New York City

NYCs Trinity Wall Church Offers New Blog, Online Resources

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Trinity Wall Street, the Episcopal Church in Lower Manhattan founded in 1697, has started a new blog. The Archivist’s Mailbag is an effort to publicize the archives and attract scholarly researchers interested in the church’s long and complex history. Multimedia Producer Leah Reddy says that &#8220We like to say that the archives are &#8216-the history of New York that nobody knows’, as they only recently became fully accessible and they stretch back to the earliest days of New York City history.&#8221

Trinity Wall Street’s archives go back to 1695, making them an excellent resource for students of history&#8211as well as those who want to shape the future. Trinity’s Archive was made fully accessible for the first time in 2003. In addition to its own history and the history of the city, Trinity’s records shed light on the development of the Episcopal Church and the Dioceses of New York. As landowner since 1705, its archives detail the stories of the New York neighborhoods now known as Tribeca and the West Village. Trinity’s congregants have included Alexander Hamilton and John Jay- among its tenants were Aaron Burr and John Jacob Astor.

Information about the scope of the archives can be found online as well as a guide to the holdings.

There is also an interactive timeline and an interactive search-the-churchyard feature.

Update on NYC National Archives Move

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Here is an update from Roger Joslyn a Fellow of the American Society of Genealogists, regarding the recent news about the National Archives – Northeast Region, Manhattan Branch. You’ll recall that I ran Joslyn’s first letter of concern that the NYC National Archives was under threat on February 17th. I ran more news of the Archives move on March 15th. Here is the latest from Joslyn:

Hello, again

Thank you for the many responses to my letter concerning the possibility of losing our National Archives–Northeast Region as an important research facility. The response was overwhelming and I regret I could not answer all the many e-mails. I understand my letter was circulated pretty far and wide and some persons wrote me from other countries. Many of you conveyed good thoughts about the issue, telling of similar experiences, and several wrote to offer, “What can I do?”

My apologies if I missed sending first my letter to a few people who are receiving this one, and if so, please let me know and I shall send the earlier one if you want to see it.

The main purpose of my first letter was to let you know what I knew and had heard about the planned move of NARA’s New York regional facility. At the time of my first letter, NARA had put nothing out to the pubic about the intended move, about any reduction in space and on-site research materials, and so forth. As I then wrote, some of the plans were told to Stuart Stahl by NARA’s Diane LeBlanc for him to pass the word. So, “officially,” that is the best information there was at the time, but one might also still consider any of those details to be “rumor” at that point.

Since the first letter, NARA has responded, and I have been told or led to believe that a positive result of my letter was that it put things in action sooner than later. I have had telephone conversations with Diane LeBlanc and other NARA personnel about the move of the New York regional facility and I refer you (below) to NARA’s official word about the move and also to some NARA-prepared FAQs. As you will see, some of information is different and/or a little more detailed than what had been said and circulated earlier.

http://www.archives.gov/northeast/nyc/move-notice.html

http://www.archives.gov/northeast/nyc/move-faq.html

Also since sending my first letter, I have been able to visit what will be NARA-NYC’s new home in the Customs House in lower Manhattan. There is no question the building is a lovely place and, when the space is renovated, will provide pleasing accommodations for researchers, staff, and programs. NARA’s Public Programs Specialists Dorothy Doughty is quite excited about the possibilities for the latter, not only for large and small presentations and workshops, but also because there is room for (for example) genealogical/historical fairs and so forth, using space NARA will share with other agencies in the building. (And without a lockup in the building as there is at 201 Varick Street, the security staff in the Customs House is more welcoming to visitors.)

While there is no question the new location will be a nicer home for NARA-NYC for the above reasons, the amount of storage space for textual records and microfilm will be greatly reduced.

I would like to add from my conversations with Diane LeBlanc some additional points that are of interest and/or concern to us as researchers.

Ms. LeBlanc said that NARA-NYC is “going through a process” in preparation for the move, which will likely take place eighteen to twenty-four months from now. She sees the Customs House as having “enormous potential” for NARA. One example is that being near the Circle Line terminal for Ellis and Liberty Island visits, there is increased possibility to attract tourists to the Customs House and thus to NARA.

