History, Natural History & the Arts
The Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site in Yonkers, Westchester County, has reopened after a $20 million renovation of the building and grounds, as well as the design of new exhibits.
These new exhibits advance a recent Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation initiative to ensure that the state’s historic sites embrace stories that reflect the diversity of the state and nation’s history. [Read more…] about Philipse Manor Hall Reopens With Improved Accessibility
Following the mid-nineteenth century revolution in steamship building, transatlantic passenger transport became a profitable enterprise. Travel went global, giving rise to an intercontinental “travel industry.”
Commercial oceanic transportation boomed. Bremen-based NDL (Norddeutscher Lloyd) and Hamburg-based HAPAG (Hamburg Amerikanische Packetfahrt Aktiengesellschaft) became the largest shipping companies in the world. [Read more…] about Culture War, Transatlantic Migration & The Wreck of the SS Deutschland
The decorative arts objects amassed by Henry Clay Frick and held by the Frick Collection in New York City have been significantly enriched in recent decades by gifts from other collectors. [Read more…] about Frick Exhibition Features Major Decorative Arts Gift
Construction is beginning in Washington County, NY, on the 339-mile Champlain Hudson Power Express transmission line, being developed by Transmission Developers Inc, between Hydro-Québec in Canada and and New York City. The massive power line is expected to be fully operational in the spring of 2026. [Read more…] about 339-Mile Power Line Construction Beginning In Washington County
Bob Tuma found time from piloting his charter fishing boat to build a finely detailed 3-story colonial revival style dollhouse in 1/12th scale with 16 rooms, including 5 bedrooms and a children’s playroom over a two-year period, working in the basement workshop of his Montauk, Long Island home during the 1960s and 70s. [Read more…] about Sibyl’s Dollhouse On Display On Long Island Through December
Nassau County on Long Island was born at an auspicious and exciting time on the cusp of a new century and a major transition. It went from a series of quiet farming communities to a hub for industry, playground for the rich, a training ground for soldiers heading to war, and a cradle for the nascent aviation industry.
[Read more…] about The Hidden History of Nassau County, Long Island
On November 9th noted historian and historic preservationist William “Billy” McMillen of Glenmont, New York, passed away quietly at home at the age of 81. Born on Staten Island, McMillen lived there his entire life until retiring to Glenmont in 2003.
His work at Historic Richmond Town, a site his father helped to found, began in 1963 and he became Supervisor of Restoration in 1967, serving in that position until his retirement. A master of many trades, he was best known as a tinsmith who helped train many tinsmiths across the country. [Read more…] about Remembering Historian & Historic Preservationist Billy McMillen
Lexicographer Eric Partridge was an intriguing figure. Born in New Zealand, he was educated in Queensland, Australia, served in the First World War and finished his studies at Balliol College, Oxford. He would spent the rest of his life in Britain, working as a researcher and lecturer. The Library of the British Museum (now: British Library) became his second home. Always seated at the same desk (K1), he produced numerous books on the English language.
A surprising aspect of this unassuming man’s career was his interest in slang and offbeat language (which apparently was rooted in his wartime experiences), culminating in 1937 with the publication of a Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English. From this rich offering of linguistic treasures, many words have been “dropped” over time or changed their original meaning. [Read more…] about Cycling History: Manhattan Scorchers & Louis Chevrolet
There are a few topics that guarantee a historian an audience. Write a decent biography of Abraham Lincoln or James Madison, for example, and you are bound to have readers. Or, write something new and interesting about the Constitution and you might attract some attention. [Read more…] about The First Dutch Translation of the U.S. Constitution
This week on The Historians Podcast, Bob Gumson discusses his memoir, In Blind Sight: From Canarsie, Brooklyn with Love, Music and Mischief (Troy Book Makers, 2020). [Read more…] about In Blind Sight: From Canarsie, Brooklyn