Maritime History Focus of Summer NEH Institute

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&#8220The American Maritime People&#8221 will be a six-week college and university teacher institute for 25 participants on American maritime history from the colonial era to the present June 21st to July 30, 2010 at The Frank C. Munson Institute of American Maritime Studies, Mystic Seaport, CT.

The purpose of the &#8220American Maritime People&#8221 NEH Institute at Mystic Seaport is &#8220to provide college teachers&#8230- with the opportunity to enhance course offerings by studying the influence of maritime activities on U.S. history and culture.&#8221 This, the third such NEH Institute, will build on the latest research in studies of the sea, which has recently been the focus of increasing scholarly interest. In a series of seminars, &#8220The American Maritime People&#8221 will employ interdisciplinary perspectives on American maritime studies, with an emphasis on the most recent social, cultural and ecological approaches.

The campus for the six weeks of study will be Mystic Seaport, the Museum of America and the Sea. As the largest maritime museum in the nation, Mystic Seaport includes 17 acres of riverfront property, 60 historic buildings, 500 traditional watercraft, 1,000,000 manuscript pieces, and over 1,000,000 artifacts. While the seminar hall will be the focus of the institute, Mystic Seaport, and the maritime region of which it is a
part, will be used to inform further study through tours and exploration.

Mystic, Connecticut is located in the southeastern corner of the state where the waters of Long Island Sound meet the North Atlantic. As such, the greater Mystic area has a long history of maritime activity, from colonial shipbuilding, fishing, whaling, and merchant trade to the current presence of nuclear submarine construction and operations. The University of Connecticut’s maritime campus and the US Coast Guard
Academy are a short drive away.

The stipend for NEH Fellows is $4,500, for the six-week institute. These funds should comfortably cover travel expenses, housing and food for the summer session. Books and other resources are also to be purchased with stipend monies.

Faculty will include: Co-Directors Glenn S. Gordinier and Eric Paul Roorda as well as James T. Carlton, Mary K. Bercaw Edwards, John B. Hattendorf, John Odin Jensen, I. Roderick Mather, Matthew McKenzie, Lisa Norling, Marcus Rediker, Helen Rozwadowski, Daniel Vickers, James O. Horton and W. Jeffrey Bolster.

Eligibility: These projects are designed primarily for teachers of American undergraduate students, but other qualified scholars and graduate students may apply.

Completed applications should be submitted to the address below and should be postmarked no later than March 2, 2010.

Dr. Glenn S. Gordinier
Attn: The American Maritime People
Munson Institute
Mystic Seaport
75 Greenmanville Ave.
Mystic, CT 06355-0990
[email protected]

New Netherland: Hendricks Award Seeks Submissions

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The annual Hendricks Manuscript Award application is due March 15. This award is given to the best published or unpublished book-length manuscript relating to any aspect of the Dutch colonial experience in North America. This Award, endowed by Dr. Andrew A. Hendricks, carries a prize of $5,000 and a framed Len Tantillo print with a brass name plate.

Entries must be based on research completed or published within two years prior to first submission. Manuscripts may deal with any aspect of New Netherland history. Biographies of individuals whose careers illuminate aspects of the history of New Netherland are eligible, as are manuscripts dealing with such cultural matters as literature and the arts, provided that in such cases the methodology is historical.

Edited collections of articles that meet the above criteria are eligible- however, works of fiction and works of article length are not eligible. The successful entry should be well written, adequately researched and documented, demonstrate thorough knowledge of primary sources, follow accepted scholarly standards, and contribute to the scholarship in the field.

Three clear, readable photocopies of the manuscript must be submitted on or before March 15 , with a letter of intent to enter the contest. The prize-winner, chosen by a five-member panel of scholars, is selected in May or June. The prize is given at an awards ceremony in conjunction with the annual Rensselaerswijck Seminar, held in September. Reasonable travel expenses will be reimbursed.

