, Conservation Advocacy Committee, Protect the Adirondacks!
The Adirondack Research Library holds the largest Adirondack collection outside the park boundaries. The library's collections include maps, periodicals, technical reports, photos, slides, video and audio tapes, and archival materials from prominent Adirondack conservationists of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Photo: The Center for the Forest Preserve, located in Niskayuna, NY, is owned and operated by Protect the Adirondacks!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
John Steinbeck, Saratoga History Museum Fundraiser
By Editorial Staff
A talk entitled "Steinbeck's Wrath, 1936-1939: The Santa Clara Valley Years" will be given by noted author and Steinbeck authority Susan Shillinglaw on February 5 from 7-9 PM. The event will be held at the Foothill Club of Saratoga Springs (20399 Park Place) and is a fundraiser for the Saratoga History Museum (SHM). The cost will be $15 for SHM members, $20 for nonmembers. To purchase a ticket, call (408)255-1883 during regular business hours. Coffee and dessert will be served.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Hyde Collection Announces 2010 Exhibition Schedule
By Editorial Staff
The Hyde Collection in Glens Falls has announced its 2010 Exhibition Schedule. This year's schedule includes American Impressionist landscape paintings, twentieth-century Modern art, a regional juried high school art show, a major exhibition of the work of Andrew Wyeth, and the museum will also play host for the first time to the long-running Artists of the Mohawk-Hudson Region, an annual juried show founded in 1936. The complete schedule from the Hyde Collection announcement is below.
Through Sunday, March 28, 2010
An Enduring Legacy:
American Impressionist Landscape Paintings from the Thomas Clark Collection
This exhibition presents sixty-four paintings from the private collection of Saratoga
County, New York resident Thomas Clark. For twenty years, Clark has been amassing a significant group of pre-1940 American Impressionist landscape paintings with more than 100 works in the collection. Considered one of the finest private collections of this genre in upstate New York, it is testament to the enduring legacy of Impressionist painting in American art.
The collection, on public display for the first time, comprises examples from the last
great generation of landscape painters who emerged during, and in the aftermath of, the American Impressionist movement (1880-1920). Many of these artists were students and/or sketching partners of the seminal figures in Impressionism in America, such as William Merritt Chase and John Henry Twachtman. The Collection offers a comprehensive treatment of the regional schools of Impressionist activity in America. Forty-seven artists are featured in the exhibition, including Walter Emerson Baum, John Joseph Enneking, Emile A. Gruppé, Hayley Lever, Frederick Mulhaupt, George Loftus Noyes, and Harry A. Vincent. The exhibition is curated by Erin Coe, chief curator and deputy director of The Hyde Collection and is accompanied by an illustrated catalogue. Clark has announced his intention to make a future donation of his remarkable collection to The Hyde where it will greatly enhance the Museum’s current holdings of American art.
Through February 28, 2010
Divided by a common language?
British and American Works from the Murray Collection
Approximately twenty works of twentieth-century Modern art, donated to the Museum by the late Jane Murray, are on display in Hoopes Gallery. Works included in this exhibition were part of the first significant donation of twentieth-century art received by The Hyde and helped to form the foundation of the Museum’s Modernist holdings. Jane Murray passed away in April 2009 and bequeathed the remainder of her substantial collection to the Museum.
Curated by The Hyde’s Executive Director David F. Setford, the exhibition reflects one woman’s journey into the world of art and the creative process itself. Represented in the exhibition are British artists including Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth, John Piper, Howard Hodgkin, and Paul Mount. American artists include Gregory Amenoff, American, b. 1948, Gregory Amenoff, Betty Parsons, Stuart Davis, and Ellsworth Kelly. The works selected examine the similarities and differences between American and British works of the period, as both are areas of particular strength in the Murray
Murray Collection.
April 11 through May 23
Nineteenth Regional Juried High School Art Show
The Hyde proudly hosts one hundred works in various media by the best of area high
school art students. Entries into the competition average approximately 1,200 per year
and the top 100 works were chosen by jurors to be highlighted in this annual spring event, showcased in the Museum’s Charles R. Wood Gallery.
This unique show allows participating students to experience the preparation, submission, and jurying process crucial to their artistic development. The young artists entering the competition hail from as many as forty area schools located in Warren, Washington, Saratoga, Hamilton, and Essex counties.
June 12 through September 5
Andrew Wyeth: An American Legend
The Hyde Collection introduces the broad span of work by Andrew Wyeth in its major summer exhibition for 2010. Organized by The Hyde and curated by Executive Director David F. Setford and Deputy Director and Chief Curator Erin B. Coe in association with the Farnsworth Art Museum of Rockland, Maine, the exhibition will mark the first opportunity since the artist’s death in 2009 to begin to critically reevaluate his contribution to and position in American art of the twentieth century. Works will include pencil, watercolor, dry brush, and tempera works, and will feature sections devoted to early coastal watercolors and landscape paintings, as well as a look at Wyeth’s models, his interest in vernacular architecture, and his connection
with the Regionalist tradition and Magic Realism.
The exhibition will feature approximately fifty works, with the core from the Farnsworth Art Museum. Also on view will be The Hyde’s own Wyeth – The Ledge and the Island, 1937 – and major works from Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Hood Museum of Art, as well as from other museums and private collections.