According to Ms. LeBlanc, NARA-NYC currently has about 40,000 cubic feet of textual records at Varick Street, but with limited space in the Customs House, only about 5300 cubit feet of records can be housed there. (The 5000 square feet reported earlier as being the total of the new space was a misunderstanding about room for the textual records- NARA will actually have about 20,000 total square feet that includes public and office space, storage room, and so forth.)

Apparently, NARA looked at a number of possible new locations and chose the Customs House as the best of the bunch. The main argument for settling for the much-reduced storage space is that patron usage is down. What cannot fit in the new space will go to a new storage facility in Philadelphia. Ms. LeBlanc says the off-site material will have the “same access” by shuttle to New York City that is now provided for other off-site materials. The frequency of the shuttle service is still under discussion.

Similarly, because of less storage space, NARA will also not be able to take all its current microfilm collection to the Customs House. Ms. LeBlanc says there is room for only about twenty percent of the film. What becomes of the other eighty percent of the microfilm has not been determined, but Ms. LeBlanc said there may be some possibilities for keeping it in New York City, if some other repository can take it. She thought New York Public Library’s microfilm collection nearly duplicated that at NARA-NYC. I told her this is not the case.

In order to determine what textual records and microfilm will likely be moved to the Customs House, NARA staff and volunteers will be “assessing” customer usage—what material, textual and microform, gets the most on-site use. (A large amount of NARA-NYC’s collection, mostly voluminous court records, is already stored off-site in Lee Summit, Missouri.) I reminded Ms. LeBlanc that much of the more-used microfilm is self-serve, that patrons take and replace microfilms themselves. This limits what staff and volunteers may be able to determine about usage. They are more aware of the usage of specific microfilms they must retrieve for patrons from the back “stacks.”

Ms. LeBlanc clarified that certification of copies of records at NARA-NYC will still be possible. Certifications needed from microfilm that will no longer be at NARA-NYC can be requested to be done at NARA-Pittsfield, or the microfilm can be brought in from Pittsfield to be certified at NARA-NYC.

She also said that over time, what textual records are actually kept on-site in the new facility could change, based on patron usage. For example, if there was increased call for ships’ original passenger lists, they might be brought in from off-site storage and less-requested material sent off site.

Two other things need clarification. First, volunteers will continue to be needed and they, in addition to helping patrons, will be involved with projects. There will be designated space for projects in the new facility, with textual records brought in from off-site for such projects as needed.

Second, the expansion at NARA-Waltham mentioned in my first letter is for public programming space. Some of this new space was formerly used to store microfilm, a large amount of which was given to the library in Plano, Texas, because, as Ms. LeBlanc explained, “no one else wanted it.”

I wrote my first letter in reaction to the response a colleague received who suggested to NARA that some of the more frequent patrons might be consulted for input about the upcoming mov
e, records use, and so forth. The person was told that no one was going to tell NARA what to do. NARA staff has told me that, following former Archivist John Carlin’s attempt to move large amounts of material out of the regional facilities, that NARA has became more sensitive to public wants, needs, and so forth. So the response to my colleague was out of line and certainly was not good business. We expect better from an agency that has long been one of our primary repositories for the research we do.

Ms. LeBlanc agreed. In acknowledging that my first letter got NARA’s attention, she stated, “We will do this better than we did in the past.” The move to the Customs House seems set, and while my opinion is that user involvement before that decision would have been helpful and should have been sought, NARA-NYC is holding two public meetings about the move (see the announcement). I hope those of you who are interested in the move and have concerns and questions will attend. It is not clear if whatever is voiced at these meetings will change any of NARA’s plans at this point, but those of us who are concerned should go and speak up.

Here are just two of the many concerns about which some of you have written to me.

“It’s all online.” And many of us doubt it ever will be. But even with all that is available on the Internet, we have all experienced problems that take us back to the original sources, or at least back to the microfilm, for a variety of reasons, including legibility, printing, missed material, even speed. Can we be content with loosing easy access to what we now have so readily available?

