History, Natural History & the Arts
In the late 1700s and early 1800s, there were a growing number of adventurers anxious to explore the sea, find new lands, chart new islands, and if they made their fortune while doing it, all the better.
There were also those just trying to get away from home and signing on to a whaling ship seemed the adventure of a lifetime. [Read more…] about James Eights: An Albany Artist-Scientist Who Explored Antarctica in 1830
Stephen Van Rensselaer III (1764-1839), was orphaned at the age of ten. His father had died when he was five and his mother remarried Reverend Eilardus Westerlo, minister of the Dutch Reformed Church in Albany. She died five years later and Stephen was raised by Abraham Ten Broeck (later Brigadier General) and his wife (Stephen’s aunt) Elizabeth Van Rensselaer.
Stephen attended the John Water’s School in Albany, grammar school in Elizabeth Town, New Jersey and Classical School in Kingston. He then attended college at Princeton, but withdrew to Harvard because of the dangers in Northern New Jersey during the Revolutionary War. In 1776, Stephen’s grandfather Philip Livingston (who had married Ten Broeck’s sister Christina) had signed the Declaration of Independence. [Read more…] about Stephen Van Rensselaer III: The Last Patroon
In 1925, Pullman Porters were organized into the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. This was the first African American labor union that was recognized by the American Federation of Labor. The union was led by activist A. Philip Randolph.
The Albany Institute of History & Art will host writer/director Donald Hyman on Saturday, February 5th, for the debut of a new film showcasing his historical play Conversations of Freedom. The event will include the film, as well as a short talk and Q&A with Hyman. [Read more…] about Historical Play Considers Sleeping Car Porters Union
Tammis K. Groft has announced that she will retire as Executive Director of the Albany Institute of History & Art, a role she has served since June 2013. Groft, who started at the Albany Institute as an intern in 1976, will remain at the museum through the transition of a successor. [Read more…] about Albany Institute Director Tammis Groft Announces Retirement
The Albany Institute of History & Art will host Kenneth Gloss, proprietor of the Brattle Book Shop in Boston’s Downtown Crossing section, for a virtual presentation on the value of old and rare books, on Thursday, July 8th. [Read more…] about Book Specialist to Discuss Value of Old, Rare Books
The Albany Institute of History & Art has announced “Romancing the Rails: Train Travel in the 1920s and 1930s,” a new exhibition featuring objects and library materials from the Albany Institute’s New York Central Railroad collection. [Read more…] about NY Central Railroad Highlighted In New Albany Exhibit
The Albany Institute of History & Art has announced A Sense of Time: The Historical Art of L. F. Tantillo, a new exhibit highlighting the artist’s forty-year career, bringing together a selection of over 90 works of art by one of the most noted painters of historical subjects and marine views of our time. [Read more…] about The Historical Art of L. F. Tantillo Exhibition Opens In Albany
The Albany Institute of History & Art is set to host two virtual events led by Donald “The Soul Man” Hyman, on Saturday, February 6th, and Saturday, February 13th. [Read more…] about Music & History of Motown: A Virtual Performance, Lecture
Before F. W. Woolworths’, Whitney’s, or even Myer’s department store, there was Pease’s Great Variety Store, located in the Temple of Fancy at 516 and 518 Broadway in Albany, NY.
As with other fancy goods stores, Pease’s catered to the middle and upper middle class selling highly decorated goods like ceramics, prints, furniture and other decorative household items that progressively thinking people might have wanted to purchase. [Read more…] about America’s First Christmas Card & An Early Albany Department Store
The Albany Institute of History & Art has announced Winter Amusements, a season of safe and enjoyable activities at the museum this winter.
Running through February 2021, Winter Amusements showcases special seasonal displays at the museum, including a new pop-up outdoor exhibition, traditional favorites, festive decorations, and art activities to go. [Read more…] about Winter Amusements at the Albany Institute of History & Art