The Daniel Parrish Witter Agricultural Museum at what is now known as the Great New York State Fair opened officially on April 30th, 1928. Daniel Parrish Witter, a long-time New York State Assemblyman representing Tioga County was born in 1852 at Richford. Witter assumed the greater responsibility for working the family farm after his father became disabled, one of his older brothers was killed in the Civil War, and two others were seriously wounded in the same conflict. [Read more…] about The Daniel Parrish Witter Agricultural Museum: A History
Museums
NYC-Long Island Conservation Treatment Grants Available
The New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) and Greater Hudson Heritage Network (GHHN) have announced the Conservation Treatment Grant Program is now open. [Read more…] about NYC-Long Island Conservation Treatment Grants Available
The Casket of Hair (The Object of History Podcast)
The most recent episode of the Massachusetts Historical Society’s Object of History podcast takes a close look at an artifact known as the “casket of hair.”
Join Massachusetts Historical Society President Catherine Allgor as she talks about this little wooden box displaying the hair of First Lady Dolley Madison and Presidents George Washington, James Madison, and John Quincy Adams. [Read more…] about The Casket of Hair (The Object of History Podcast)
Hartman’s Dorf House Restoration at Old Stone Fort Museum
The Old Stone Fort Museum‘s Hartman’s Dorf House is undergoing a restoration project with the goal of opening the building to the public. The Hartman’s Dorf House is situated between the Oliver Schoolhouse and the Dutch Barn in the center of the museum complex in Schoharie County, NY.
Some of the rehabilitation work includes floors, walls, windows, and siding. One of the key projects to bring the structure into use was a new, historically accurate fireplace and hearth, which would enable living historians to demonstrate what home life was like for 18th-century German settlers. [Read more…] about Hartman’s Dorf House Restoration at Old Stone Fort Museum
Heckscher Museum of Art Appoints New Executive Director
The Board of Trustees of The Heckscher Museum of Art in Huntington, on Long Island, has appointed Heather Arnet as the organization’s Executive Director and CEO. [Read more…] about Heckscher Museum of Art Appoints New Executive Director
Construction Begins At New Historic Saranac Lake Museum
New temporary signage has gone up at the Trudeau Building on the corner of Church and Main in downtown Saranac Lake, NY. Historic Saranac Lake purchased the historic building in 2018 for expansion of the Saranac Laboratory Museum next door.
The Trudeau Building, once restored, will house expanded exhibits presenting the history of Trudeau and tuberculosis in Saranac Lake, as well as the broader history of the Saranac Lake region. The Trudeau Building will also provide secure storage space for HSL’s growing museum collection, as well as a dedicated research room open to the public. [Read more…] about Construction Begins At New Historic Saranac Lake Museum
Historical Fasteners Letter & Document Fasteners: A Primer
In the centuries before the self-inking notary public’s stamp, U.S. government clerks and secretaries used brightly-colored silk ribbons, wax seals, and embossed paper seals attached with wafers to verify the security of important documents. [Read more…] about Historical Fasteners Letter & Document Fasteners: A Primer
53 NYS Museums Receive $115M in COVID Relief
Fifty three New York State museums and cultural institutions received federal COVID-19 relief through the Shuttered Venue Operating Grants (SVOG) program of the Small Business Administration, totaling just over $115 million. [Read more…] about 53 NYS Museums Receive $115M in COVID Relief
Albany Institute Director Tammis Groft Announces Retirement
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
Ashley Hopkins-Benton On LGBTQ+ History At NYS Museum
The latest episode of Empire State Engagements features a conversation with Ashley Hopkins-Benton of the New York State Museum. She discussed her panel exhibition on the history of the Pride Center of the Capital Region, as well as her work to recover and incorporate more LGBTQ+ history into the State Museum’s content. [Read more…] about Ashley Hopkins-Benton On LGBTQ+ History At NYS Museum