The Museum continues its summer collaborations with other arts organizations in the region by coordinating a series of lectures, exhibitions, and performances with Wyeth-related themes.
October 10 through December 12
Exhibition by Artists of the Mohawk-Hudson Region
For the first time, The Hyde Collection is host of the Artists of the Mohawk-Hudson Region, one of the longest-running collaborative juried exhibitions in the country. The Museum joins the Albany Institute of History and Art and the University Art Museum at the University at Albany as the third collaborative sponsor of the exhibition, which is hosted by the organizations on a rotating basis. Founded in 1936, this annual show provides a leading benchmark for contemporary art in the Upper Hudson Valley. The exhibition is open to artists residing within a 100-mile radius of either Glens Falls or the Capital District. Past jurors have included artists, curators, critics, art historians, and art dealers such as Edward Hopper (1941), George Rickey (1971), Kenneth Noland (1977), Wolf Kahn (1980), Grace Gluck (1984), Dan Cameron (1997), and Ivan Karp (2005).
For the 2010 exhibition, The Hyde has invited Charles Desmarais, the Deputy Director of Art at the Brooklyn Museum, to be the guest juror. Mr. Desmarais leads the Brooklyn Museum’s collection, conservation, education, exhibition, and library departments.
Photo: George Loftus Noyes, American, 1864-1954, River Reflections, Evening ca. 1900, Oil on canvas on artist’s board, 9 7/8 x 11 in., Promised gift of Thomas Clark to The Hyde Collection, Glens Falls, NY.
Friday, January 22, 2010
This Week's New York History Web Highlights
By Editorial Staff
- EJForbes: 1922 Lake Placid 'Trampers’ Guide'
- Giants Gab: History Of The NY Giants (1930-1939)
- Peeling Back the Bark: John Warder, Am. Forestry Assoc.
- Great Lives In History: Benedict Arnold, Hero to Traitor
- City Room Blog: Bittersweet History of Bike Clubs
- Virtual Dime Museum: Franconi's Hippodrome
- Tenement Museum: Museums Celebrating Civil Rights
- Inside the Apple: 1975 Bombing of Fraunces Tavern
- Brooklynology: Distilling in Brooklyn, Whiskey Wars
VT Archeologist Named Historic Preservation Officer
By Editorial Staff
Vermont’s long-time State Archeologist has been named State Historic Preservation Officer and Director of the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation. Giovanna Peebles will assume the post immediately, according to Kevin Dorn, Secretary of the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development.
“Giovanna Peebles has served the people of Vermont as State Archeologist since 1976. Her long experience in this field and in historic preservation overall, as well as her passion for our state’s extraordinary heritage, makes her well-qualified to take over as State Historic Preservation Officer for Vermont.”
As State Historic Preservation Officer, or SHPO, Peebles, is responsible for administering the state’s historic preservation program under the federal National Historic Preservation Act and under the Vermont Historic Preservation Act.
“I’m looking forward to continuing the important work of the Division for Historic Preservation in helping keep Vermont the special place that it is,” Peebles said. “Vermont’s people are deeply connected with the history of their state and their own community, and they value and are proud of that heritage. Historic preservation is a large part of what makes Vermont look like Vermont and I’m honored to continue serving Vermonters in this new capacity.”
Historic preservation is also an important economic development tool, Peebles said, noting that money spent on the rehabilitation of historic buildings benefits the state’s economy as local contractors often perform the work.
Peebles takes over from acting SHPO Nancy Boone, who had held the position since 2008 when Jane Lendway, who had led the Division for Historic Preservation since 2003, retired after 33 years in state service.
Peebles, 58, of Montpelier, joined the Division for Historic Preservation, part of the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development, in 1976 as Vermont’s first State Archeologist.
She has undergraduate and graduate degrees in anthropology, respectively, from Cornell University and Idaho State University and has published numerous scholarly works and has given many presentations on various aspects of Vermont archeology and history locally and nationally. Peebles is currently a candidate for a PhD in anthropology at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Her dissertation centers on a recent initiative for which she received a national grant to create a prototype Internet-based Vermont archeology “museum” to share the wealth of information about the state’s 12,000-year-old history.
During her tenure she has been a passionate advocate for Vermont archeology, working from the beginning with federal and state agencies, non-profits, developers, and landowners to develop processes to protect archeological sites and sensitive lands whenever possible.
Recently she helped establish the Vermont Archaeology Heritage Center in South Burlington, where a large portion of the state’s collections of artifacts, many of which had been held out of state, can be accessed by students and scholars in one place.
The Division for Historic Preservation currently has 12 full-time staff and includes grant and technical assistance programs devoted to the rehabilitation and continued use of historic buildings; protection and interpretation of archeological resources; assistance to communities, developers, and landowners; administration of the 10 state-owned historic sites; and heritage education.
This Week's Top New York History News
By Editorial Staff
- Museums and Lawmakers Mull Sales of Art
- 'Jihad' Jitters at The Met
- Caffe Lena Celebrates 50 Years
- Ax Murderer in Hoosick History
- Frederick Douglass Home A Landmark
- Push to Bring S.S. United States Home
- Checker Cab Company Shuts Down
- Coney Island Strong Man Dead at 104
- Canadian History Mag Gets New Name
- Civil War Flags Suffer Budget Cuts
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Adk Museum Gets Newspaper Preservation Support
By Editorial Staff
The Adirondack Museum at Blue Mountain Lake, in Hamilton County has received a grant in the amount of $4,253 from the New York Newspaper Foundation in support of microfilm services in the museum's research library.
