Public History

Albany Institute Honors Family, Artist at 2010 Gala

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This Friday, June 11, 2010, the Albany Institute of History & Art will honor two longtime supporters at the 2010 Museum Gala: The John D. Picotte Family/Equinox Foundation and renowned artist Stephen Hannock.

Stephen Hannock is renowned for his atmospheric landscapes: compositions of flooded rivers, nocturnes, and large vistas that often incorporate text inscriptions that relate to family, friends, or events of daily life. One of Hannock’s masterpieces employing this technique is “The River Keeper,” which is currently on view in the Albany Institute’s galleries. “Many critics have compared Hannock’s paintings to Thomas Cole, Frederic Edwin Church, and other 19th-century masters,” Miles said. “It is an honor to include Stephen Hannock’s work in exhibitions like Hudson River Panorama.”

Hannock’s paintings are represented in many private and public collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art- the National Gallery of Art- the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston- the National Museum of American Art- Smith College Museum of Art- the Museum of Contemporary Art in San Diego, and the Albany Institute of History & Art. In 1998, Hannock’s work won an Academy Award for “Special Visual Effects” in the motion picture, What Dreams May Come. Hannock divides his time between his studios in Williamstown, Massachusetts, and New York City.

Also being honored at the 2010 Museum Gala is the John D. Picotte Family/Equinox Foundation, who have been a generous supporter of the Albany Institute. The 2010 Museum Gala recognizes them for their courage and vision in supporting the three-year planning, research, and design phases of the Institute’s landmark exhibition, Hudson River Panorama: 400 Years of History, Art, and Culture, now on display through January 2011.

“Few foundations support the planning and research phase of projects because tangible evidence is not obvious in a short period of time,” said Christine Miles, Executive Director of the Albany Institute. “However, it is impossible to create a multidimensional product without this essential support. Thanks to the Equinox Foundation, the Albany Institute has been able to advance our community’s understanding of our regional culture and heritage while working to build the area’s self-esteem.” The multi-pronged project included the involvement of renowned history and science scholars, community groups, teachers, parents, students, and other audiences throughout the design phase, which ultimately resulted in the most successful exhibition and programming in the Albany Institute’s 219-year history.

Tickets for the 2010 Museum Gala are still on sale, and may be purchased online by visiting www.albanyinstitute.org/gala.htm. For more information about the gala, its honorees, or donors, please contact Michael Weidrich, Director of Corporate Development, (518) 463-4478, ext. 414, or [email protected].

Jobs: Cobblestone Society Museum Exec Dir-Curator

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The Cobblestone Society Museum is seeking an Executive Director/Curator. Founded in 1960 to preserve three National Historic Landmark Designated cobblestone buildings in the hamlet of Childs, NY, the Cobblestone Society is a small historical society which has grown to encompass a Museum consisting of 8 historic buildings, including furnished buildings and a Resource Center which houses the Museum’s library. Located in a rural Western New York community in Orleans County, approximately 30 miles west of Rochester, NY, the Museum is just north of the Village of Albion, NY and the historic Erie Canal.

The position of Executive Director/Curator requires a passion for history along with previous non-profit leadership and management, fundraising and grantwriting experience, strong communication skills, excellent writing and interpersonal skills and the ability to form productive relationships with the Board of Trustees, volunteers and the community. A minimum of an undergraduate degree in museum studies,
American history or related field and three years experience will be required.

The position administers the organization’s day-to-day operation, including membership development, volunteers, database and website management, the historic buildings, and management of the collections. Responsibilities also include educational and fundraising programs, grantwriting, supervising volunteers and coordinating programs, events and publications in cooperation with an active Board of Trustees.

Anticipated start date is November 1, 2010. See the Cobblestone Society Museum’s website (www.cobblestonesocietymuseum.org) for a complete job description and required qualifications.

Applications, which must include five [5] copies of a cover letter and resume, must be postmarked by June 15, 2010, and should be mailed to:

Search Committee, Cobblestone Society Museum, P.O. Box 363, Albion, NY, 14411.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor’s Degree in museum studies, or American history, art history, architectural history or related field and three (3) years of experience in the museum field, including at least one year of administrative experience (budgeting, planning, directing and supervising) at a museum or historic site- a Master’s Degree in museum
studies or museum education may be substituted for one year of general experience.