Address entries to Hendricks Manuscript Award Committee

New Netherland Institute
P.O. Box 2536, ESP Station
Albany, NY 12220-0536

Previous Hendricks Award Winners:

1987 Oliver A. Rink, Holland on the Hudson: An Economic and Social History of Dutch New York (Cornell University Press, 1986).

1988 Thomas E. Burke, Jr., &#8220The Extremest Part of All: The Dutch Community of Schenectady, New York, 1661-1710 (Ph.D. dissertation State University of New York at Albany, 1984). Published as Mohawk Frontier: The Dutch Community of Schenectady, New York, 1661-1720 (Cornell University Press, 1992).

1989 Firth H. Fabend, A Dutch Family in the Middle Colonies, 1660-1800 (Rutgers University Press, 1991).

1990 David William Voorhees, &#8220&#8216-In Behalf of the true Protestants religion’: The Glorious Revolution in New York&#8221 (Ph.D. dissertation, New York University, 1988).

1991 Joyce Goodfriend, Before the Melting Pot: Society and Culture in Colonial New York City, 1664-1730 (Princeton University Press, 1992).

1992 David E. Narrett, Inheritance and Family Life in Colonial New York City(Cornell University Press, 1992).

1993 David S. Cohen, The Dutch-American Farm (New York University Press, 1992).

1994 Martha Dickinson Shattuck, &#8220A Civil Society: Court and Community in Beverwijck, New Netherland, 1652-1664&#8243- (Ph. D. dissertation, Boston University, 1993).

1995 Willem F. Eric Nooter, &#8220Between Heaven and Earth: Church and Society in Pre-Revolutionary Flatbush, Long Island&#8221 (Ph.D. dissertation, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1995).

1996 Dennis J. Maika, &#8220Commerce and Community: Manhattan Merchants in the Seventeenth Century&#8221 (Ph.D. dissertation, New York University, 1995).

1997 Dennis C. Sullivan, &#8220The Punishment of Crime in Colonial New York: The Dutch Experience in Albany during the Seventeenth Century&#8221 (Ph.D. dissertation, State University of New York at Albany, 1995).

1998 Paul A. Otto, &#8220New Netherland Frontier: Europeans and Native Americans along the Lower Hudson River, 1524-1664&#8243- (Ph.D. dissertation, Indiana University, 1994).

1999 J. A. Jacobs, &#8220Nieuw-Nederland: het tere begin van een pas ontluikend land&#8221 (Ph.D. dissertation, Leiden University, 1999).

2000 Cynthia Van Zandt, &#8220Negotiating Settlement: Colonialism, Cultural Exchange and Conflict in Early Colonial Atlantic North America, 1580-1660&#8243- (Ph.D. dissertation, University of Connecticut, 2000).

2001 Adriana Van Zwieten, &#8220A Little Land to Sow Some Seeds&#8221 (Ph. D. dissertation, Temple University, Philadelphia, 2001).

2002 No recipient

2003 Benjamin Schmidt, Innocence Abroad: the Dutch Imagination and the New World, 1570- 1670, Cambridge University Press, 2001

2004 Simon Middleton, Privilege and Profits: Tradesmen in Colonial New York, 1624-1750, University of Pennsylvania Press (Expected date of publication: 2006)

2005 Mark Meuwese, &#8220For the Peace and Well-Being of the Country: Intercultural Mediators and Indian-Dutch Relations in New Netherland and Dutch Brazil (1600-1664),&#8221 (Ph.D. dissertation. University of Notre Dame, 2005).

2006 No recipient

2007 1) Jeroen van den Hurk, &#8220Imagining New Netherland: Origins and Survival of Netherlandic Architecture in Old New York, 1614-1776&#8243- (Ph.D. dissertation, University of Delaware, 2006).

2007 2) Kees Jan Waterman&#8221&#8216-To Do Justice to Him and Myself’: Evert Wendel’s Account Book of the Fur Trade with Indians in Albany, New York, 1695-1726,&#8221 (ms. to be published by the American Philosophical Society.)