According to Librarian Jerry Pepper, the funds will underwrite the partial cost of preserving twelve newspapers published in the Adirondack Park over the next two years.
The Adirondack Museum has long appreciated the unique role played by local newspapers in documenting every-day life in the Adirondacks, and has collected and microfilmed regional newspapers since 1970. The collection now contains 108 different regional newspaper titles in microfilm format, some dating from the early nineteenth century.
Since 2003 the museum has collaborated with the Northern New York Library Network to increase research access to its microfilmed newspapers and make them available for use on the Internet.
The project, called the Northern New York Historical Newspapers Project, has digitized and electronically indexed 1,693,000 individual pages from forty-four newspapers in the region. The initiative has proven to be a great asset to those interested in the region's unique history: over 12 million online searches of the site are conducted annually.
The Adirondack Museum is grateful for assistance with preparation and submission of the successful grant proposal from John Hammond, Director of the Northern New York Library Network, and Catherine Moore, Publisher of the Adirondack Daily Enterprise.
Exhibit: The Brooklyn Sanitary Fair of 1864
By Editorial Staff
"Healing the Wounds of War: The Brooklyn Sanitary Fair of 1864" is the title of an exhibition that will run January 29th to October 17th at the Brooklyn Museum (Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art, Herstory Gallery, 4th floor). The exhibit will present a selection of artworks and historical objects celebrating the contributions of women to the mid-nineteenth-century Sanitary Movement, which organized Sanitary Fairs in major cities in the Northeast to raise money for the Civil War effort. Although the U.S. Sanitary Commission was headed by men, most of its work was accomplished by thousands of women volunteers. In Brooklyn, women’s organizations orchestrated the hugely successful Brooklyn and Long Island Sanitary Fair.
Highlights of the exhibition include a rare doll made by a young woman named Eliza Lefferts and sold at the Brooklyn Sanitary Fair in 1864; engravings created by Winslow Homer; and the rare book History of the Brooklyn and Long Island Fair, February 22, 1864. The Herstory Gallery is dedicated to exhibitions that elaborate on the lives and
histories of the 1,038 women who are named in Judy Chicago’s The Dinner Party, installed permanently in the adjacent gallery. Represented on The Dinner Party table is Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, the country’s first female physician and a dedicated pioneer of the Sanitary Movement.
The exhibition has been organized by Catherine Morris, Curator of the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art, Brooklyn Museum.
Photo: "Brooklyn Sanitary Fair, 1864. View of the Academy of Music as seen from the stage." Brooklyn Public Library. Brooklyn Collection.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Farmers' Museum Offers Circus Workshop For Kids
By Editorial Staff
The Farmers' Museum in Cooperstown will provide an entertaining way for kids to spend part of their February break by offering a 3-day, circus-themed workshop entitled "Under the Big Top." The workshop is designed for kids ages 10-14 and will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. each day (February 16, 17, and 18) at the Museum. This workshop will help kids discover the fascinating background of circuses and sideshows in New York State and throughout America.
Each day will feature history, art, games, and a chance for children to express their acting talents! Participants will see actual pieces of circus history, learn about clowns and their acrobatic antics, and even take part in a performance.
The cost for the 3-day workshop is $150 for NYSHA members and $200 for non-members. To register or to get more information, contact Karen Wyckoff at 607-547-1410. Circus-themed snacks will be provided but participants are asked to bring a bag lunch each day.
Adirondack Book Awards Call For Submissions
By Editorial Staff
In 2006, the Adirondack Center for Writing (ACW) established the Adirondack Literary Awards, a juried awards program that honors books published in or about the Adirondacks in the previous year. Now one of the most popular annual events of ACW, this year’s deadline is March 8, 2010. Those wishing to submit a book published in 2009 to be considered for an award should send two copies of the book to Director Nathalie Thill, at the ACW office with a brief cover letter including author’s contact information and description of the book’s “qualifications.” Is the author from the Adirondack region, or is the book about or influenced by the Adirondacks in some way?
The cover letter should also name which category the author would like the book to be judged under: fiction, poetry, children’s literature, memoir, nonfiction, or photography. There is no entry fee. Do not include a SASE; books cannot be returned but will become part of reading rooms or libraries. The mailing address is: Adirondack Center for Writing, Paul Smith’s College, PO Box 265, Paul Smiths, New York 12970. Questions may be directed to Nathalie Thill at ACW at 518-327-6278 or info@adirondackcenterforwriting.org.
Winners will be recognized at an awards ceremony to be held in June (date TBA via ACW website) at the Blue Mountain Center, which donates space and resources for the event. In addition to awards in each category mentioned above, there is a People’s Choice Award as part of this festive program. For a complete list of 2009 award winners, please check out the ACW Newsletter/Annual Report at our web site, www.adirondackcenterforwriting.org. Most of the books considered for awards are made available for purchase at the ceremony by the authors, and they are happy to sign their books.