Salary: $21,000-$25,000 (depending on qualifications) plus housing in a single-family 3-bedroom house.

Cobblestone Society and Museum is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

VT Seeks Public Input On Historic Preservation Plan

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As the state prepares to update its plan for preserving Vermont’s unique historic character, officials are hoping to hear from Vermonters about their vision for the historic resources in their communities.

The Vermont Division for Historic Preservation is in the process of revising Vermont’s State Historic Preservation Plan and is holding public meetings in Burlington tonight, and in Rutland on May 25.

“We’re asking the public to provide us with their thoughts on historic preservation,” said Giovanna Peebles, State Historic Preservation Officer and director of the division. “What historic resources are important to them? How is historic preservation relevant to them and how does it contribute to the economy? What should we do, and what can they do?”

Peebles said the state hoped to hear from various stakeholders such as homeowners- developers- municipalities- state and federal agencies- non-profits, educators, and other interested partners.

The state’s historic preservation plan was last updated in 1997, and the plans are done in accordance with guidelines from the National Park Service and the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Tonight’s meeting is in The Firehouse Gallery’s Meeting Room LBG at 149 Church Street in Burlington from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and is sponsored by the City of Burlington and the Lake Champlain Basin Program.

The next meeting will take place on Tuesday, May 25 at the offices of the Green Mountain National Forest at 231 North Main Street in Rutland, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 and is sponsored by the Green Mountain National Forest & Downtown Rutland Partnership.

Further information is available online at www.historicvermont.org or by calling (802) 828-3211.

New York Folklore Society Issues State Budget Action Alert

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&#8220Your assistance is needed now!&#8221 declares an Action Alert e-mail issued by the New York Folklore Society late last week in response to Governor Paterson’s revised Executive Budget which proposes to further slash funding for the arts in New York State. The full text of the Folklore Society’s message follows:

On April 27, 2010, Governor David Paterson announced a revised Executive Budget proposal for the 2010-11 fiscal year. This new proposal recommends a total of $25.2 million for NYSCA’s Local Assistance (grant making) budget for the 2010-11 fiscal year, and the same amount for the following 2011-12 allocation.

This most recent proposal represents a nearly 40% [39.4%] decrease in Local Assistance funding from 2009-10 levels ($41.6 million), far exceeding the cuts proposed for most other New York State agencies.

In his revised Executive Budget, Governor Paterson has also proposed reducing NYSCA’s administrative budget to $4.84 million in 2010-11. This represents a nearly 12% [11.84%] decrease from 2009-10 levels ($5.49 million).

The total proposed 2010-11 budget for NYSCA totals $30.4 million. At this level of funding, New York State’s per capita spending on Arts would drop from $2.48 to $0.77. New York’s ranking as the 3rd highest per capita support for the Arts in the US would drop to 26th, ranking just above Arkansas at $0.74 per capita and below the national average of $0.90 per capita. Source: National Assembly of State Arts Agencies

The New York Folklore Society is a statewide service organization which works to foster the study, promotion, and continuation of New York’s diverse cultural traditions through education, advocacy, support and outreach. Located at 133 Jay Street, Schenectady, New York and found on the world wide web at www.nyfolklore.org.

Adirondack Museum New -Social Media Event May 7th

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History related new media / social media writers and producers are invited to gather at the Adirondack Museum on Friday, May 7, 2010 from 5 until 7 pm for a networking event and backstage tour of the Adirondack Museum’s exhibit &#8220Let’s Eat: Adirondack Food Traditions&#8221.

Bloggers, Twitter users, social media writers and producers and new media journalists, will be getting together in the Adirondack Museum’s &#8220Living With Wilderness Gallery&#8221 for food, drink, and networking, before taking an early behind the scenes look at the Museum’s featured 2010 exhibit.

This event is sponsored by the Adirondack Pub and Brewery and the Adirondack Winery and Tasting Room (both in Lake George), the Adirondack Museum, and Adirondack Almanack.