Out of sight, out of mind, or never in mind at all. Ms. LeBlanc agreed that this is one area where NARA can use a lot of improvement. Many patrons have no idea what else there is beyond the Federal censuses, passenger lists, and a few other microfilmed records. With less microfilm in the public space for users to actually see some examples of what resources there are, there need to be ways of letting researchers know about the wealth of other records that might help them—microfilm and textual.

If NARA is willing to let its users work with them to do better and not just be informed of what others have decided, is that not a positive thing?

Roger Joslyn

P.S. I realize that most people who learn “what we do” usually react with, “That’s very interesting!” or “My aunt was the family historian,” and so forth. But we also frequently encounter those who cannot fathom such an interest in the past. In these instances, I am always reminded of what is carved on the National Archives building in Washington, D.C., as you all know so well: “The Past is Prologue.”

This was brought home the other night as Leslie and I viewed (from Netflix) Masterpiece Theatre’s Shooting the Past, about a photo archives doomed to the trash and the staff’s struggle to save it. We were deeply moved and saw parallels with what has happened and will likely continue to happen in our field. For those of you who have not seen this wonderful BBC drama, I strongly recommend it. In the meantime, you can read a little bit about it at

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_the_Past

and in this New York Times review

http://www.nytimes.com/1999/11/21/tv/spotlight-an-imperiled-muse-weaves-her-spell.html?pagewanted=1

Kids: Secret Subway Joins History, Politics, Technology

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A nice children’s book (for older kids) on a little known two-block long subway that remains buried like a time capsule under the streets of New York City recently arrived on my desk. Published by National Geographic Children’s Books, Martin W. Sandler’s Secret Subway: The Fascinating Tale of an Amazing Feat of Engineering, takes on the incredible story of the visionary engineer who built New York City’s first subway only to have his dreams crushed by the greed and political power of Boss Tweed and Tammany Hall.

The story came to light in 1912, when workers digging a new subway line unearthed a intact time capsule of New York City’s underground past &#8211 and fully preserved subway station built in the 1860&#8242-s. The builder was Alfred Beach, the editor of Scientific American, who was appalled by the city’s traffic situation (even then!) and set out to build an innovative air-powered underground train powered by a fifty-ton fan dubbed &#8220The Western Tornado&#8221. The New York Time’s called the project &#8220the most novel, If not the most successful, enterprise that New York has seen for many a day.&#8221

Sandler, the author of more than 50 books, winner of seven Emmys, and who has been twice nominated for a Pulitzer, is a remarkable story-teller who is not afraid to give younger readers a full account of the financial, political and personal wheeling and dealings of Beach, the Panic of 1873, the development of New York City’s subways, and even the demise and death of Boss Tweed. Here’s a little sample:

&#8220In 1912 workmen, digging an extension of the Broadway line, suddenly hit upon a solidly built steel and brick wall. Breaking through the wall, they found themselves inside Alfred Beach’s pneumatic tunnel. What was even more amazing was the incredible condition the tunnel and Beach’s elegant waiting station were still in. Beach’s subway car still sat on the tracks, although most of the parts made of wood had rotted away. The magnificent waiting room fountain still stood tall. Father down the tunnel, the workmen found the hydraulic shield with which Beach had revolutionized the art of digging tunnels.&#8221

Since it was before historic preservation was an important cultural phenomenon, the station, the car, and the other remnants were all simply buried &#8211 where they remain to this day. Sandler’s Secret Subway keeps it alive for young readers, along with the issues surrounding politics, economics, and technology in second half of the 19th century.

New-York Historical Society Wins Lincoln Award

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The 2009 Barondess/Lincoln Award was presented at the Round Table’s 537st meeting by Len Rehner, Past President of the CWRT of New York and Chairman of the Awards Committee, and Charles Mander, Current President. Accepting the award for the The New-York Historical Society were three recipients: Dr. Louise Mirrer, President and Chief Executive Officer- Harold Holzer, Chief Historian- and Richard Rabinowitz, Chief Curator for the Exhibit.