The Adirondack Center for Writing is a resource and educational organization that provides support to writers and enhances literary activity and communication throughout the Adirondacks. ACW benefits both emerging and established writers and develops literary audiences by encouraging partnerships among existing regional organizations to promote diverse programs. ACW is based at Paul Smith’s College and is supported by membership and the New York State Council on the Arts.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Palestinian, Israeli Archivists - 'Archivists of the Year'
By Editorial Staff
The Scone Foundation’s seventh annual Archivist of the Year Award will be awarded jointly to Dr. Yehoshua Freundlich, the Israeli State Archivist, and Mr. Khader Salameh of the Al-Aqsa Library and Muslim Museum. Both will attend the ceremony on January 25 at the CUNY Graduate Center.
This annual award recognizes an archivist who has made a contribution to his or her profession or who has provided support to scholars conducting research in history and biography.
As part of the program, which is open to the public, Professor Rashid Khalidi, Edward Said Professor of Arab Studies, Columbia University and Dr. David N. Myers, Director, UCLA Center for Jewish Studies will discuss “Archives and History”. Dr. Merav Mack of the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute will introduce the award winners and Dr. Chase F. Robinson, Provost of the CUNY Graduate Center and an outstanding scholar of early Islamic history, will moderate the post-discussion.
As conflicting narratives of past events have developed", commented Stanley Cohen, the President of the Scone Foundation, "open archives may very well be instruments to reduce divergence, expand mutual understanding and fruitful cooperation."
Dr. Freundlich has served for many years as the general editor of the series, “Documents on the Foreign Policy of Israel'; he has also edited studies on the Jewish Agency and lectured on the relations between the U.N. and Israel. He joined the Israel State Archives in 1974 and was appointed State Archivist in 2006. He was born in Israel and educated at the Hebrew University with a major in the Modern History of Israel. He also earned a PhD studying diplomatic history of the Zionist Organization 1945-1948.
Mr. Salameh has served as director of the Islamic Museum and director of the al-Aqsa Mosque library for over two decades. He has published several catalogs on Arabic manuscripts, not only at the al-Aqsa library, but at private foundations as well. Mr. Salameh has played an important role in the preservation or archives and has delivered many lectures on the importance of digitization of archives. One of his ongoing concerns is the preservation of Palestinian newspapers from 1900 to the present day. Among his publications is a monograph: “A General Survey of Christians in Jerusalem through the Shari'ah Court Registers.” He was previously employed in the Hebrew University Library and worked as a librarian in Saudi Arabia and as a teacher in Libya. A PhD candidate in Ottoman History, he holds a Masters degree from Hebrew University.
Both honorees are active participants in the Endangered Archives Programme, which has been digitizing endangered archives and is sponsored by the British Library. This program has carried out a survey of the archives and libraries of Jerusalem, under the direction of Mr. Graham Shaw and Dr. Merav Mack. Dr. Mack, a research fellow at the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, with a PhD in medieval history from Cambridge University, will moderate the discussion and introduce the award winners.
Previous recipients of The Scone Foundation’s Archivist of the Year Award have included John Taylor (National Archives), Sheryl Vogt (Richard B. Russell Archives), Jackie Kavanagh (BBC), Dr. David Sutton (Reading University), Dr. Saad Eskander (Iraqi National Library and Archives), and Dr. Conrad Crane, (U.S. Army Military History Institute). Speakers at previous award ceremonies have included Robert Caro, Lord Briggs (ASA Briggs) and Robert Skidelski.
The Archivist of the Year award was established to honor an otherwise unrecognized profession and to offer something more than an acknowledgment in the front or back of a book.
The Scone Foundations is a non-profit that provides grants for artist programs, historical societies, and art schools as well as the annual Calder Prize which provides to a sculptor residency at the Calder home and studio in France. The foundation has also awarded a series of gifts to small Off-Broadway theatrical productions on historical themes at experimental venues like La Momma.
NY Native American and Rev War Records Go Online
By Editorial Staff
A collection of records from New York State pertaining to American Revolution and Native American policy have been recently scanned from paper copy volumes in the New York State Library collection. The documents are full-text searchable and freely available online as PDF documents on the State Library's website. The newly available records include documents relating to military bounty lands, and volumes of New York in the Revolution as Colony and State, which was compiled in the late 19th century from available records of the American Revolution.
The records also include several items related to Native American affairs from the 1940s. Particulalrly those of the New York State Joint Legislative Committee on Indian Affairs, which was established in 1943 "to make a comprehensive study of the rights and obligations of the several tribes of Indians residing upon Indian reservations within the state; to inquire into all treaties, and the nature and extent of the title to lands granted to Indians; and to inquire into all matters relevant to its investigation".
Revolutionary War materials:
The Balloting Book and Other Documents Relating to Military Bounty Lands in the State of New York
This book contains copies of several acts relative to Revolutionary War bounty lands and the payment given of officers and soldiers for service in the War. An alphabetical listing of the names of soldiers and officers in each regiment is provided and includes the rank and company of the soldier, the township number, the lot number, the acreage, and date of patent. Dead and miscellaneous persons laying claim to land are also listed. The book also contains Lieutenant Michael Collonly's return of names from Continental Army muster rolls and an accompanying list of names from the return of Colonel John Lamb. Another section of the book provides the number and names of townships in the military tract. The final section lists the names and lots of Canadian and Nova-Scotia refugees.
