History, Natural History & the Arts
One of the places that Christopher Columbus stopped at during his 1492 voyage was an alligator-shaped island at the mouth of the Gulf of Mexico, between the Yucatán and Florida peninsulas – the is the island of Cuba.
What do we know about early Cuba, the island the Spanish described as the “Key to the Indies?” What kind of relationship and exchange did early Cuba have with British North America and the early United States? [Read more…] about Cuba: An Early American History
Washington Irving was the son of immigrants. His father was a Presbyterian Scot, his mother Cornish. He was born on April 3rd, 1783, the same week that New Yorkers celebrated the ceasefire that ended the American Revolution. His parents named their son after George Washington. They had settled at 131 William Street, Manhattan, and were part of the city’s merchant class.
Washington began writing letters to the New York Morning Chronicle in 1802. He gained recognition as a satirical author in 1809 with A History of New York using the pseudonym Dietrich Knickerbocker. He riveted readers with his irreverent combination of fact and fancy. [Read more…] about Andalusian Allure: From Washington Irving to Thomas Edison
On September 11th, 2021, the traditional Last Night of the (BBC) Proms took place at London’s Royal Albert Hall. Away from the usual and rather bizarre jingoism, this performance was memorable for the “revolutionary” introduction of an accordion on stage.
Latvian virtuosa Ksenija Sidorova was the first accordion soloist ever to be invited to play on such an occasion. Her interpretation of Astor Piazzolla’s 1974 composition “Libertango” brought a packed house to its feet. [Read more…] about Tango Mania: From Brothel to Concert Hall
The saga of thoroughbred racing at Saratoga has largely been told by and about the horse owners, tycoons, the rich and famous of their era.
The people who actually care for the horses, the backstretch (barn area) workers, grooms and hot walkers often receive little attention. [Read more…] about The Saratoga Racecourse Backstretch Backstory
In 1693, Leicestershire-born immigrant William Bradford was appointed public printer for New York. Living in Pearl Street, Manhattan, he published from his offices in Hanover Square the first book with a New York imprint, entitled New-England’s Spirit of Persecution Transmitted to Pennsylvania by Quaker author George Keith.
Between 1725 and 1744, Bradford produced the New-York Gazette, the city’s first newspaper. Lower Manhattan continued to be the center of New York’s printing industry for many years, but by the 1860s the street took on a northern European accent and became known for a different type of leaf – tobacco. [Read more…] about Gompers and Hammerstein: The Cigar Makers Who Transformed Theatre
When Halley’s comet, that star with the quetzal’s tail, flared across Mexican skies in 1910, it heralded not only the centennial of Independence, but a deeply transformative episode, the Revolution launched by Francisco I. Madero on November 20, what Javier Garciadiego calls “the true beginning of a process, the birth of the modern Mexican state.”
The great chorus of Mexican historians agree. And yet, almost unknown and curious as it may sound, a vital taproot of this revolution lies in the Burned-Over District of New York State. [Read more…] about The Burned-Over District and Mexican Revolution
In this episode of the Ben Franklin’s World podcast, Karoline Cook, author of Forbidden Passages: Muslims and Moriscos in Colonial Spanish America (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2016), serves as our guide as we explore some of the political, cultural, and religious history of New Spain. Specifically, how Spaniards and Spanish Americans used ideas about Muslims and a group of “new Christian” converts called Moriscos to define who could and should be able to settle and help the Spanish colonies in North America. You can listen to the podcast here: www.benfranklinsworld.com/178
[Read more…] about Muslims & Moriscos in Colonial Spanish America
On Thursday, March 29, at 6 pm, the Frick’s Center for the History of Collecting is set to host an event to celebrate the recent publication of several books and exhibits on Spanish and Latin American topics.
Among them are two books that evolved from symposia organized by the Center: El Greco Comes to America: The Discovery of a Modern Old Master and The Americas Revealed: Collecting Colonial and Modern Latin American Art in the United States. [Read more…] about Frick Publications on Spanish and Latin American Art
The Brooklyn Museum has announced an extensive calendar of public programs surrounding the exhibition Radical Women: Latin American Art, 1960-1985.
The only East-coast venue of the exhibition, Radical Women will be on view from April 13 to July 22 at the Brooklyn Museum.
Scheduled programs include: [Read more…] about NYC: Radical Women: Latin American Art, 1960-1985
On Saturday, November 4 starting at 1 pm, Dr. Juan A. Thomas, Associate Professor of Spanish and Director of the Ethnic Heritage Studies Center at Utica College, will explore Spanish language in Utica and its speakers during this special program co-hosted by the Mohawk Valley Latino Association.
This presentation encompasses research from Diary of a Small Hispanic Community, which is a study in contact linguistics and seeks to enhance the visibility of the local Hispanic community. [Read more…] about Utica: Diary of a Small Hispanic Community