2008 W. Th. M. Frijhoff, Fulfilling God’s Mission: The Two Worlds of Dominie Everardus Bogardus, 1607-1647, Myra Heerspink Scholz, trans. (Leiden: Brill, 2007).

2009 James Bradley, Before Albany: An Archeology of Native-Dutch Relations in the Capital Region, 1600-1664 (Albany: New York State Museum Bulletin 509, 2007).

Viva Woman! at Brooklyn Museums March 6

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The Brooklyn Museum’s First Saturdays events attract thousands of visitors to free programs of art and entertainment each month. March’s First Saturday celebrates the talent and power of women throughout history. Highlights include the new exhibition Kiki Smith: Sojourn on view in the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art- a special performance by renowned Haitian vocalist Emeline Michel- a screening of Deepa Mehta’s Water- a discussion by author Staceyann Chin of her new book The Other Side of Paradise- and a dance party hosted by DJ Mary Mac.

SCHEDULE OF PROGRAMS

5 p.m. Gallery Tour
Join a Museum Guide for a tour of the exhibition To Live Forever: Art and the Afterlife in Ancient Egypt.

5-11 p.m. Object of the Month
Spend some time with the sculpture Mother with Child in the African galleries. A special activity takes place in front of the artwork at 8 p.m.

6-8 p.m. Music
Emeline Michel blends Haitian compas, twoubadou, and rara with jazz and other types of world music. Part of the Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concert Series.

6-8:30 p.m. Film
Water (Deepa Mehta, 2005, 117 min., PG-13) examines the plight of a group of widows forced into poverty at a temple in the holy city of Varanasi, India, in 1938. A question-and-answer session with Gayatri Gopinath, Associate Professor of Gender and Sexuality Studies at New York University, follows the screening. Free timed tickets are available at the Visitor Center at 5:30 p.m.

6:30-8:30 p.m. Hands-On Art
Create a clay figure inspired by one of history’s powerful women. Free timed tickets are available at the Visitor Center at 5:30 p.m.

7 p.m. Curator Talk
Yekaterina Barbash, Assistant Curator of Egyptian Art, highlights images of women and goddesses in the exhibition Body Parts: Ancient Egyptian Fragments and Amulets. Free timed tickets are available at the Visitor Center at 6 p.m.

7-8 p.m. Discussion
Filmmaker Barbara Hammer talks about her new book Hammer! and her involvement in the feminist movement. Free timed tickets are available at the Visitor Center at 6 p.m.

8 p.m. Curator Talk
Catherine Morris, Curator of the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art, discusses Kiki Smith and her work. Sign Language-interpreted. Free timed tickets are available at the Visitor Center at 7 p.m.

8:30 p.m. Young Voices Gallery Talk
Student Guides on female figures throughout the ancient Egyptian collection.

9 p.m. Book Club
Jamaican performance artist Staceyann Chin discusses her memoir, The Other Side of Paradise.

9-11 p.m. Dance Party
DJ Mary Mac hosts a dance party highlighting the queens of hip-hop and soul.

Throughout the evening, a cash bar will offer beer and wine, and the Museum Cafe will serve a wide variety of sandwiches, salads, and beverages. The Museum Shop will remain open until 11 p.m.

Some First Saturday programs have limited space and must be ticketed- lines for free tickets often form 30 minutes in advance. Programs are subject to change without notice. Museum admission is free after 5 p.m. Museum galleries are open until 11 p.m. Parking is a flat rate of $4 from 5 to 11 p.m.

For more information, visit www.brooklynmuseum.org.

Photo: Staceyann Chin. Photo Courtesy of the Artist

Marcus Garvey Foundation Offers Research Grants

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The non-profit Marcus Garvey Memorial Foundation, established in 1961 in New York City, and whose work is informed by the educational philosophy and ideals of Marcus Garvey, is offering two research fellowships on topics related to Africa and the African diaspora, and those related to the Universal Negro Improvement Association, the African Communities League, and/or Marcus Garvey’s organizational activities.