Please RSVP by May 1st to John Warren at [email protected]

Young Interpreters Sought at The Farmers’ Museum

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The Farmers’ Museum is seeking applicants for its Young Interpreter Program. By pairing young people with museum staff, this popular summer program teaches students about America’s past, helps them develop new skills, and allows them to share their newfound knowledge with museum visitors. Boys and girls between the ages of 12 to 14 as of May 1, 2010, are invited to apply. A limited number of students will be accepted for the program.

The Young Interpreter Program began in 1993. The program takes place at The Farmers’ Museum, a premier rural history museum established in 1943. The museum presents the trades and crafts common to ordinary people of rural 19th-century New York State in its historic village and farmstead. Young interpreters will have the opportunity to work in various selected sites throughout the museum including: Peleg Field Blacksmith Shop, Bump Tavern, Lippitt Farmhouse, Dr. Thrall’s Pharmacy, The Middlefield Printing Office, Todd’s General Store, the Children’s Barnyard, or developing spinning and weaving skills.

Young interpreters are expected to work one day a week for a period of eight weeks, beginning the last week in June and ending the last week in August. Students who would like to participate should submit a one or two-page letter expressing their interest and reasons for wanting to be a Young Interpreter, as well as an explanation of where they would like to work and why, to: Young Interpreter Program, The Farmers’ Museum, P.O. Box 30, Cooperstown, NY 13326. Letters of application must be received by May 15, 2010. Letters of reference are not necessary. A committee of museum staff will review the applications. Candidates may be asked for an interview. Applicants will be chosen based on their commitment and interest, maturity, willingness to learn, and ease with the public. Students applying for the Young Interpreter Program must have parental permission and transportation to the museum during the course of the program.

For more information, please contact Deborah Brundage at 607-547-1484.

Hyde Collection Promotes Erin Coe to Deputy Director

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The Hyde Collection Executive Director David F. Setford has announced that Erin B. Coe has been promoted to deputy director, curatorial affairs and programming, which went into effect January 1, 2010.

Coe, who has served The Hyde as chief curator since 1999, was also appointed deputy director in 2007. In her new capacity, she will continue to serve as the Museum’s chief curator and take on additional responsibilities including overseeing the education department. In her expanded role, she works closely with The Hyde’s director of education on developing and growing the Museum’s offerings of adult programs and outreach initiatives.

“Erin is one of The Hyde’s true assets,” said Setford. “Her knowledge of art and Text Box: Erin B. Coe, deputy director, curatorial affairs and programming, The Hyde Collectionthe museum world, along with her strong connection to the community, make her the perfect person to oversee both the curatorial and programming activities of the Museum.”

Coe served as in-house curator for last year’s highly successful Degas & Music exhibition and has curated more than twenty-five exhibitions at The Hyde Collection. She is responsible for the current exhibition, An Enduring Legacy: American Impressionist Landscape Paintings from the Thomas Clark Collection, on view in the Charles R. Wood Gallery through March 28, 2010. She recently authored an article for the prestigious American Art Review and has written for several other national periodicals, including The Magazine Antiques and the Catalogue of Antiques and Fine Art.

During her tenure at The Hyde, she oversaw the interior restoration of Hyde House, the Museum’s historic building and has been the recipient of several honors including The Business Review’s “40 Under Forty”and the Brunshwig & Fils Scholarship to attend the prestigious Attingham Summer School for the Study of Architecture, Fine, and Decorative Arts in the U.K.

Coe has served on several area boards, including the Marcella Sembrich Memorial Association, and the Lake George Arts Project. She currently serves on the board of the de Blasiis Chamber Music Series.

New-York Historical Society Wins Lincoln Award

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The 2009 Barondess/Lincoln Award was presented at the Round Table’s 537st meeting by Len Rehner, Past President of the CWRT of New York and Chairman of the Awards Committee, and Charles Mander, Current President. Accepting the award for the The New-York Historical Society were three recipients: Dr. Louise Mirrer, President and Chief Executive Officer- Harold Holzer, Chief Historian- and Richard Rabinowitz, Chief Curator for the Exhibit.

The Barondess/Lincoln Award was established in 1960. Dr. Barondess was a distinguished charter member and former vice president of the Civil War Round Table of New York, and this award is presented in his memory. These awards, in the form of a copy of a bust of Lincoln, is given annually “to any person or institution and for any contribution to the greater appreciation of the life and works of Abraham Lincoln.” Previous winners have included Doris Kearns Goodwin, Craig Symonds, Gabor Boritt, William Gienapp, William C. Davis, Gary Wills, William Safire, and Gore Vidal, just to name a few.

