The New York History Blog

Historical News and Views from the Empire State

New Netherland Exhibit Opens at NYS Museum

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A traveling exhibition about New Netherland — the 17th century Dutch province that stretched from modern-day Albany to parts of Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut – opens at the New York State Museum on December 12.

“Light on New Netherland,” open through February 8 in the Museum’s Terrace Gallery, provides insight into the role the Dutch played in the settlement and development of colonial America. Based on original Dutch documents in the collections of the New York State Library and State Archives, the exhibition traces the history of the Dutch in New Netherland, beginning with Henry Hudson’s exploration in 1609.

It is curated by Robert E. Mulligan, retired history curator at the State Museum, and produced by the New Netherland Institute to celebrate the 2009 quadricentennial of the Hudson voyage. The Institute works to enhance awareness of the Dutch history of colonial America by supporting the translation and publication of early Dutch documents through the New Netherland Project, located in the State Library and also supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities. The New Netherland Project has been working since 1974 to translate and publish the official 17th-century Dutch colonial documents of one of America’s earliest and longest-settled region.

The exhibition presents information about the fur trade that initially brought settlers to New Netherland, as well as the growth of farming and communities as families relocated there. It discusses the establishment of government, the practice of religion, and the interactions between settlers and native peoples, among other aspects of life in the colony.

Although New Netherland existed only from 1609 to 1664, when the colony was conquered by the English in a time of peace, the Dutch language, religion and culture could still be found in various pockets of the province well into the 19th century. The Dutch influence is still apparent in present-day American institutions and culture. Santa Claus and American Christmas traditions trace back to Sinterklaas or St. Nicholas, the patron saint of Holland and New Netherland. Former Presidents Martin Van Buren and Franklin Roosevelt, and modern-day celebrities Tom Brokaw, Bruce Springsteen and Meryl Streep, all share a Dutch heritage. The exhibition also notes that the tolerance the Dutch showed to neighbors and new settlers set the stage for the ethnic and cultural diversity for which New York and America have long been recognized.

Many of the illustrations in the exhibition are the work of Len Tantillo, the foremost artist in recreating historical images of New Netherland. He was the subject of a public television documentary entitled “Hudson River Journeys” in March 2004. In 2005, the American wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art commissioned him to create a painting for a permanent exhibition of Dutch architecture in colonial America.

“Illuminating New York’s Dutch Past,” a short video about the New Netherland Project, will be shown in the exhibition gallery. Nineteen volumes, or about 60 percent of the 12,000 volumes that survive, have been published to date under the direction of Dr. Charles Gehring, project director, and Dr. Janny Venema, associate director.

At the conclusion of the Museum exhibition, “Light on Netherland” is scheduled for various sites in New York State, as well as some in Connecticut, Delaware and Michigan.

Olana/Cedar Grove Symposium on Hudson Valley

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“Glories of the Hudson” is a joint symposium convened by Olana State Historic Site and the Thomas Cole National Historic Site and hosted by The Fisher Center at Bard College in celebration of New York State’s 2009 Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial on Sunday April 26, 2009. The goal of this particular symposium is to expand and enrich our collective understanding of the Hudson River School of Art through the exploration of interdisciplinary intersections between art and other fields of inquiry in Hudson Valley history during and throughout the 400 years celebrated.

The Hudson Valley has long been at the forefront of popular movements in American history; the Hudson River and its surrounding communities have served as witness to four centuries of changing views in American culture, society, politics, and environment. In this call for papers, “Glories of the Hudson” seeks papers that demonstrate the interconnectivity between the art and architecture of the Hudson Valley and the larger historical narratives of Hudson Valley cultural, social, political, and environmental history.

This symposium is open to undergraduate and graduate students within a fifty-mile radius of Olana, Cedar Grove and Bard College. Candidates should submit a 300-500 word abstract and resume in MS Word or Adobe PDF format. Longer submissions will not be considered. Abstracts must contain a title page with author identification, but there should be no reference to the author’s identity elsewhere in the abstract to enable blind review.