New York in the Revolution as Colony and State
This publication is a compilation of papers located in the NYS Comptroller's Department that were arranged and classified by James A. Roberts, Comptroller. The papers included in the volume relate to the services performed by New York in the Revolutionary War, including muster and pay rolls of men serving in the Line, Levies, Militia, and Navy (Privateers). A personal name index and indexes to “sundry persons”, pensioners and applicants for pensions and commanding officers are included in the volume. This 2nd edition was published in 1898.
New York in the Revolution as Colony and State: Supplement
This supplement is a compilation of papers located in the NYS Comptroller’s Department related to the participation of New York State in the Revolutionary War. Included in this supplement is information on aspects of the military and naval service during the War including Courts-Martial, deserters, pay, bounties, pensions, American prisoners of war, hospitals, Indians, fortifications, military Roads, military stores, clothing, provisions, privateers and ships. The volume also includes information on the civil service during the War including the judiciary, the legislature and the executive and executive bodies. This supplement was printed in 1901.
Native American materials:
Hearing before the Joint Committee on Indian Affairs
Thursday, Jan. 4, 1945 at Ten Eyck Hotel, Albany, N.Y., 10 a.m.
This hearing considers federal legislation concerning the criminal and civil jurisdiction of New York State courts over Indian Reservations in New York State. The legislation was intended to end confusion over the extent of federal and state jurisdiction over offenses committed on Indian property within New York State.
Public hearing had at Salamanca, New York Court Room, City Hall
August 4-5, 1943
This hearing was convened by the Joint Legislative Committee on Indian Affairs to gain information on the issues that arose over attempts by New York State to gain and maintain civil and criminal jurisdiction over the Seneca Nation's Allegany Reservation, which included the city of Salamanca. The dispute arose over the authority of the Seneca Nation to cancel land leases in Salamanca for non payment. The leases had been authorized by Congress to establish villages within the Allegany Reservation.
Public hearing had at Thomas Indian School, Cattaraugus Reservation, N.Y.
Wednesday, Sept. 8, 1943
This hearing was convened by the NYS Joint Legislative Committee on Indian Affairs to gain information on the operation of the Thomas Indian School and problems with its operation caused by the conflict between the federal and state governments over what legal authority has jurisdiction on the reservation and ultimate responsibility for regulating affairs of the school.
Report of New York State Joint Legislative Committee on Indian Affairs
The New York State Joint Legislative Committee on Indian Affairs was established by Senate resolution in 1943 "to make a comprehensive study of the rights and obligations of the several tribes of Indians residing upon Indian reservations within the state; to inquire into all treaties, and the nature and extent of the title to lands granted to Indians; and to inquire into all matters relevant to its investigation". (New York State Legislative Manual, 1943). Reports were made annually to the Legislature from 1944-1964. In addition, a supplemental report was made in 1959.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Adirondack History Ski Tour of Great Camp Santanoni
By Editorial Staff
Adirondack Architectural Heritage (AARCH) is kicking-off their 2010 educational series with an interpretive cross-country ski into the 19th-century, Adirondack Great Camp, Camp Santanoni, located in the New York State Forest Preserve. Participants will learn about the camp’s history and architectural significance that make it. The 10-mile round trip ski, along the preserve’s gently sloping historic carriage road, leads into the majestic wilderness estate and a National Historic Landmark. Participants will be able to visit the camp’s three complexes; the Gate Lodge, the Farm, and view the massive log retreat at the Main Camp, the work of architect Robert Robertson. They will also see the authentic Adirondack rustic interiors and learn about the restoration of the camp.
The tour will be led by AARCH staff including John Friauf, a former AARCH Board Member. The group will depart Santanoni Preserve parking area, off Route 28N in the hamlet of Newcomb at 10AM, returning around 3 PM. This is a remote site. Participants are encouraged to bring a trail lunch and plenty of hydration. The fee is $20 for members and $30 for non-members. Advance registration is required by calling AARCH at (518) 834-9328.
Adirondack Architectural Heritage (AARCH) is the private, non-profit, historic preservation organization for the Adirondack Park region. AARCH works in partnership with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the Town of Newcomb to preserve and interpret Camp Santanoni. This tour is one of over fifty events in our annual series highlighting the region’s vast architectural legacy. For more information on AARCH including membership and a complete 2010 program schedule contact AARCH at (518) 834-9328 or visit our website at www.aarch.org.
Finger Lakes Boating Museum Moves Forward With Site
By Editorial Staff
The Board of Directors of the Finger Lakes Boating Museum in Geneva, NY has established a Site Development Committee and are moving forward with ambitous plans for a facility to research, document, preserve, and share the boating history of the Finger Lakes region. The Museum reached agreement with the City of Geneva last fall to establish a permanent home on the Geneva waterfront in association with the Visitor Center. The facility will be located on the current Chamber of Commerce site. The Museum anticipates occupying approximately 20,000 square feet of space initially, with future expansion on the lakefront and off-site eventually growing to approximately 60,000 square feet of space.
