The City Concealed Explores Forgotten NYC Locations

admin

The idea is a simple one: Take viewers to historical locations around New York City that are either off-limits to the general public, or are otherwise difficult or impossible to see. Then post them to the web.

Being an old city, New York has hundreds of overlooked locales to explore. The City Concealed produces about 2 videos a month. They’ve previously shot a boat tour of Newtown Creek, the tombs & catacombs of Green-Wood Cemetery, an eccentric rock sculptor on the furthest reaches of Staten Island, and the abandoned buildings of Brooklyn’s sprawling Navy Yard.

The latest episode is Up in the Fulton Ferry Hotel

You can submit a location idea here.

SUNY Albany Offers New History and Media MA Degree

admin

The University at Albany’s Department of History has introduced a new 36-credit History and Media concentration to its Masters program, allowing students to learn and apply specialized media skills — digital history and hypermedia authoring, photography and photoanalysis, documentary filmmaking, oral/video history, and aural history and audio documentary production — to the study of the past. The History and Media concentration builds on the Department’s strengths in academic and public history and its reputation as an innovator in the realm of digital and multimedia history.

Among the History and Media courses to be offered beginning in the fall of 2009 are: Introduction to Historical Documentary Media- Narrative in Historical Media- Readings and Practicum in Aural History and Audio Documentary Production- Readings and Practicum in Digital History and Hypermedia- Readings in the History and Theory of Documentary Filmmaking- Readings in Visual Media and Culture- Introduction to Oral and Video History- Research Seminar and Practicum in History and Media.

Instructors in the History and Media concentration will vary but will include a core faculty including: Gerald Zahavi, Professor- Amy Murrell Taylor, Associate Professor- Ray Sapirstein, Assistant Professor- Sheila Curran Bernard, Assistant Professor.

For more information, contact Gerald Zahavi, [email protected] 518-442-5427.

NYC Parks Tribute To African American History

admin

Do you know what Jackie Robinson, Marcus Garvey and Booker T. Washington have in common? They are all famous African Americans who have New York City parks named after them. This month, the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation is celebrating Black History Month by paying tribute to these and many other influential African Americans with events across the city. From an exhibit on the work of George Washington Carver at the New York Botanical Garden, to a performance on the history of black dance at the Jackie Robinson Recreation Center, there is a free and fun way for everyone to get involved in this lesson on cultural history.

In addition, the Arsenal Gallery in Central Park is hosting “The African American Experience”, an exhibition of over thirty artworks including photographs, paintings, quilts, and ceramics created by artists, Parks & Recreation employees, retirees, and members of recreation centers and programs throughout the city. The exhibit will remain open through March 5, 2009.

For those who can’t make it out to enjoy the festivities, you can learn more about Parks’ relationship with African American History on the Parks website, www.nyc.gov/parks.

February 1-22: 1:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m.: The Life and Work of George Washington Carver, The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx. Explore the fascinating life and accomplishments of this plant scientist extraordinaire in this hands-on program and exhibition.

February 17, 18: 1:00 p.m.: Hooray for Martin Luther King, The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx. Celebrate the heart of the inspiring message of peace and brotherhood for all.

February 18, 21: 3:00 p.m.: A Man Named Pearl, The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx. Watch a documentary on the inspiring story of self-taught topiary artist Pearl Fryar.

February 19: 6:30 p.m.–8:00 p.m.: History of Black Dance, the Jackie Robinson Recreation Center, Manhattan. Enjoy a performance featuring variations of Egyptian, African, and Spanish dances. Audience participation is included. February 21: 1:00 p.m.: Rosa’s Ride, The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx. Come watch a musical dramatization of the life of Rosa Parks.

February 22: 1:00 p.m.: Seneca Village, Central Park, Manhattan. Learn about the history of Manhattan’s first known community of African-American property owners and what New York City was like at the time.
February 28: 12:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.: African Lives: From Wyckoff to Weeksville, Wyckoff Farmhouse Museum, Brooklyn. Come enjoy the Colonial Dutch and African celebration of Pentecost with music, food, children’s crafts, and more!

12:00 p.m.: African Drumming, Inwood Hill Park Nature Center, Manhattan. Celebrate vibrant African music and culture for black history month by learning traditional African drum rhythm on the djembe, talking drum and udu.

Dance Theatre of Harlem History Exhibit at NYPL

admin

Shortly after the assassination of The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Arthur Mitchell was inspired to start a ballet school that would offer African American and Latino children — especially those in Harlem, the community in which he was born — the opportunity to study dance and the allied arts. In 1969, a year later, Mitchell and Karel Shook, founded the Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) which the New York Times called &#8220one of ballet’s most exciting undertakings”. Now in its fourth decade, DTH has grown into a multi-cultural dance institution and national treasure. Armed with an extraordinary legacy of training exceptional artists, DTH continues to set the standard for artistic excellence in the performing arts.

