New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

New York State Museum

MLB & NYC: An Evening with Major League Baseball’s Official Historian

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MLB and NYC Baseball EventOn Monday, October 6, at 5 pm, the New York State Museum in Albany will present John Thorn, the Official Historian of Major League Baseball (MLB), for a special evening presentation on baseball’s deep connection with New York City.

Thorn will explore how the sport and the city have shaped one another over time while capturing the hearts of millions. This one-night-only program will highlight the pivotal role New York has played in the history of the national pastime and its enduring impact on American culture. [Read more…] about MLB & NYC: An Evening with Major League Baseball’s Official Historian

Winifred Goldring: America’s Female First State Paleontologist

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Winifred Goldring on an early motorcycle (New York State Museum Paleontology Collection)The latest episode of the A New York Minute in History podcast digs into the life and career of Winifred Goldring (1888-1971), an incredibly prolific scientist who overcame prejudice to become the first female New York State Paleontologist at the New State Museum.

Goldring was born in Kenwood, now part of Albany, NY, and she would eventually go on to become the fifth State Paleontologist of New York and the first female State Paleontologist anywhere in the country. She was also a highly successful educator and innovative exhibit designer and would spend 40 years as a scientist at the State Museum. [Read more…] about Winifred Goldring: America’s Female First State Paleontologist

The Corditaipe Site: Ice Age Archaeology in New York

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Corditaipe siteDiscovered in 1975, the Corditaipe archaeological site is a Paleo-Indian Ice Age encampment on a large glacial out wash terrace overlooking a tributary of the Mohawk River near Rome, NY. in the upper Mohawk Valley, the homelands of the Oneida Nation.

Since 2019, New York State Museum archaeologists and volunteers have been re-investigating the Corditaipe site to better understand its age and the nature of the Indigenous encampments. The museum has planned two free events exploring this work. [Read more…] about The Corditaipe Site: Ice Age Archaeology in New York

The Anti-Rent War: A Second American Revolution

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Calico Rebellion - The Anti-Rent War and the Second American RevolutionBetween 1839 and 1845 tenant farmers in New York State revolted against paying rents to the patroon system — a system of land ownership implemented by the Dutch in New Netherland that prohibited farmers from owning their land outright.

Disguising themselves in calico gowns and leather masks to demand change. Their struggle, known as the Anti-Rent War, helped shape the future of American democracy and land ownership. [Read more…] about The Anti-Rent War: A Second American Revolution

The 1960 Battle of the Bateaux

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This computer-generated image shows bateaux shortly after they were sunk in 1758 (Image by John Whitesel; courtesy of Pepe Productions).A piece of a 1758 bateau retrieved from the bottom of Lake George, displayed under glass at the Lake George Battlefield Park Visitors Center, is the only visible remains of the Battle of the Bateaux of 1960.

If one goes by contemporary newspaper accounts, that battle was as vicious – though not quite as deadly – as the French and Indian War (1754-1763) itself. [Read more…] about The 1960 Battle of the Bateaux

Jennifer Saunders Appointed Director of New York State Museum

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The Cultural Education Center State Museum Archives and Library on Madison Avenue in Albany, home of the New York State Library, New York State Museum, and New York State Archives.The New York State Board of Regents and State Education Department Commissioner Dr. Betty A. Rosa have announced the appointment of Jennifer Saunders as Director of the New York State Museum in Albany, following a competitive national search. Saunders is the first woman to lead the Museum in its nearly 200-year existence.

“A nationally respected museum leader, she brings more than two decades of experience guiding cultural institutions through transformational change to best serve a modern audience, with a distinguished record of institutional transformation, enhancing public engagement, promoting inclusive historical narratives, and advancing institutional sustainability,” the announcement said. [Read more…] about Jennifer Saunders Appointed Director of New York State Museum

New George Washington Exhibit in Albany

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George Washington's entry into the city of New York in 1783 (Currier and Ives, 1857)On July 1, one of the NYS Library’s most storied collections went on display in the Cultural Education Center in Albany as part of the New York State Museum’s latest exhibit, “George Washington: An American Paradox.” The exhibit includes several artifacts from Washington’s life and closely examines the multifaceted legacy of the nation’s first president. [Read more…] about New George Washington Exhibit in Albany

New State Museum Exhibit on the Fight for Marriage Equality

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wedding suits and sashes worn by Albert T. Martino Jr. and Harold Lohner III—Albany’s first legally married same-sex couple—at their historic midnight ceremony on July 24, 2011The New York State Museum has unveiled its latest exhibition, “New York Pride: The Fight for Marriage Equality.” This exhibit chronicles the state’s journey toward marriage equality, beginning with the fight against the stigma surrounding healthcare for gay people, particularly during the HIV/AIDS crisis, which helped bring visibility to the lived experiences of the LGBTQ+ community and spotlight the inequalities they faced.

This growing awareness and advocacy laid a crucial foundation for broader civil rights advances, ultimately paving the way for the legalization of gay marriage by characterizing it as a matter of dignity, equality, and human rights. [Read more…] about New State Museum Exhibit on the Fight for Marriage Equality

CT Scan To Reveal Inside of State Museum Dinosaur Egg, Giant Beaver Fossils

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New York State Museum’s Hadrosaur dinosaur eggIt’s the ultimate prehistoric time capsule — and the New York State Museum and Albany Medical C enter are teaming together to unlock it. The Museum and Medical Center are planning to look inside two of its most interesting fossils, including a 70–80 million-year-old dinosaur egg.