Newly elected board president Bill Oben said the Museum has assembled a collection of more than 90 wooden boats built in the Finger Lakes over the past 100 years, as well as numerous related artifacts and extensive reference material. Portions of the collection will be displayed on a rotating basis within the new facility. Also planned are interactive workshops and displays to engage visitors in the design, construction and use of the boats and an active on-water program including sailing and small boat handling.
The board also elected a new slate of officers and appointed four new directors at its January 4th. The officers for 2010 are Bill Oben as President, Ed Wightman as Vice President, Bill Smith as Secretary and Dennis Karalow as Treasurer. The new directors are Chrissy Bennett-West, Dave Bunnell, Vince Scalise and Bruce Tuxill.
Bennett-West is a Geneva native and a graduate of William Smith College. A long-time member of the Seneca Yacht Club, she sails Thistles and serves on the Executive Board as Vice Commodore. She and her husband live in Canandaigua where she is employed as a Special Education teacher in the Canandaigua School System.
Dave Bunnell relocated to Geneva following a 40-year career in law and business. He has practiced law with two commercial law firms in Dallas, Texas, served in senior management positions with international food companies, and engaged in various entrepreneurial activities. He is currently involved with others in efforts to accelerate the revitalization of downtown Geneva. He serves on the Boards of Geneva Growth, the Finger Lakes Regional Arts Council and the Business Improvement District.
Vince Scalise, a Geneva native and Korean War veteran, retired as Superintendent of the Geneva City School System. He has served on numerous boards including Cayuga-Seneca Canalway Trail Association, YMCA, Geneva Growth, Geneva Historical Society, United Way of Rochester and Ontario County, the Geneva Area Chamber of Commerce, and the FL Cultural & Natural History Museum. He has also served on the Geneva City Council.
Bruce Tuxill returned to his native Geneva in 2008 following a 40-year career in the Air Force and Air National Guard. At the time of his retirement he was serving as the Adjutant General of the Maryland National Guard. He is currently the President of the Tuxill Group, which provides consulting service for federal, state and local officials in the areas of national defense and homeland security. He currently serves on the Board of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Geneva and the Vestry of Trinity Episcopal Church.
Bill Oben, is a founding trustee who has served as president of the 300-member Museum since 2007, commented that the organization is “excited about establishing a permanent home for the museum on the Geneva waterfront. We intend to create a world class facility highlighting the boating heritage of the Finger Lakes region,” Oben said.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
US Cultural History Fellowships Announced
By Editorial Staff
The Library Company of Philadelphia and Historical Society of Pennsylvania have announced research fellowships in Colonial and U.S. History and Culture for 2010-2011. The fellowships, outlined below, include generally orientated one-month visiting fellowships, and long term dissertation fellowships, and a dissertation fellowship for the study of Early American Literature and Material Texts.
One-Month Visiting Research Fellowships
These two independent research libraries will jointly award approximately thirty one-month fellowships for research in residence in either or both collections during 2010-2011. The two institutions, adjacent to each other in Center City Philadelphia, have complementary collections capable of supporting research in a variety of fields and disciplines relating to the history of America and the Atlantic world from the 17th through the 19th centuries, as well as Mid-Atlantic regional history to the present. For information on the collections, visit www.hsp.org and www.librarycompany.org.
One-month fellowships carry a stipend of $2,000 and are tenable for any one-month period between June 2010-May 2011. Two Barra Foundation International Fellowships, each for $2,500 plus a travel allowance, are reserved for foreign national scholars resident outside the U. S. Some of the short-term fellowships provide for study in specific fields, such as ethnic and immigrant history; history of the book; African American History; visual culture; and economic history (through the Library Company's Program in Early American Economy and Society). For more detailed information about all of these fellowships, go to www.librarycompany.org/fellowships. We invite inquiries about the appropriateness of proposed topics to jgreen@librarycompany.org. The Library Company's Cassatt House fellows' residence offers rooms at reasonable rates.
The deadline for receipt of one-month fellowship applications is March 1, 2010, with a decision to be made by April 15. To apply, visit www.librarycompany.org/fellowships, fill out an electronic cover sheet, and submit one portable document format (PDF) containing a résumé and a 2-4 page description of the proposed research. One letter of recommendation should arrive under separate cover in PDF format as well. Please email materials to fellowships@librarycompany.org. If you wish you apply for more than one fellowship, simply check more than one box on your electronic cover sheet.
Library Company Long-term Dissertation Fellowships
The Library Company also supports dissertation research in residence through the Albert M. Greenfield Foundation Fellowship (on any subject relevant to its collections) and the Program in Early American Economy and Society Fellowship (for research in economic history). The term of these fellowships is from September 2010 to May 2011, with a stipend of $20,000. The awards may be divided between two applicants, each of whom would spend a semester in residence. The application deadline and procedures are the same as for the one-month fellowships as described above, with the addition of a second letter of reference and a writing sample of about 25 pages.
Dissertation Fellowships in Early American Literature and Material Texts
The McNeil Center for Early American Studies, in collaboration with the Library Company, offers two dissertation fellowships in early American literature and material texts, supported by a new grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Fellows will be in residence from July 2010 through July 2011. The stipend for a 13-month term will be at least $28,000. To apply go to www.mceas.org. Deadline, March 1, 2010.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition Post-Doc Fellowship
By Editorial Staff
The Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition at Yale University invites applications for its 2010-2011 Postdoctoral Fellowship Program. The Center seeks to promote a better understanding of all aspects of the institution of slavery from the earliest times to the present. The Center especially welcomes proposals that will utilize the special collections of the Yale University Libraries or other research collections of the New England area, and explicitly engage issues of slavery, resistance, abolition, and their legacies.