Through a rich and colorful mix of spectacular costumes, stage props, posters, programs, intimate photographs and video recordings, Dance Theatre of Harlem: 40 Years of Firsts traces the history of the company, its community outreach, renowned productions and cast of legendary dancers, fans and supporters. The free exhibition is on display in the Vincent Astor Gallery of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, February 11 through May 9, 2009. The Library is also presenting related free public programs at the Library for the Performing Arts and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

In a time when black dancers were all but invisible in mainstream ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, founded in 1969 by Arthur Mitchell and Karel Shook, brought ballet to the neighborhood and black dancers to the main stage. Since its inception the company has continued to cross social and geographic barriers by introducing the ballet world to a Creole Giselle, inviting audiences to a Caribbean wedding in Dougla, bringing black dancers to the international stage through programs such as Dancing Through Barriers® and bringing ballet to Harlem with education and community outreach.

Many of the stories behind the achievements of the company were artfully documented in photographs by Martha Swope, Marbeth and others. Those on display include photos of guests such as Hillary Clinton and Congressman Charles Rangel attending the company’s monthly open houses where performers of all arts and from other organizations showcase their talents to captivated audiences seated on folding chairs and sometimes on the floor.

One of the centerpieces of the show is an eight-foot-long three-dimensional puzzle that took artist Frank Bara two years to create. Completed in 1989, it was commissioned by Arthur Mitchell to celebrate the company’s 20th anniversary. Each layer of the puzzle, crafted entirely from wood, depicts a different aspect of the company’s first two decades in intricate detail, from ballet casts and music to floor plans and blueprints.

From the ceiling of the gallery hang original character costumes such as Firebird’s firebird and monster created by Geoffrey Holder and the wedding canopy from Dougla. Also on display are examples of tights and pointe shoes illustrating Mr. Mitchell’s ground-breaking insistence that they be dyed to match each dancer’s skin tones. Pictures from Footprints in Red document the stunning costumes designed by Salvatore Ferragamo, which needed to be such a specific blue that craftsmen were flown from Italy to Harlem to dye them just the right shade.

There are also many photographs that show rehearsals in churches and other borrowed spaces that were used before Dance Theatre of Harlem had a home of its own. Other pictures document the world-wide appeal of the company’s talent and show its famous fans like Nelson Mandela after a performance in South Africa and Princess Diana back stage in London.

Dance Theatre of Harlem’s dedication to dance and community has inspired support from a wide range of renowned figures from the world of dance. On view are pictures of candid moments in master classes being taught by such prominent dancers as Rosella Hightower and Carmen de Lavallade- William Dollar, who is coaching young ballerinas for Combat- Alexandra Danilova and Joseph Wyatt who are shown rehearsing Paquita- and Gregory Hines who is pictured tapping with children from the DTH school.

Throughout the gallery, cases exhibit show programs and tour materials including the Australian tour scrapbook that contains newspaper clips from the local press punctuated by negative stereotypes less commonly found in press coverage from the United States.

Also on view are a series of film clips including performances of Giselle and Streetcar Named Desire and a compilation of interviews with those close to the Dance Theatre of Harlem and press coverage the company has received over the years.

Free Public Programs Related to the Exhibition at the Library for the Performing Arts:

Thursday, February 12, 2009, 5:30 p.m.
Inspired by a Dream: The Dance Theatre of Harlem Story
Panel moderated by Anna Kisselgoff. With Robert Garland, Virginia Johnson and others.

Thursday, March 12, 2009, 3:00 p.m.
Dance Theatre of Harlem: Classically American
Panel moderated by Alastair Macaulay. With Frederic Franklin, Lorraine Graves, Suzanne Farrell, and others.

Thursday, March 12, 2009, 5:30 p.m.
The Stories I Could Tell: Arthur Mitchell at 75
The Founding Artistic Director of the Dance Theatre of Harlem in Conversation
with Robert Greskovic.

Thursday, May 7, 5:30 p.m.
African American Choreographers
Panel discussion on making work for Dance Theatre of Harlem

Free Public Programs Related to the Exhibition at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

Thursday, April 16, 2009, 7:00 p.m.
Where are the Black Swans?
A panel discussion.

NYS Association of European Historians Conference

admin

The New York State Association of European Historians will hold its fifty-ninth annual meeting October-2-3, 2009 at SUNY Brockport, Brockport, NY (near Rochester). Those interested in offering papers or entire panels to be considered for inclusion in the program should send their proposals to James Valone before April 30.

The New York State Association of European Historians is an informal association of historians who are interested in the history of Europe in the broadest sense (yes, we include the British Isles and colonial areas if the topic is related to European development).