In its exhibit, “Lincoln and New York,” Awards-Committee Chairman Len Rehner described to the audience how “Lincoln can be seen and felt through the incredible artifacts and memorabilia on display.” He explained how “This evocative show takes one back in time to the visit Lincoln paid to New York in February, 1860 to deliver his Presidential credentials speech at the Cooper Union. Room after room reveals the New York City of then and the political whirl over the impending Presidential election. You step into another dimension—be it a saloon with its spittoons or the handbills advertising the excitement of this new man’s appearance.”

ABOUT THE RECIPIENTS

A preeminent educational and research institution, The New-York Historical Society is home to New York City’s oldest museum and one of the nation’s most distinguished independent research libraries. Founded in 1804, the Society is dedicated to presenting exhibitions and public programs and fostering research that reveals the dynamism of history and its influence on today’s world. Its holdings cover four centuries of American history, and include one of the world’s greatest collections of historical artifacts, American art, and other materials documenting the history of the United States as seen through the prism of New York City and New York State.

Named President and Chief Executive Officer of The New-York Historical Society in 2004, Dr. Louise Mirrer holds a Ph.D in Spanish and Humanities from Stanford University and has over 20 years of experience as an academic administrator, most recently serving as Executive Vice Chancellor for Academics at CUNY. An eminent scholar in her field, Dr. Mirrer has published widely on language, literature, medieval studies, and women’s studies, both books and articles, in Spanish and English. Her most recent book is Women, Jews, and Muslims in the Reconquest Castile.

One of the leading public historians in the United States with over thirty years of experience in creating new museums, exhibits, media presentations, and educational programs, Richard Rabinowitz is the founder and president since 1980 of the American History Workshop. A scholar of American social and religious history, Dr. Rabinowitz has taught at Harvard, Skidmore and Scripps colleges. His book, The Spiritual Self in Everyday Life: The Transformation of Personal Religious Experience in Nineteenth-Century New England has been recognized as a “thoughtful analysis of what it has meant to be religious in America.” An award-winning museum and exhibit planner, Dr. Rabinowitz graduated summa cum laude from Harvard College and received his Ph.D in History of American Civilization from Harvard University.

A prolific writer and lecturer and a frequent guest on television, Harold Holzer was Co-Chairman of the United States Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. He has authored or co-authored over thirty books on Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War. Mr. Holzer has won four Barondess/Lincoln Awards from the Civil War Round Table of New York- a 2005 Lincoln Prize, perhaps the most prestigious award in the field, for Lincoln at Cooper Union(2004)- the coveted Nevins-Freeman Award from the Civil War Round Table of Chicago- and three Awards of Achievement from the Lincoln Group of New York. Educated at the City University of New York, he is currently senior vice president for external affairs at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
ABOUT THE CIVIL WAR ROUND TABLE OF NEW YORK

Founded in 1951, The Civil War Round Table of New York generally meets the second Wednesday of the month from September to June. Members assist each other with research, discuss preservation strategy for endangered battlefield, and listen to a distinguished speaker talk about a particular aspect of the war. For the year 2009/2010, the meeting location will be the 3 West Club, 3 West 51st Street in Manhattan.

For more information on the Civil War Round Table of New York, please contact The Civil War Round Table of New York at our mailing address: 139-33 250th Street, Rosedale, New York 11422. Or, if you prefer, call , or email us at [email protected]. Check out our website at www.cwrtnyc.org.

ABOUT THE LINCOLN MASK

A number of years ago, Dr. Mark D. Zimmerman was attempting to negotiate the purchase of a Roman death mask at an antique store. Hanging nearby was a plaster mask the origin of which no one seemed to know other than it had been included in a large estate sale whose contents were not well documented. As it turned out, it happened to be the mask of Abraham Lincoln.

After several years of Internet searches and endless phone calls to private individuals, major museums, private collections, and many other sources, Dr. Zimmerman realized that this mask was an authentic 19th century cast from the original 1860 Leonard Wells Volk life mask. The mask was evaluated at a major university archival research center. Comparisons were made with their own authentic Lincoln Plaster Mask, and the facial markings, structure and measurements necessary to provide authenticity were exact.

