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Arts

Profile: Bruce & Wendy Wasserstein and NYC’s Revival

December 23, 2020 by James S. Kaplan 2 Comments

Bruce & Wendy Wasserstein and NYCs RevivalBruce Wasserstein, the financier and corporate takeover adviser, and his sister Wendy Wasserstein, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and author, were among the most accomplished and famous New Yorkers of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

Both died suddenly and somewhat prematurely — Bruce in October 2009 at the age of 61 of a reported aneurism and Wendy at the age of 55 in January 2006 reportedly of lymphoma, but not before they had reached the pinnacle of their chosen professions — Bruce in finance and Wendy in the theater.

Their success was achieved through a combination of shrewd insight and highly effective self-promotion, and the good fortune to live through a period of economic and social revival in New York City, in which they were active participants. [Read more…] about Profile: Bruce & Wendy Wasserstein and NYC’s Revival

Filed Under: Arts, History, New York City Tagged With: art, Economic History, Financial History, Manhattan, New York City, Theatre

Twelve Tavern Rules, Thirteen Toasts and America’s 1814 Anthem

December 21, 2020 by Jaap Harskamp 11 Comments

Sampler by Martha Cooke Twelve Good Rules 1811Many eighteenth century publicans framed a list of pre-conditions for the “perfect” tavern which was displayed in full view in British public houses and drinking dens.

The advice to customers consisted of “Twelve Good Rules” that dated back to the rule of Charles I: [Read more…] about Twelve Tavern Rules, Thirteen Toasts and America’s 1814 Anthem

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Arts, Capital-Saratoga, Food, History, Hudson Valley - Catskills, Mohawk Valley, New York City, Western NY Tagged With: beer, Cultural History, Food, Holidays, liquor, Performing Arts, Social History, Taverns, wine

Poetry: Father’s Breakfast

December 19, 2020 by George Cassidy Payne Leave a Comment

Father’s Breakfast

He ate a crustacean
every morning
the pure wild ones

He called the lobster
a sacrament and cleaned
his table with a napkin

his grandmother sewed
when she was 14 in Idaho
I watched him eat

and the embers from the stove
cooked into crystalline spheres
I once told him that I loved him

just loud enough
so he would not hear

Read More Poems From the New York Almanack HERE.

Filed Under: Arts, Food Tagged With: art, Food, Poetry

A Virtual Gingerbread House Decorating Contest

December 16, 2020 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Staatsburgh State Historic Site Gingerbread House ContestThe Staatsburgh State Historic Site has announced an online gingerbread house contest for children, families and adults, with prizes in each category. [Read more…] about A Virtual Gingerbread House Decorating Contest

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Arts, Capital-Saratoga, Events, Food, Hudson Valley - Catskills, Mohawk Valley, New York City, Western NY Tagged With: Staatsburgh State Historic Site

Puritans, Prussians, and the History of Christmas Cards

December 15, 2020 by Jaap Harskamp 3 Comments

First Xmas card by John Callcott HorsleyNew York has important associations with the formation of what is now considered a traditional American Christmas. “A Visit from St. Nicholas” (a.k.a. “Twas The Night Before Christmas”) was first published in the Troy Sentinel in 1823; The Albany Evening Journal ran an advertisement on December 17, 1841, that is believed to be the first time Santa Clause was used to advertise a store; and America’s first Christmas card was published in Albany in 1850/51.

Recently two rare printings of the first commercially printed Christmas card, published in England, have been announced for sale at auction. The cards depicts a family toasting with glasses of red wine. Commissioned by Henry Cole and designed by John Callcott Horsley, it carries the message “A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You.” [Read more…] about Puritans, Prussians, and the History of Christmas Cards

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Arts, Capital-Saratoga, History, Hudson Valley - Catskills, Mohawk Valley, New York City, Western NY Tagged With: Christmas, Cultural History, Holidays, Religious History

Can You Give The Last $25 And End Our Fundraising For The Year?

December 15, 2020 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

New York Almanack Updated DailyWe’re just $25 from our annual fundraising goal, but we need your help to get over the top. We receive no public money. We depend on you. (THANK YOU to those who have already done their part!)

To keep New York Almanack publishing we need you to make a contribution online at our Rally.org page: https://rally.org/f/4LBVKo9zYjO      Or, make checks payable to: [Read more…] about Can You Give The Last $25 And End Our Fundraising For The Year?

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Arts, Capital-Saratoga, Events, Food, History, Hudson Valley - Catskills, Mohawk Valley, Nature, New Exhibits, New York City, Recreation, Western NY Tagged With: New York Almanack

Charles Evans Hughes Documentary Premiering Online

December 13, 2020 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

My Native AirThe new feature documentary, My Native Air: Charles Evans Hughes and the Adirondacks, co-produced by MDT Publishing and Snarky Aardvark Films, is premiering on-demand in a limited run from January 15th to February 15th, 2021. [Read more…] about Charles Evans Hughes Documentary Premiering Online

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Arts, Capital-Saratoga, History, Nature Tagged With: art, Charles Evans Hughes, Charles R Wood Theater, Documentary, film, Forest Preserve, Fort Ticonderoga, Glens Falls, Historic Preservation, Judical History, Lake George, Political History

Frick Celebrates An 85th Anniversary

December 12, 2020 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Frick CollectionThe Frick Collection is set to celebrate the 85th anniversary of its opening with a range of free content across its digital platforms. [Read more…] about Frick Celebrates An 85th Anniversary

Filed Under: Arts, History, New York City Tagged With: art, Frick Collection, New York City

Poetry: Memory Verse

December 12, 2020 by Edward Zahniser 1 Comment

Memory Verse

My extended family refers to bathrooms
as the “John,” because our old Adirondack
vacation cabin has a two-holer outhouse
we cherish despite its inconvenience —
keeping wood ashes and cured hay on hand
to dry the “payloads” and sweeten the mix
eventually raked out the back onto a dried-
hay carpet to be rolled-up like a rug to compost.
This may explain why super early this morning
as my wife returned from the bathroom — we ate
watermelon late last night — I awoke to interpret
our big-type digital clock as reading “John 3:16.”

Read More Poems From the New York Almanack HERE.

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Arts Tagged With: art, Poetry

Old Forge Art Center Begins Work on Outdoor Walkway

December 11, 2020 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Henry M. Kashiwa Wetlands WalkwayView, the Center for Arts and Culture in Old Forge, has announced the organization has begun moving forward with the construction of the Henry M. Kashiwa Wetlands Walkway. [Read more…] about Old Forge Art Center Begins Work on Outdoor Walkway

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Arts, Recreation Tagged With: hiking, Old Forge, View

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