Scholars from all disciplines are encouraged to apply. The GLC offers one-month and four-month residential fellowships to support both established and younger scholars in researching projects that can be linked to the aims of the Center.
For more information visit http://www.yale.edu/glc/info/fellowship.htm.
The application deadline is April 2, 2010.
The Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition
Yale University
PO Box 208206
New Haven, CT 06520-8206
www.yale.edu/glc
gilder.lehrman.center@yale.edu
Phone: 203-432-3339 ~ Fax: 203-432-6943
Friday, January 15, 2010
This Week's New York History Web Highlights
By Editorial Staff
- Ephemeral NY: City College’s Impressive Old Stadium
- Bruce W. Dearstyne: New Yorkers At Their Best
- Journalism Journeyman: 25 Most Influential Journalists
- Bowery Boys: Curtiss's First Long-Distance Flight
- American Folk Art: Hudson River Steamboat Portraits
- Peeling Back the Bark: Gifford Pinchot and Copenhagan
- Syracuse B-4: Syracuse Urban Renewal
- Confessions of a Preservationist: Forgotten Frederick Douglass Site
Hudson Valley History Day This Saturday
By Editorial Staff
Representatives from 15 historic sites and cultural institutions will engage visitors in fun, educational activities January 16 during Hudson Valley History Day at the New York State Museum. The free event will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is the highlight of Family Fun Weekend, January 16-17. The snow date will be Saturday, January 23. Activities will be held throughout the Museum’s first floor.
Participants include the State Museum, New York State Library, Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt-Springwood, Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site, Olana State Historic Site, Hudson River Heritage Organization/Montgomery Place, Albany Heritage Area Visitor Center and Henry Hudson Planetarium, Thomas Cole National Historic Site/Cedar Grove, Clermont State Historic Site, Shaker Heritage Society, Albany County Historical Society/Ten Broeck Mansion, Albany Institute of History and Art, Historic Cherry Hill and Crailo State Historic Site.
Visitors will be able to play the Hudson River Valley Trading Game on a 32-foot long game board at the Historic Cherry Hill table; sketch, write poetry and add to a community landscape at the Thomas Cole table; try weaving and grinding peppermint at the Shaker Society table; design their own stained glass at the Museum table; meet the life-sized Henry Hudson puppet at the Albany Heritage Area Visitor Center table and see historic documents, photographs and other objects at the other locations.
Jeffrey Urbin from the Roosevelt site will offer a lecture at 1:30 p.m. in the Huxley Theater on “How to Prepare Family Archives and a Time Capsule.” At 11 a.m. and noon, he also will provide tours of the This Great Nation Will Endure, an exhibition designed and curated by staff from the FDR site. The exhibition showcases the works of a legendary group of photographers who documented the lives and struggles of Americans enduring the Great Depression.
Tours will also be offered at 1 and 2:30 p.m. of the 1609 exhibition. Michelle Stefanik, a senior exhibition planner at the State Museum, will share information about Henry Hudson and his crew’s exploration of the Hudson River 400 years ago. She also will discuss the Mohican and Native Peoples who were living along the shores, as well as their relationships with the Dutch settlers.
From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2:30 to 4 p.m., visitors will also be able to touch bear fur, try on a cradleboard and learn more about the Haudenosaunee at the hands-on Native Peoples cart, presented by Nancy Berns, a member of the State Museum’s Visitors Services staff.
On Sunday from 1-4 p.m., as part of Family Fun Weekend, the Museum will offer the same stained glass activity as the one on Saturday.
Family Fun Weekends offer theme-based family activities on the third weekend of the month.
The New York State Museum is a cultural program of the New York State Education Department’s Office of Cultural Education. Started in 1836, the Museum has the longest continuously operating state natural history research and collection survey in the United States. Located on Madison Avenue in Albany, the Museum is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission is free. Further information can be obtained by calling (518) 474-5877 or visiting the Museum website at .
New Book: America in the Sixties
By Editorial Staff
Sandwiched between the placid fifties and the flamboyant seventies, the sixties, a decade of tumultuous change and stunning paradoxes, is often reduced to a series of slogans, symbols, and media images. In America in the Sixties, Greene goes beyond the cliches and synthesizes thirty years of research, writing, and teaching on one of the most turbulent decades of the twentieth century.
Greene sketches the well-known players of the period—John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Betty Friedan—bringing each to life with subtle detail. He introduces the reader to lesser-known incidents of the decade and offers fresh and persuasive insights on many of its watershed events.
Greene argues that the civil rights movement began in 1955 following the death of Emmett Till; that many accomplishments credited to Kennedy were based upon myth, not historical fact, and that his presidency was far from successful; that each of the movements of the period—civil rights, students, antiwar, ethnic nationalism—were started by young intellectuals and eventually driven to failure by activists who had different goals in mind; and that the "counterculture," which has been glorified in today’s media as a band of rock-singing hippies, had its roots in some of the most provocative social thinking of the postwar period.