All abstracts must be sent via email to: gregory-AT-thomascole-DOT-org by Feb 13th, 2009. Do not send abstracts via postal mail.

Your e-mail must contain: your name, school, its address, your major(s), anticipated date of graduation, and degree; contact phone, address and email; a short abstract of your manuscript; permission for Olana State Historic Site, The Olana Partnership, The Thomas Cole National Historic Site and/or Bard College to reproduce and/or publish your abstract in print or digitally for marketing and/or educational purposes, and a one page resume.

Authors will be notified of the results of the blind peer review by March 1st, 2009.
The symposium, Glories of the Hudson, occurs in conjunction with River-themed exhibitions opening in 2009 at both Olana and Cedar Grove. The inaugural exhibition for Olana’s changing exhibits gallery, Glories of the Hudson: Frederic Church at Olana, lends the symposium its name. The paintings, oil sketches and pencil drawings chosen document Church’s passion for the Hudson River as transformed by the seasons, weather and light. In addition to the material by Church, there will be a small selection of works by contemporaries inspired by the view of the River from Olana. A similar exhibition of over a dozen Hudson River School paintings depicting the Hudson River and its tributary streams will also be on exhibit at Cedar Grove.

NY Heritage Announces 14 New Additions

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New York Heritage Digital Collections has added fourteen new digital collections to its cooperative site at newyorkheritage.org , including three from Queens College; two each from the Brooklyn Public Library, CUNY Graduate Center, Yeshiva University, and Brooklyn College; and one each from SUNY Maritime College, Lehman College, and Metropolitan New York Library Council. These collections total 3016 items, and represent a broad range of research interests, including Brooklyn Democratic Party Scrapbooks, Fulton Street Trade Cards, Murray Hill Collection, Sailors’ Snug Harbor Archives, Waterways of New York, Breslau Memorial and Prayer Book, and Bronx Business for Everybody collections.

NewYorkHeritage.org is a project of the NY3Rs Association, which uses OCLC’s CONTENTdm Multisite Server to bring previously digitized collections together, allowing researchers to search across all items simultaneously. This project provides free, online access to images of cultural and historical significance in New York State.

Participants in New York Heritage Digital Collections are committed to enhancing the site by adding both content and contributing institutions on a regular basis. The goal of the project is to eventually connect one thousand collections and one million items from throughout New York State. All institutions interested in participating in the project are encouraged to contact the 3Rs organization that serves their region.

The New York 3Rs Association is a partnership among New York’s nine reference and research resource systems. The New York 3Rs was incorporated in 2003 to further the ability of those systems to provide statewide services. The members of the New York 3Rs Association are: the Capital District Library Council, Central New York Library Resources Council, Long Island Library Resources Council, Metropolitan New York Library Council, Northern New York Library Network, Rochester Regional Library Council, Southeastern New York Library Resources Council, South Central Regional Library Council, and Western New York Library Resources Council.

NYS Recommends 25 to National Register of Historic Places

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The New York State Board for Historic Preservation today recommended the addition of 25 properties and districts to the State and National Registers of Historic Places. Property owners, municipalities and organizations from communities throughout the state sponsored the nominations.

“These nominations reflect the incredible diversity of architectural vision, craftsmanship, innovation and history that are present in buildings and landscapes across New York State,” said Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Commissioner Carol Ash. “Listing these landmarks will give them the recognition and support they deserve.”


Ash highlighted a number of unique nominations recommended for listing, including:

Congregation Beth Abraham/Mt. Zion Church of God 7th Day – a representative example of New York City’s early 20th century synagogue design, which was built in 1928 by first- and second-generation Eastern European Jewish Immigrants in the East Flatbush section of Brooklyn.

Bullard Block – the ornate High Victorian five-section commercial block has been the anchor of Schuylerville’s Broad Street since its construction in 1881 and retains a high degree of its original fabric.

Pine Grove Community Church – an 1895 Victorian Gothic non-denominational church in rural Watson, Lewis County that retains a remarkable degree of its original form.