Despite its title, the Association is not limited to individuals residing in New York State. Any scholar is welcome to participate in the annual conference including panelists from all over the United States and Europe. Graduate students who are at dissertation stage are welcome to offer proposals.

The NYSAEH is an excellent place to try out ideas- members are extremely supportive, while providing constructive comments that can be used to sharpen or refine your arguments.

Finally membership is mostly an act of the will. They do collect nominal dues at the annual meeting, but mostly members are members if they want to be.

Those interested should contact James Valone by e-mail at valone[at]@canisius[dot]edu or Fax: 716-888-2149. The snail mail address is:

James Valone
Canisius College,
2001 Main Street
Buffalo, NY 14208-1098

2009 Practicum for 21st Century Museum Professionals

admin

The Greater Hudson Heritage Network has just announced the schedule for its 2009 Practicum for 21st Century House Museums, The Container. In its third and final year, the Practicum for 21st Century Museum Professionals in Historic House Museums looks to re-invigorate mission, initiate change, invited new audiences, encourage professional collaborations, and improve presentation and planning in historic house museums and sites so as to provide benefit to the public and sustain their value to local communities. This year, the Practicum will touch upon issues regarding the historic house as envelope, the site and its surrounding landscape.

For an outline of the Spring Schedule and to register check out their website, www.greaterhudson.org.

April 6, 2009 Symposium: The Historic House Container, Envelope, Site and Landscape
Host Site: Locust Grove Estate (The Samuel F.B. Morse Historic Site)
Location: Poughkeepsie, NY (Dutchess County)

April 20, 2009 Workshop: Retooling the Historic House Envelope for Sustainability- Green Facilities Management
Host Site: Lyndhurst (NTHP)
Location: Tarrytown, NY (Westchester County)

May 4, 2009 Workshop: Master Planning for Site, Buildings and Public Audiences
Host Site: Pocantico Center (The Kykuit Carriage House)
Location: Sleepy Hollow, NY (Westchester County)

May 11, 2009 Workshop: History Preserved for the Urban Community
Host Site: Weeksville Heritage Center
Location: Brooklyn, NY (Kings County)

June 1, 2009 Workshop: Impact of the Landscape on the Historic House: Embracing Trails and Gardens in Interpretation of the Cultural Landscape
Host Site: Olana State Historic Site and The Olana Partnership
Location: Hudson, NY (Columbia County)

Preservation League Announces Seven to Save

admin

The Preservation League of New York State announced today the League’s Seven to Save for 2009. As part of New York State’s Quadricentennial celebration, the Preservation League will use its endangered properties program, Seven to Save, to support and enhance the year-long commemoration of the voyages of Henry Hudson, Robert Fulton and Samuel de Champlain. In 2009, all Seven to Save designees are located in the Hudson and Champlain Valleys &#8211 in Clinton, Columbia (2), Dutchess, Essex, New York and Rensselaer Counties.

“New York State is especially rich in maritime resources and waterfront communities,” said Jay DiLorenzo, President of the Preservation League. “The region from the Canadian border to New York Harbor is celebrated for its beauty, and boasts a strong tradition of settlement by Native Americans followed by French, Dutch, English and others who made important contributions reflected in the area’s buildings and landscapes. Unfortunately, many of the valued historic resources that illustrate this heroic saga are threatened by insensitive, ineffective or insufficient public policies, general neglect, and in some cases, outright demolition.”

The 2009 Seven to Save designees are, in chronological order:

1. Magdalen Island
Red Hook, in Tivoli Bays, Dutchess County
(Late Archaic, 6,000-3,000 years ago, through post-contact period)
Threat: Looting
Studies of Magdalen Island have shown that from the Late Archaic through the post-European contact period, the island has been used as a seasonal home by both Native Americans and Euro-Americans. The site could yield additional archeological information about the Hudson Valley’s early inhabitants.

2. Jan Van Hoesen House
Claverack, Columbia County
(Early 18th century)
Threat: Deterioration
Jan Van Hoesen, who built this house, was the grandson of Jan Franz Van Hoesen, original patentee of the area in the 1660s. The farmstead, while encroached upon by the adjacent mobile home park, remains intact and undisturbed. This site exemplifies the themes of Dutch settlement along the Hudson River and its tributaries.

3. Gunboat Spitfire
Lake Champlain, Essex and Clinton Counties
(1776)
Threat: Natural, including non-native aquatic species, and vandalism
This vessel was part of the American fleet which held the British at bay for a year and contributed to the American victory at Saratoga in 1777. The Spitfire is not only the most significant underwater archeological site on the bottom of Lake Champlain, it illustrates the interconnected history of the Hudson and Champlain Valleys.