Proposals are welcome on a wide variety of research topics (and in a wide variety of disciplines), but will be evaluated based on their relevance to key questions in the field of African and African diaspora studies and on the basis of their unique contribution to scholarship.

Marcus Garvey Foundation Research Fellowship:

This fellowship – named in honor of the Marcus Garvey Foundation – looks to support doctoral candidates doing primary research in the humanities and social sciences on topics related to Africa and the African diaspora. Those doctoral candidates using archival collections and/or conducting oral histories are especially encouraged to apply. Research fellows receive grants of $500 to help defray research expenses.

2) Jean Harvey Slappy Research Fellowship:

This fellowship – named in honor of Jean Harvey Slappy, a long-time board member of the Marcus Garvey Foundation – looks to support doctoral candidates working on aspects of the history of the U.N.I.A. (Universal Negro Improvement Association), the A.C.L. (African Communities League), and/or Marcus Garvey’s organizational activities, and who wish to use the recently deposited papers of Thomas W. Harvey, located at Emory University’s Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library. Research fellows receive grants of $500 to help defray expenses associated with travel to and use of the archival collection.

APPLYING FOR THE FELLOWSHIPS:

All applications & attachments must be received by March 17, 2010. Decisions will be announced on May 1, 2010. Required application materials:

A 2-page summary of the larger research project

A 1-page description of the specific project with a line-item budget (for up to $500.00) and timeline for the specific research to be carried out with the grant

CV (no longer than 2 pages)

One recommendation from an advising professor

For more information, contact the Garvey Foundation at GarveyFoundation(at)gmail.com- or at:

Marcus Garvey Foundation
P.O. Box 42379
Philadelphia, PA 19101

Call For Papers: NYS Association of European Historians

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The New York State Association of European Historians (NYSAEH) is currently seeking proposals for presentations and volunteers to chair sessions at this year’s annual conference to be held at Siena College, in Louudonville (near Albany), NY September 24-25, 2010. The conference will feature a keynote address by Lara Frader, Professor of History at Northeastern University and Senior Associate at the Minda de Gunzberg Center for European Studies at Harvard University. Among her many publications are Peasants and Protest: Agricultural Workers, Politics and Unions in the Aude, 1850-1914 (1991) and Breadwinners and Citizens: Gender in the Making of the French Social Model (2008).

Proposals for papers and/or panels should be submitted by April 30, 2010 to:

James Valone
Canisius College
2001 Main Street
Buffalo NY 14208

[email protected]

New Paltz Talk: Early Hearths of the Hudson Valley

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Historic Huguenot Street in New Paltz is known for its unique architecture and for the preservation of the houses built by the community’s founding families. On Saturday, Huguenot Street continues its Second Saturday’s Lecture Series with a lecture by Rob Sweeney, local historian and old house enthusiast, titled &#8220Early Hearths of the Hudson Valley.&#8221

The talk will begin at 7pm on Saturday, February 13th in Deyo Hall, which is located on Broadhead Avenue between Chestnut and Huguenot Streets in downtown New Paltz. There is a $7 charge per person ($5 for Friends of Historic Huguenot Street). Refreshments will follow Sweeney’s talk. In the case of inclement weather, the talk will be postponed to February 20th.

Rob Sweeney is a board member of Hudson Valley Vernacular Architecture, the historian for the Town of Ulster and the owner of the Benjamin Ten Broeck House, a stone house built in 1751. His presentation will trace the evolution of the &#8220jambless fireplace,&#8221 a style that dates to medieval Europe and which can be found in the houses of Historic Huguenot Street, to the popularity of the &#8220Rumford Fireplace&#8221 of the early 19th century. Sweeney will also explore the role of tradition over comfort among the residents within the region.

Historic Huguenot Street (HHS), located on the banks of the Wallkill River, is where small group of French-speaking Huguenots settled in 1678. Today, just steps from downtown New Paltz, the site features seven stone houses dating to 1705, a burying ground and a reconstructed 1717 stone church – all in their original village setting. HHS offers six acres of landscaped green space and public programming to the local community and visitors from around the world.