Dr. Zimmerman took the plaster cast to the Bronzart foundry in Sarasota, Florida, and they carefully reproduced the exact mask in bronze from the plaster using the “lost wax technique.” The Bronze mask weighs approximately 15 pounds with the base of polished black absolute granite weighing 14 pounds. Abraham Lincoln’s exact signature is inscribed in the front of the base. The face swivels on a brass pin imported from Italy. The total height is approximately 15 inches and the mask alone is 12.5 inches.

Through his generosity, Dr. Zimmerman donated these pieces of art to the Civil War Round Table of New York to be used as the Barondess/Lincoln Award.

Photo: Recipients of the Barondess/Lincoln Award for The New-York Historical Society: Harold Holzer, Chief Historian- Valerie Paley, Historian For Special Projects (accepting for Dr. Louise Mirrer, President and CEO)- and Richard Rabinowitz, Chief Curator (Photo Credit: R. L. Burke)

Massachusetts Historical Society Featured on NBC

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Over one year ago, on January 27, 2009, there was a rare celebrity sighting at the nation’s oldest historical society, the Massachusetts Historical Society (MHS). Actress Sarah Jessica Parker, best known for HBO’s Sex and the City, visited the reading room to work with material from the Society’s manuscript collections as part of filming for the inaugural episode of NBC’s new series Who Do You Think You Are? The program, an American adaptation of the hit British documentary series by the same title, follows well-known celebrities as they discover their proverbial roots, researching their ancestors in an attempt to learn more about their families and themselves.

During her visit, Ms. Parker registered as a researcher and followed the standard MHS rules that apply to researchers working in the reading room. The one, highly unusual exception was that the Society allowed the film crew to follow her and record her as she researched her ancestors. Reference librarian Elaine Grublin spent some time with Ms. Parker in the catalog room, helping her identify and call for the material she wanted to see, and then brought the manuscripts to her in the reading room. Ms. Parker’s examination of the materials led to some surprising discoveries.

After filming wrapped, Ms. Parker stopped in the lobby to chat with a couple of Emerson College students that had also been conducting research. She stayed on into the evening for a tour and the chance to see some of the Society’s treasures, asking detailed questions about the collections. While looking at selected materials from the Adams Family Papers, Ms. Parker noted that her birthday, March 25, was the same date that Thomas Jefferson wrote his last letter to John Adams.

When an MHS staff member pointed out that a portrait of Lieutenant Frederick Hedge Webster, who was killed in action in 1864 while serving in the Massachusetts 54th Regiment, bore an uncanny resemblance to Ms. Parker’s husband, Matthew Broderick, who played Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, also of the 54th, in the film Glory, she enthusiastically agreed.

Unfortunately, the MHS cannot disclose which documents Ms. Parker requested to see or what she learned from her research. Instead, those interested will have to tune in to the series debut on NBC on Friday, March 5, 2010, at 8:00 PM to learn more about the Society’s role in Sarah Jessica Parker’s journey of genealogical discovery and enjoy the MHS and its reading room staff’s 15 minutes of fame.

For more about the Massachusetts Historical Society, visit their website at www.masshist.org.

Thomas Cole National Historic Site Seeks Volunteers

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Folks at the Thomas Cole National Historic Site in Catskill, NY are busy preparing for the 2010 season and are looking for volunteers. They’re currently seeking volunteer docents to conduct tours of the site from May through October. They are also recruiting guides for their hiking program on the Hudson River School Art Trail.

Everyone is invited to an Open House on March 14th, 12 noon, with behind-the-scenes tours and an opportunity to meet other volunteers and ask questions about becoming a docent. The Open House will be followed by a lecture about American landscape painting by Dr. Linda S. Ferber, offered as part of the Cole House’s ongoing Sunday Salon series. Participants in the 12pm Open House will also receive refreshments and complimentary admission to the 2pm lecture.

Reservations are required for participation in the Open House. Admission is free. For more information, please contact Joanna Frang, Education Coordinator, at 518-943-7465 ext. 2, or [email protected].