4. Plumb-Bronson House
Hudson, Columbia County
(1811, 1838, 1849)
Threat: Many years of unchecked deterioration
Samuel Plumb, owner and operator of a fleet of tow boats on the Hudson River, purchased this property and built his home here in 1811. In 1838, Dr. Oliver Bronson hired famed architect A. J. Davis to embellish the house, and brought him back in 1849 to reorient the house to the Hudson River. Now, the not-for-profit Historic Hudson needs to determine a new use and plans for site stewardship.

5. Fort Montgomery
Rouse’s Point, Clinton County
(1844-1872)
Threat: Deterioration, need for stabilization
Situated on the border between the United States and Canada, Island Point is where Lake Champlain enters the Richelieu River. It was first fortified in 1818 as the Northern Gateway linking the St. Lawrence and Hudson Rivers. Fort Montgomery was built in the mid-19th century and seen as a crucial fortification by Civil War strategists. This site symbolizes the shared history of these two nations.

6. Burden Iron Works Museum
Troy, Rensselaer County
(1881-1882)
Threat: Deterioration
This building stands as architect Robert Robertson’s best surviving iron works and an important reminder of the Hudson River’s industrial heritage. Robertson designed the building as the offices of the Burden Iron Company, the first in the world to manufacture horseshoes by machine. The site is now operated as a museum of commerce and industry, as well as the offices of the Hudson Mohawk Industrial Gateway, the not-for-profit which owns the building.

7. Historic South Street Seaport
New York City, New York County
(Tin Building, 1907 and New Market Building, 1939)
Threat: Demolition, loss of context
The South Street Seaport and Fulton Market are historically linked to Fulton and his ferry to Brooklyn, as well as the theme of commerce along the Hudson River. General Growth Properties proposes out-of-scale new development, requiring demolition of the National Register-eligible New Market Building and the relocation of the Tin Building. This site illustrates the need for careful planning along and stewardship of New York State’s waterfront, especially within waterfront historic districts.

The Preservation League will provide targeted support for these seven threatened historic resources throughout 2009, and will work with local groups to protect them.

“We are looking forward to providing strategic attention, extra effort, and new tools to secure the future of these endangered resources for generations to come,” said Erin Tobin, the Preservation League’s eastern regional director for technical and grant programs. “We are delighted to report that through the community involvement and preservation strategies we have created together with local advocates, many significant properties have been saved.”

The Preservation League of New York State, founded in 1974, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the protection of New York’s diverse and rich heritage of historic buildings, districts and landscapes. From its headquarters in Albany, it provides the unified voice for historic preservation. By leading a statewide movement and sharing information and expertise, the Preservation League of New York State promotes historic preservation as a tool to revitalize the Empire State’s neighborhoods and communities.

In Stoddards Footsteps at Adirondack Museum

admin

His career spanned the settling of the Adirondacks, the heyday of the guide, the steamship, and the grand hotel. Pioneer photographer Seneca Ray Stoddard produced over 8,000 images of a changing landscape &#8212- the largest documentary record of regional life in the late nineteenth century. Adirondack photographer Mark Bowie followed in Stoddard’s footsteps more than a century later, faithfully photographing once again the exact locations of many of his classic images.

Join Bowie on Sunday, February 15, 2009 at the Adirondack Museum at Blue Mountain Lake, New York as he compares the Adirondacks of today with Stoddard’s. The comparisons are fascinating, sometimes surprising, in every case, illuminating.

Mark Bowie is a third generation Adirondack photographer. He is a frequent contributor to Adirondack Life and Adirondack Explorer magazines. His photos have been published in Natural History, as well as by the Sierra Club, Conde Nast Publications, Portal Publications, and Tehabi Books.

Bowie’s first book, Adirondack Waters: Spirit of the Mountains (2006) is a landmark regional publication. In Stoddard’s Footsteps: The Adirondacks Then & Now was recently published. He has recently completed work on a third book, The Adirondacks: In Celebration of the Seasons, to be released in the Spring 2009.

Mark Bowie leads digital and landscape photography workshops, has produced several multi-format shows about the Adirondacks and has been featured on the Public Television programs &#8220Adirondack Outdoors&#8221 and &#8220Insight.&#8221 He lives with his wife, Rushelle, in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

The program, &#8220In Stoddard’s Footsteps&#8221 will be the second in the museum’s popular Cabin Fever Sunday series. Held in the Auditorium, the presentation will begin promptly at 1:30 p.m. Cabin Fever Sunday programs are offered at no charge to museum members. The fee for non-members is $5.00. There is no charge for children of elementary school age or younger. Refreshments will be served. For additional information, please call the Education Department at (518) 352-7311, ext. 128 or visit the museum’s web site at www.adirondackmuseum.org.