Chenango Canal Prism and Lock 107 – a surviving portion of the canal that opened in 1836 near Chenango Valley State Park – built very close to the specifications of the original Erie Canal – which provides a rare illustration of the first generation of New York State canals.

Midway Park – established as a trolley park in 1894 and transitioning into a “kiddieland” amusement park, what is now Midway State Park in Chautauqua County retains its original picnic grove and lakeside swimming facilities, along with 18 amusement park rides from the mid-20th century.

Listing these properties on the state and national registers can assist their owners in revitalizing the structures. Listing will make them eligible for various public preservation programs and services, such as matching state grants and federal historic rehabilitation tax credits.

The New York State Board for Historic Preservation is an independent panel of experts appointed by the governor. The Board also consists of representatives from the following state organizations: Council of Parks; Council on the Arts; Department of Education; Department of State and Department of Environmental Conservation. The function of the Board is to advise and provide recommendations on state and federal preservation programs, including the State and National Registers of Historic Places, to the State Historic Preservation Officer, who in New York is the State Parks Commissioner.

The State and National Registers are the official lists of buildings, structures, districts, landscapes, objects and sites significant in the history, architecture, archeology and culture of New York State and the nation. There are nearly 90,000 historic buildings, structures and sites throughout the state listed on the National Register of Historic Places, individually or as components of historic districts.

During the nomination process, the State Board submits recommendations to the State Historic Preservation Officer. The properties may be listed on the New York State Register of Historic Places and then nominated to the National Register of Historic Places where they are reviewed and, once approved, entered on the National Register by the Keeper of the National Register in Washington, D.C. The State Historic Preservation Office and the National Park Service, which is part of the U.S. Department of Interior, jointly administer the national register program.

For more information about the New York State Board for Historic Preservation and the State and National Register programs, contact the Historic Preservation Field Services Bureau at (518) 237-8643, or visit the state parks web site at www.nysparks.com.

STATE REVIEW BOARD RECOMMENDATIONS

Broome County

1. Chenango Canal Prism & Lock, near Chenango Forks

2. Rivercrest Historic District, Vestal (Approved for state registry only)

Cattaraugus County

3. 520 Hostageh Road, Rock City

Chautauqua County

4. Midway Park, Maple Springs

Clinton County

5. Alice T. Miner Museum, Chazy

6. Werrenrath Camp, Dannemora

Columbia County

7. Rockefeller, Simeon House, Germantown

Erie County

8. J.N. Adam/AM&A’s Historic District, Buffalo

Herkimer County

9. Holy Trinity Monastery, Jordanville

Kings County

10. Congregation Beth Abraham, Brooklyn

11. Parkway Theater, Brooklyn

12. H. Lawrence & Sons Rope Works, Brooklyn

Lewis County

13. Pine Grove Community Church, Watson

New York County

14. Shearwater schooner, Manhattan

15. 240 Central Park South, Manhattan

Onondaga County

16. Louis and Celia Skolar Residence, Syracuse

Oswego County

17. Brosemer Brewery, Oswego

Saratoga County

18. Victory Mills, Victory

19. Bullard Block, Schuylerville

Suffolk County

20. Hopkins, Samuel House, Miller Place

21. Shelter Island Country Club, Shelter Island

22. Friendly Hall/Tuthill-Lapham House, Wading River

Tompkins County

23. Rogues Harbor Inn, Lansing

Ulster County

24. New Paltz Downtown Historic District, New Paltz

Wyoming County

25. Fleming, Bryant House, Wyoming

2008 NY State Historic Preservation Awards Announced

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New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Commissioner Carol Ash today announced the recipients of the 2008 New York State Historic Preservation Awards. The State Historic Preservation Awards were established in 1980 to honor excellence in the protection and rejuvenation of New York’s historic and cultural resources. The recipients were honored at a ceremony held at the Historic Preservation Field Services Bureau at Peebles Island State Park, north of Albany:


Individual Achievement presented to Dorothy Marie Miner, Esq.
Preservation Law pioneer, advocate, educator and mentor, Miner was a powerful force for civic good, a fearless voice for the rule of law and the built environment. Ms. Miner was instrumental in the development, implementation and defense of preservation laws at local and statewide levels, and her pioneering work was significant in establishing preservation law at the national level. She was informed of her award before her death on October 21, 2008.