This Weeks New York History Web Highlights

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Olympic Bobsled Track Named to National Register

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The National Register of Historic Places has listed the 1932 and 1980 Olympic bobsled track, located on Mt. Van Hoevenberg in Lake Placid, N.Y., on its national registry for historic places.

Clearing for the original one and a half, 26-curve course began in August 1930 and the track, specifically built for the 1932 winter games, was open to the public just 148 days later, Christmas Day 1930. More than 27,000 cubic yards of earth and stone were used for the straight-aways and curves, while 8,000 feet of pipe, laid four feet underground, was buried to carry the water used to spray the ice from a pond near the base to the top. A gasoline engine and pump forced the water to the top of the run, where a large storage tank guaranteed a continuous supply of water.


The United States’ bobsled team was right at home on the first track ever built in North America and the first-ever one and a half mile course used in Olympic competition. The team won two gold medals, one silver and one bronze. Billy Fiske, who four years earlier at the age of 16 became the youngest-ever Olympic gold medalist, claimed the four-man crown, while fellow American Henry Homburger of Saranac Lake, N.Y., claimed silver. Two brothers from Lake Placid, Curtis and Hubert Stevens, won the two-man race, while their teammates, John Heaton and Robert Minton, took bronze. That event also marked the first-ever two-man race in Olympic history and the first time athletes pushed their sleds at the start.

In 1934 the International Bobsled Federation (FIBT) established a one-mile standard for all tracks. To accommodate the change, the top one-half mile was shut down above the Whiteface curve and the number of curves was reduced from 26 to 16, making the upper portion of the run unusable.

Fifteen years later, the 1,537-meter long course became the first track outside of Europe to host a world championship competition and it was then that Belgian bobsledder Max Houben was killed during a practice run when sliding through the “Shady” curve, prior to the race. Today, the four-man world championship trophy is named in Houben’s honor.

As sled technology improved and speeds grew, changes were made to the course and it took 12 more years before world championship racing returned, in 1961. Throughout the decade of the 1960’s tracks throughout the world continued to try to keep up with sled technology as the request for speed knew no limits. From time to time crashes and tragedy would strike those tracks … even Lake Placid. In 1966, Canadian pilot Sergio Zardini (1964 Olympic silver medalist for Italy) was killed when his four-man sled crashed on turns 13 and 14, better known as the “Zig-Zag Curves.”

With the improvements made and with the blessing of the FIBT, the course hosted Worlds three more times, 1969, 1973 and 1978. Other sports including luge and skeleton also began using the course before it was demolished and re-built in 1979, in time for the 1980 Olympic bobsled competition.

The re-construction included installing refrigeration piping and the building of a refrigeration plant at the base of the run, operated by electricity, with a stand-by generator for emergencies. Following the 1980 games, the track hosted the 1983 world championships before the current combined bobsled/luge/skeleton track was built in 2000.

Today, the track no longer hosts international competitions, but it remains in use. Summer bobsled rides are held on the course, where visitors can enjoy half-mile rides, while reaching speeds in excess of 50-miles-per-hour, while professional drivers steer their sleds through “Shady” and “Zig-Zag.”

Kathleen LaFrank of New York State Parks Recreation & Historic Preservation helped to direct the research. She gathered much of the data and pictures required for the nomination of New York’s historical sites and the additional honor of being named to the National Registry as well.

“The bobsled run is internationally recognized for its association with the 1932 games and the rise of the sport in the United States,” stated Olympic Sports Complex general manager Tony Carlino. “Athletes and visitors from all over the world know of this track, and there are very few worldwide that carry this kind of history. The creation of this track helped to make Lake Placid famous as a winter sports capital.”

Photo: Construction workers lay rocks as they build the Mt. Van Hoevenberg bobsled track, in 1930 in anticipation of the 1932 Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid, N.Y. (Photo Courtesy of ORDA)