Welcome Nick Pavlik of NY Archivists Round Table

Please join us in welcoming our latest contributor from the New York Archivists Round Table, Nick Pavlik. Nick is the archivist for the 92nd Street Y, one of New York City’s preeminent community and cultural institutions. He is responsible for the management of all records documenting the Y’s rich history, which extends back to 1874 and testifies to the Y’s vital role in serving New York’s Jewish community, as well as its important contribution to New York’s intellectual and cultural life through the presentation of talks, lectures, and performances by celebrated national and international political leaders, literary figures, musicians, and performing artists.

Nick was also a member of the project team for &#8220Uncovering the Secrets of Brooklyn’s Nineteenth-Century Past: Creation to Consolidation,&#8221 an archival survey project at the Brooklyn Historical Society (BHS) that resulted in the creation of hundreds of online descriptive records for BHS’s unique archival collections documenting several aspects of Brooklyn’s nineteenth-century history. Nick has also interned as an archivist at the American Museum of Natural History and the New York Transit Museum.

On New York History, Nick will be posting content related to the myriad activities of the Archivists Round Table as it works to cultivate collaborations among New York City’s archival repositories and foster greater public understanding of the role archivists play in preserving and providing access to the historical record.

Help NYCs Dept of Records, Information Services

At the behest of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, the New York City Council has proposed legislation that would eliminate the autonomy of New York City’s Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS), the agency that is responsible for the records and archival documents produced by past and present City governments. The proposed legislation (Int. 486-2011) would place the currently independent agency within the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS).

If passed, this legislation would significantly downgrade the authority of DORIS within City government and potentially put at risk its ability to preserve, protect and make accessible the intellectual legacy of one of the world’s greatest cities. A full position statement on the proposed legislation is available on the Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York’s website at http://nycarchivists.org/.

Please add your name to the sign-on letter to oppose the proposed legislation, and advocate for the preservation of DORIS as an autonomous records agency, with the financial support and professional respect it deserves. The sign-on letter is located at http://nycarchivists.org/doris_petition. Every signature matters. Help New York City, as an international cultural and financial leader, and the place with the greatest variety and highest density of archives in the world, set the standard for how a democratic government preserves and makes accessible its documentary heritage.

The Hulett Hotel Fire on Lake George

The rise of local and specialist history publishers such as Arcadia and History Press has been a boon to local history and an opportunity part-time writers and historians to have their work published outside the vanity press. One of those part-timers is George Kapusinski, long time denizen of Huletts Landing on Lake George and publisher of The Huletts Current blog. His second effort for History Press (his previous work Huletts Landing on Lake George was published by Arcadia) has just been published, and it’s a fascinating and well-written account of the devastating fire at the Hulett Hotel 1915. Even more revealing is the well-researched tale of the trial held in the aftermath of the fire.

Broken into 12 chapters, which include short, readable and informative sub-chapters, The Hulett Hotel Fire on Lake George (History Press, 2012) features a set of unique photos of the events surrounding the fire and the fire’s aftermath, only recently discovered taped to the back of an Abe Lincoln lithograph. But this is more than the tale of the fire and the rebuilt hotel’s preeminence among early 20th century Lake George resorts. After the hotel was rebuilt, a mysterious figure claimed that the hotel’s owner, William H. Wyatt, had paid him to start the fire. Kapusinski investigates the resultant arson trial in detail, including the burning of Wyatt’s former Glenwood Hotel just three years earlier at Lake Bomoseen.

In a wide ranging narrative, Kapusinski takes us into the time period, explores the places (including Wyatt’s Trojan Hotel in Troy where he was arrested), and explores the motives and character of the those involved. A great read.

Note: Books noticed on this site have been provided by the publishers. Purchases made through this Amazon link help support this site.

This Weeks Top New York History News

  • Am Rev News Coverage Database Announced
  • Oldest Forest Discovered in Schoharie Co
  • The Algonquin’s Oak Room Is Dead
  • FamilySearch Adds 2.8M New Records
  • Gaddis Wins History Prize for Kennan Bio
  • AHA Project to Define &#8220Core of Historical Study&#8221
  • March is Women’s History Month
  • SUNY Plattsburgh Featured in Archives Contest
  • Dispute Erupts Over the Fate of Mural
  • Cooper-Hewitt Releases Online Dataset
  • Each Friday morning New York History compiles for our readers the previous week’s top stories about New York’s state and local history. You can find all our weekly news round-ups here.

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    This Weeks New York History Web Highlights

    Each Friday afternoon New York History compiles for our readers the previous week’s top weblinks about New York’s state and local history. You can find all our weekly round-ups here.

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    Canadian Friends of Fort de La Presentation Formed

    A new organization, Canadian Friends of Fort de La Presentation, is partnering with the Fort La Presentation Association in Ogdensburg, New York to advance the education of Canadians in general and students in particular in shared Canadian and American colonial history.

    Through seven decades – 1749 to 1813 – encompassing the Seven Years War, the American Revolution and the War of 1812, Canadian and American history intertwined at the mouth of the Oswegatchie River in what is now Ogdensburg, New York.


    “The Canadian Friends will develop educational programs and resources, undertake research to advance historical knowledge and widely share these assets through media, local projects and other services,” said Michael Whittaker, president of the Canadian Friends of Fort de La Presentation. “The forts which once stood on Ogdensburg’s Lighthouse Point, La Presentation from 1740 to 1759, Oswegatchie from 1760 to 1796 and Presentation until 1813, are rooted in Canadian history from the last years of New France through the first 50 years of British colonial rule.”

    With recognition as a non-profit corporation by the Canada Revenue Agency, the Canadian Friends of Fort de La Presentation is undertaking a campaign to attract members and donations for which charitable tax receipts will be issued. All communications from the Canadian Friends will be in English and French.

    They are already working actively with the Fort La Presentation Association to plan the fourth annual War of 1812 Symposium in Ogdensburg April 27 and 28, 2012. The symposium, featuring four speakers from each country, will attract an audience drawn equally from Canada and the USA .

    “We hope to fund the Canadian speakers at the War of 1812 symposium,” said Mr. Whittaker. “I live in Bishop’s Mills and know those of us on the Ontario side of the St. Lawrence River look forward to expanding our co-operation with our friends in New York .”

    Two of the historians featured in the recent PBS production, “The War of 1812,” are giving seminars at the 2012 symposium. Four other historians who appeared in the production have presented at previous symposia.

    Social Studies Curriculum: Time to Speak Up

    If you are interested in strengthening the teaching of New York State and local history in New York’s schools, now is the time to speak up.

    A recent post by Peter Feinman informed us that the State Education Department is now working on revision of the state social studies standards. The current standards, last revised several years ago, are in need of revision and updating. Read more