Individual Achievement presented to Harold L. Zoch
For his extraordinary efforts and commitment to the documentation and preservation of the historic and cultural resources of Schoharie County and New York State.

Project Achievement presented to the Willow Street Lofts, LLC, Syracuse
For outstanding commitment to community revitalization and the adaptive use project of the former CW Snow Warehouse.

Project Achievement presented to the Oswego Public Library
For outstanding commitment to community revitalization and the rehabilitation and rejuvenation of a distinguished historic property.

Project Achievement presented to Judith Wellman, PhD.
The Equal Rights Historic District, Sherwood, Cayuga County for outstanding scholarship in National Register documentation, and dedication to the ideals of those Americans who have advanced the cause of equal rights and reform.

Project Achievement presented to the Rural Ulster Preservation Company
For outstanding commitment to community revitalization and the rehabilitation and adaptive use of the Kirkland Hotel, Kingston.

Project Achievement presented to Jedediah Hawkins Inn, Jamesport
For outstanding commitment to community revitalization and the rehabilitation and adaptive use of a distinguished historic property.

Project Achievement presented to Historic Saranac Lake
For outstanding commitment to community revitalization and the rehabilitation and adaptive use of the Saranac Laboratory.

Community Achievement presented to Village of New Paltz and Historic Huguenot Street
For outstanding commitment to the documentation and preservation of historic and prehistoric archeological resources as an integral part of community improvement projects.

Not-for-Profit Achievement presented to the Hudson Mohawk Industrial Gateway
For outstanding leadership and commitment to community revitalization efforts and the promotion of and advocacy for the region’s industrial history and architecture.

The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), which is part of the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, helps communities identify, recognize, and preserve their historic resources, and incorporate them into local improvement and economic development activities. The SHPO administers several programs including the federal historic rehabilitation tax credit, state historic preservation grants, the Certified Local Government program, and the New York State and National Registers of Historic Places, which are the official lists of properties significant in the history, architecture, and archeology of the state and nation.

This Week’s Top New York History News

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The Global 1989: A New Generation Conference

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2009 brings the 20th anniversaries of a wide variety of major events across the globe: the Cuban withdrawal from Angola; the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan; the Ayatollah Khomeini’s fatwa against Salman Rushdie; the Polish and Hungarian Round Tables; the protests at Tiananmen Square; the fall of the Berlin Wall; the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia; and the breakdown of old regimes in Mexico, Chile, and Brazil.

In an attempt to take a global approach to 1989, its antecedents, and its consequences, Princeton University will convene and host on 22-24 October 2009 a conference devoted to 1989. The ultimate panel themes will depend on the topics of the paper proposals submitted. They are particularly interested in moving toward new conceptual models, for example in the following areas: ethics and norms, intellectual history/history of ideas, law, microeconomics, migration, popular culture, and religion. The organizers see it as essential to underscore also the conference’s global scope, i.e. that it should encompass (but not necessarily limit itself to) variously defined Asian, Cold War, European, inter-American, Sino-Soviet, and transatlantic studies. We welcome also submissions concerning, for example, the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East, or South Africa.

Organizers aim to provide a forum for recent work related to a doctoral dissertation, whether published or unpublished, complete or incomplete. Submissions are welcome from junior faculty and postdoctoral fellows as well as current graduate students. Submissions from around the globe are welcome, as the budget will cover the travel expenses of all of the scholars whose proposals have been accepted.

The organizers caution that the intended small scale of the conference will likely necessitate a highly selective review process. The program committee looks forward to the broadest possible range of submissions that fall within the intended scope of the conference, and it will arrange panels based on those submissions that it receives, yet we will likely be able to accommodate only a fraction of these submissions.

Submissions of a brief (300 words) abstract, as well as a more detailed prospectus (5 pages, double-spaced) that fleshes out the intended argument of the presentation in greater depth, will be accepted on a rolling basis until 1 February 2009.
Early submissions are particularly welcome.