Greene also chronicles the decade in a thematic manner, devoting individual chapters to such subjects as the legacy of the fifties, the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, the civil rights movements, and the war in Vietnam. Combining an engrossing narrative with intelligent analysis, America in the Sixties enriches our understanding of that pivotal era.
John Robert Greene is the Paul J. Schupf Professor of History and Humanities at Cazenovia College. He has written or edited thirteen books including The Limits of Power: The Nixon and Ford Administrations and The Presidency of Gerald R. Ford. He is a regular commentator in the national media, having appeared on such forums as MSNBC, National Public Radio, C-SPAN, and the History Channel.
Note: Books noticed on this site have been provided by the publishers. Purchases made through this Amazon link help support this site.
This Week's Top New York History News
By Editorial Staff
- Push to Bring S.S. United States Home
- Checker Cab Company Shuts Down
- Coney Island Strong Man Dead at 104
- Canadian History Mag Gets New Name
- Civil War Flags Suffer Budget Cuts
- Jeff Co Historical Society Financial Woes
- Final Champlain Bridge Design Chosen
- Museum Demolishes Church to Sell Land
- Lawsuit Looms Over Adult Theater
- Video of GLBT Protest at AHA Meeting
- Woman Who Hid Anne Frank Dies
- 'Albany Beef' To Become Endangered Species?
Thursday, January 14, 2010
This Week's New York History Web Highlights
By Editorial Staff
West Park Presbyterian Church Designated Landmark
By Editorial Staff
On Tuesday, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to designate the West Park Presbyterian Church at 165 West 86th Street on the corner of Amsterdam Avenue as an individual New York City landmark. This move to protect this late 19th-century chapel and church came after decades of activism by concerned neighbors. Originally included in the proposal for the Upper West Side/Central Park West Historic District, the church was left out of the 1990 district designation after opposition from church representatives. Since then, neighbors have had to stave off development proposals and demolition permits, most recently observing workers last year removing pieces of West-Park's interior (it was reported that church was cleaning up from a burst pipe).
For more information, read Historic District Council’s statement on the building and visit Landmark West’s website.
B&Bs With Underground Railroad Connections
By Editorial Staff
Throughout January and February, Americans celebrate the history and accomplishments of African-Americans with Martin Luther King’s birthday in January and Black History Month in February. In recognition, BedandBreakfast.com has described Bed & Breakfasts that were once associated with the Underground Railroad, the informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by slaves to escape to free states, Canada, Mexico, and other countries with the aid of abolitionists.
Here's a list of those in New York State:
Escape Guest House, Brooklyn, NY: This B&B is just a short stroll from Plymouth Church, the “Grand Central Depot” of New York’s Underground Railroad. According to church history, slaves traveling to Canada were hidden in the tunnel-like basement beneath the church sanctuary; you can still visit there today. The church's first pastor, Henry Ward Beecher, was a dedicated abolitionist and younger brother to Harriet Beecher Stowe, famous author of Uncle Tom's Cabin.
Merritt Hill Manor, Penn Yan, NY: One of the first houses built in Jerusalem Township, the land where this B&B sits now was deeded from the Seneca Indians in the Gorham/Phelps purchase. It was once used as a stop on the Underground Railroad for escaped slaves, heading north to freedom in Canada.
Saratoga Farmstead, Saratoga Springs, NY: Former owners and abolitionists Clarissa and Benjamin Dyer used the farmstead to connect to the Underground Railroad. According to some, a young black boy and his enslaved mother died while hiding in the attic. Legend tells that for many years thereafter, each time someone tried to climb the attic stairs, the boy’s ghost put an arm out, tripping the intruder and protecting his mother. During a session with a visiting expert on the paranormal, these ghosts were released to "the next level," and visitors can now navigate the stairs safely.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Archived Websites of Defunct NY State Government
By Editorial Staff
Maybe someone is sending us a message. Just when New York State Governor David Paterson is criticizing his fellow lawmakers over their ethics, the New York State Archives has announced that the archived websites of the defunct organizations designed to investigate political corruption are online. Part of an online collection called Archived State Government Websites, archival copies of the websites of former Governors George Pataki and Eliot Spitzer, along with other former elected officials and those of the defunct bodies such as the Commission of Investigation and the Commission on Lobbying are all available on the New York State Archives' website.
The collection also includes the State Northeastern Queens Nature and Historical Preserve Commission (SNEQ) which was created in 1973 to regulate publicly owned lands and wetlands in northeastern Queens County (eliminated in the 2009-10 Executive Budget).
The Temporary State Commission of Investigation was created in 1958 and had a broad mandate to investigate "corruption, fraud, organized crime, racketeering, money laundering, the conduct of public officers, public employees, officers and employees of public corporations and authorities, and mismanagement in New York State and local government."
Temporary State Commission on Lobbying was created in 1977 and "monitored individuals and organizations seeking to influence State legislation, rules, regulations, and rate-making actions or local laws, ordinances, and regulations." It's mandate (and staff) was transferred to the new State Commission on Public Integrity in 2007.
There is a FAQ about what material on the sites are actually archived, and each record group has a separate FAQ on background and site-specific access problems.