Believed to be from a species of Hadrosaur — a duck-billed dinosaur from the late Cretaceous Period — the egg likely originates from Asia. [Read more…] about CT Scan To Reveal Inside of State Museum Dinosaur Egg, Giant Beaver Fossils

Rare New York Fossil Highlights Decline of Naraoia Arthropod

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Reconstruction of the Cambrian nektaspid arthropod, Naraoia compacta (courtesy Wikipedia user ApokryltarosA newly published scientific paper is revealing insights into a rare fossil from the Silurian Period (the third period of the Paleozoic Era), estimated to be around 420 million years old. Part of the New York State Museum’s collection, this specimen of Naraoia bertiensis is one of only two known fossils of its kind ever discovered from this era. [Read more…] about Rare New York Fossil Highlights Decline of Naraoia Arthropod

Philip Schuyler & The Continental Army’s Northern Department

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Portrait of Philip Schuyler by Jacob H Lazarus (1822-91) from a miniature painted by John Trumbull on display at the Schuyler Mansion State Historic SiteSchuyler Mansion State Historic Site will offer a panel discussion at the New York State Museum to commemorate the forming of the Continental Army and Philip Schuyler’s appointment as Major General of the Northern Department.

Born in Albany, Province of New York, into the prosperous Schuyler family, Schuyler fought in the French and Indian War. He won election to the New York General Assembly in 1768 and to the Continental Congress in 1775. [Read more…] about Philip Schuyler & The Continental Army’s Northern Department

Rare Rev War Gunboat Found in Manhattan Headed to NYS Museum

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discovery of the Revolutionary War gunboat at the construction site for the Vehicular Security Center in Lower Manhattan, 2010 (courtesy AKRF)It’s a mystery that goes back to the signing of the Declaration of Independence – but was only discovered 15 years ago. In July 2010, while excavating at the site of the World Trade Center, archaeologists discovered the remains of an 18th-century wooden ship. In all, 600 pieces of wood and about 2,000 artifacts were uncovered, including musket balls.

But the question remained, what was the ship used for and how did it end up there? Now, after years of rigorous analysis by researchers at the New York State Museum and the Center for Maritime Archaeology and Conservation at Texas A&M University, the story is ready to be told — just in time for the celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. [Read more…] about Rare Rev War Gunboat Found in Manhattan Headed to NYS Museum

Art for the People: Decorated Stoneware

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New York State Museum decorated potteryThe New York State Museum, home to the largest stoneware collection in the world, will host an evening celebrating this American Folk Art. The Museum’s decorated stoneware tells the story of “traveling decorators” and how the Erie Canal helped spread the materials and techniques that shaped this iconic American craft.

The program will feature special one-of-a-kind pieces from the New York State Museum’s Weitsman Stoneware Collection, donated to the Museum by collector and entrepreneur Adam Weitsman. [Read more…] about Art for the People: Decorated Stoneware

State Offering Self-Assembled Erie Canal Exhibit

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Enterprising Waters New York State Museum Erie Canal ExhibitCompleted on October 26, 1825, the Erie Canal transformed New York into the nation’s leading hub of international commerce, reshaping the state’s economic and cultural landscape forever.

The New York State Education Department’s Office of Cultural Education is honoring the 200th anniversary of the canal, one of the largest public works projects in American history, by helping to bring an Erie Canal exhibit to New York State schools and other cultural institutions. [Read more…] about State Offering Self-Assembled Erie Canal Exhibit

Outcasts: Mary Elizabeth Banning’s World of Mushrooms

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Watercolor of Fistulina hepatica fungi by Mary Elizabeth Banning, late 1800sLong before mushrooms and mycology captivated the public imagination, self-taught scientist Mary Elizabeth Banning (1822–1903) dedicated her life to the study of fungi. However, due to her gender, her work remained unrecognized for almost 100 years.

Banning was one of America’s first mycologists, who uncovered, documented, and illustrated 23 fungal species new to science in the mid-1800s. [Read more…] about Outcasts: Mary Elizabeth Banning’s World of Mushrooms

New York State Museum Launches Search for New Director

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The Cultural Education Center State Museum Archives and Library on Madison Avenue in Albany, home of the New York State Library, New York State Museum, and New York State Archives.The New York State Museum has launched a national search for its next Museum Director with Dr. Brent D. Glass, Director Emeritus of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, leading the effort. [Read more…] about New York State Museum Launches Search for New Director

NY State Museum Celebrating Year of the Snake

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Tuck High Company storeThe New York State Museum in ringing in the Year of the Snake with new displays, a refreshed Tuck High Co. exhibition, and family-friendly activities. The Museum will host two special Lunar New Year celebrations, giving visitors of all ages a unique opportunity to learn about the oldest continuously operating business in Manhattan’s Chinatown before its closing in 1980, the historic Tuck High Co. [Read more…] about NY State Museum Celebrating Year of the Snake

Governor Hochul’s Proposals Include State Museum, Albany Waterfront

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a painting by Len Tantillo envisions the marina in front of the D&H Building in the eveningNew York State Governor Kathy Hochul said she wants to spend $400 million to revitalize Albany, including committing $150 million to the State Museum and $35 million to move soon to be announced proposals to re-imagine some of Albany’s Hudson River waterfront into the design phase. [Read more…] about Governor Hochul’s Proposals Include State Museum, Albany Waterfront

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