Proposals should be submitted to Barbara Leavey (blleavey-AT-princeton-DOT-edu); questions can be directed also to conference chair Piotr H. Kosicki (pkosicki – AT- princeton -DOT -edu).

This conference is a joint initiative of Princeton University’s Department of History, Davis Center for Historical Studies, Institute
for International and Regional Studies, Program in Law and Public Affairs, University Center for Human Values, and Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.

NYPL Puts ‘Treasures’ Online, Joins Social Web

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There was an interesting story in USA Today recently by writer Anne Godlasky outlining some of the NYPL’s new media / live web / social marketing initiatives. Here’s a sample:

The New York Public Library quietly rolled out a new video series last month. Titled “Treasures,” it showcases 11 gems of the library’s vast collection of more than 50 million items.

And since then it has joined Facebook, broadening an online reach that already included YouTube and iTunes pages to gain more of an audience — which, for one of the world’s largest public libraries, includes “everybody from preschool toddlers to the greatest writers in the world,” says president Paul LeClerc.

Curators and administrators whittled a list of hundreds of ideas to record videos of the most “visually grabbing,” says director David Ferriero.

The library has made the videos available on its site, nypl.org, as well as on YouTube— where its photography piece is by far its most popular with more than 13,000 views. The video, “Knowing What to See” is the only one featuring current events: the drug trade in Afghanistan as photographed by Stephen Dupont.

Patterson Names Wife ‘Honorary Chair" of 400th

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Governor David A. Paterson today announced that First Lady Michelle Paige Paterson has been named Honorary Chair of the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial Celebration. Next year, 2009, marks the 400th anniversaries of the voyage of English Captain Henry Hudson, who led the first European expedition to sail up the river that now bears his name, and the voyage of Frenchman Samuel de Champlain, the first to discover the namesake lake. To celebrate these simultaneous 400th anniversaries – as well as the 200th anniversary of Robert Fulton’s maiden steamboat journey up the Hudson River – New York State is planning a yearlong series of events, programs and projects that highlight the discovery of New York, celebrating the State’s Dutch, French and English roots and heritage.

“This is a momentous occasion in our State’s history,” said First Lady Michelle Paige Paterson. “I am so proud to be able to serve this important role as ambassador for the 400th anniversaries of the exploration of our historic Hudson River and Lake Champlain, celebrating our rich history and our embrace of diversity, tolerance and innovation. Perhaps most importantly, we are utilizing the occasion to focus attention on the most important legacy of all — environmental and economic sustainability starting with the next 100 years.”

New York’s First Lady will lend her support to several projects across the State, including the “Walkway Over the Hudson” in Poughkeepsie that will transform the Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge into a spectacular park in the sky, the longest elevated walkway in the world. On Lake Champlain, the newly refurbished Crown Point Lighthouse will shine again over the stabilized ruins of two nearby forts – Crown Point and St. Frederic – that symbolize the region’s English and French heritage. And Governor’s Island, the site of one of New York’s first Dutch settlements and a strategic 19th-century coastal fortification, will soon allow visitors to have access to the entire perimeter promenade for the first time, and will create a picnic area with unparalleled views of the Statue of Liberty, New York Harbor, and the Manhattan skyline.

Other Quadricentennial events include the valley-wide event “River Day” celebrating 400 years of boats, ships and the Hudson River; the Quadricentennial Sustainability Expo at the American Museum of Natural History, the International Commemorative Stamp Expo at the Empire State Plaza – featuring the loan of the original Henry Hudson 1909 stamp from the National Museum, the New York Medal of Discovery-the first annual medal from the Governor to a distinguished New Yorker, the “400 Years of History” conference at Marist College, and a special visit from the Dutch Royal Family.

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer said: “This event provides a golden opportunity to celebrate the history of New York State and three of the giants who defined it for the last four hundred years. Over this past year, I have worked tirelessly for the Quadricentennial to ensure the celebration provides a big boost for our tourism economy. I know with Michelle Paterson as the Honorary Chair of the Quadricentennial we can only expect even greater success.”

