Historic Cherry Hill in Albany is inviting the public to travel back in time to the “Bunnie Kingdom” on Saturday, August 13, 2016.
The “Bunnie Papers” collection, gathered and named by Cherry Hill matriarch Catherine Rankin, immortalizes her children’s pet keeping hobby and their fascinating agricultural club.
The collection includes pet genealogies, drawings, stamps, newsletters and club and business accounts chronicling the captivity of dozens of rabbits, chickens, and other pets belonging to the Rankin children from the late 1890’s through 1903. The last generation of children to live at Cherry Hill, the Rankin children created an imaginary world starring their pets, who lived first in a “Kingdom,” then a “Republic,” and finally a “Society.”
Visitors will have the opportunity to view objects related to the tradition of pet keeping, and learn about how the Rankins fit into the broader scheme of Victorian pet-keeping and 20th century pets in America in guided house tours. Families will view live animals and enjoy crafts and games, including an outdoor scavenger hunt based on hand-drawn maps in the collection.
The free event will be held rain or shine at Historic Cherry Hill, 523½ South Pearl Street, Albany. For further information, call the museum at (518) 434-4791 or e-mail shawna@historiccherryhill.org.
Historic Cherry Hill is a house museum which was once the five generation-home of the Van Rensselaer family and their descendants from 1787-1963.
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