U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton said: “First Lady Michelle Paige Paterson is an excellent choice to chair the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial celebrations. Under her leadership, this celebration of New York’s rich past will be a truly historic success.”

U.S. Congressman Maurice Hinchey said: “The Quadricentennial celebrations presents New Yorkers with so many exciting ways to celebrate and learn about the extraordinary historical events that occurred right here in our own backyard several centuries years ago. I am very pleased that First Lady Michelle Paige Paterson will be taking on such an important leadership role that will ensure we fulfill the cultural, educational, and economic potential that these upcoming events have for our State.”

Hugo Gajus Scheltema, Consul General of the Netherlands, said: “We are thrilled that the First Lady is Honorary Chair for the Quadricentennial Celebration. We look forward to working together for next year’s events. From our side we have set up a number of festivities in the framework of the Quadricentiennial and expect several Dutch dignitaries to visit New York State next year, including members of the royal family.”

Deputy Secretary for the Environment Judith Enck said: “We are honored to have First Lady Michele Paige Paterson integrally involved in commemorating the 400th anniversary of our magnificent Lake Champlain and Hudson River. The Hudson River and Lake Champlain are not only rich parts of our past but also are key to our future. In the upcoming Quadricentennial year we will celebrate history while stepping up our efforts to reduce water pollution and to advance policies that protect the shorelines of these vitally important water bodies. Having the First Lady in this leadership position signals how important this commemoration is for our great State.”

Joan Davidson, Chairperson of the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial Commission (HFCQ), said: “The Commission is inspired by Governor Paterson’s vision of a revitalized Hudson River Corridor and the Champlain Valley as a strong economic engine for New York City and State. We are delighted and honored that New York’s First Lady, Michelle Paige Paterson, has agreed to serve as Honorary Chair of the Commission and we look forward to working with her toward next year’s great events.”

Tara Sullivan, Executive Director of the NYS HFCQ, said: “New York’s communities, historic and environmental organizations, and State agencies have worked this past year to craft the 2009 plan for celebrating our past and planning for our future. New York’s First Lady will bring the prestige and gravitas to usher in this plan on the eve of the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial!”

For more information on the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial Celebration, visit: www.ExploreNY400.com.

Center for International History Grad Student Conference

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The Columbia University Department of History invites paper proposals (deadline for abstracts is 1/1/2009) for a Graduate Student Conference titled “Claiming the World: Universalisms as Doctrine and in Action” to be held on March 27, 2009.

From the Roman notion of civitas to the Islamic duty of da’wah and the French colonial mission civilisatrice, universal claims have been deployed in the service of causes, movements, and ideologies of all kinds. They attempt to create order, unity, and meaning, yet thereby give rise to contestation.

This conference seeks to address the following questions: What kinds of universal claims have been advanced and how have they been transformed over time in different regions and historical periods? How do such claims take concrete form in the actions of polities and the practices of communities from the local to the global? How do they accommodate or resist particularities or rival universalisms? We wish to consider a range of entities that promulgate universal claims (such as states, nations, empires, religions, and social and political movements) in a multitude of realms (such as law, morality, norms, and identities). As this conference is presented in conjunction with the Center for International History’s annual theme, “In the Name of Humanity,” we are especially, but not only, interested in the ways in which universal claims have been embodied in the discourses and politics of human rights and humanitarian intervention.

We invite submissions from all time periods – ancient, medieval, early modern, and modern – and various geographic regions. Papers on topics that are broadly transnational or global in scope are preferred. Additionally, we encourage interdisciplinary research, and although proposals with a historical perspective are particularly welcome, we will also consider contributions from the fields of anthropology, sociology, literary studies, political science, and economics. Please send an abstract of no more than 300 words and a recent CV as email attachments (Word preferred) by January 1, 2009 and any inquiries to Simon Stevens at the following address: sms2236@columbia.edu

For more information regarding the conference can be found at the Center for International History’s website (beginning December 15th):