The Barondess/Lincoln Award was established in 1960. Dr. Barondess was a distinguished charter member and former vice president of the Civil War Round Table of New York, and this award is presented in his memory. These awards, in the form of a copy of a bust of Lincoln, is given annually “to any person or institution and for any contribution to the greater appreciation of the life and works of Abraham Lincoln.” Previous winners have included Doris Kearns Goodwin, Craig Symonds, Gabor Boritt, William Gienapp, William C. Davis, Gary Wills, William Safire, and Gore Vidal, just to name a few.

In its exhibit, “Lincoln and New York,” Awards-Committee Chairman Len Rehner described to the audience how “Lincoln can be seen and felt through the incredible artifacts and memorabilia on display.” He explained how “This evocative show takes one back in time to the visit Lincoln paid to New York in February, 1860 to deliver his Presidential credentials speech at the Cooper Union. Room after room reveals the New York City of then and the political whirl over the impending Presidential election. You step into another dimension—be it a saloon with its spittoons or the handbills advertising the excitement of this new man’s appearance.”

ABOUT THE RECIPIENTS

A preeminent educational and research institution, The New-York Historical Society is home to New York City’s oldest museum and one of the nation’s most distinguished independent research libraries. Founded in 1804, the Society is dedicated to presenting exhibitions and public programs and fostering research that reveals the dynamism of history and its influence on today’s world. Its holdings cover four centuries of American history, and include one of the world’s greatest collections of historical artifacts, American art, and other materials documenting the history of the United States as seen through the prism of New York City and New York State.

Named President and Chief Executive Officer of The New-York Historical Society in 2004, Dr. Louise Mirrer holds a Ph.D in Spanish and Humanities from Stanford University and has over 20 years of experience as an academic administrator, most recently serving as Executive Vice Chancellor for Academics at CUNY. An eminent scholar in her field, Dr. Mirrer has published widely on language, literature, medieval studies, and women’s studies, both books and articles, in Spanish and English. Her most recent book is Women, Jews, and Muslims in the Reconquest Castile.

One of the leading public historians in the United States with over thirty years of experience in creating new museums, exhibits, media presentations, and educational programs, Richard Rabinowitz is the founder and president since 1980 of the American History Workshop. A scholar of American social and religious history, Dr. Rabinowitz has taught at Harvard, Skidmore and Scripps colleges. His book, The Spiritual Self in Everyday Life: The Transformation of Personal Religious Experience in Nineteenth-Century New England has been recognized as a “thoughtful analysis of what it has meant to be religious in America.” An award-winning museum and exhibit planner, Dr. Rabinowitz graduated summa cum laude from Harvard College and received his Ph.D in History of American Civilization from Harvard University.

A prolific writer and lecturer and a frequent guest on television, Harold Holzer was Co-Chairman of the United States Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. He has authored or co-authored over thirty books on Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War. Mr. Holzer has won four Barondess/Lincoln Awards from the Civil War Round Table of New York- a 2005 Lincoln Prize, perhaps the most prestigious award in the field, for Lincoln at Cooper Union(2004)- the coveted Nevins-Freeman Award from the Civil War Round Table of Chicago- and three Awards of Achievement from the Lincoln Group of New York. Educated at the City University of New York, he is currently senior vice president for external affairs at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
ABOUT THE CIVIL WAR ROUND TABLE OF NEW YORK

Founded in 1951, The Civil War Round Table of New York generally meets the second Wednesday of the month from September to June. Members assist each other with research, discuss preservation strategy for endangered battlefield, and listen to a distinguished speaker talk about a particular aspect of the war. For the year 2009/2010, the meeting location will be the 3 West Club, 3 West 51st Street in Manhattan.

For more information on the Civil War Round Table of New York, please contact The Civil War Round Table of New York at our mailing address: 139-33 250th Street, Rosedale, New York 11422. Or, if you prefer, call , or email us at [email protected]. Check out our website at www.cwrtnyc.org.

ABOUT THE LINCOLN MASK

A number of years ago, Dr. Mark D. Zimmerman was attempting to negotiate the purchase of a Roman death mask at an antique store. Hanging nearby was a plaster mask the origin of which no one seemed to know other than it had been included in a large estate sale whose contents were not well documented. As it turned out, it happened to be the mask of Abraham Lincoln.

After several years of Internet searches and endless phone calls to private individuals, major museums, private collections, and many other sources, Dr. Zimmerman realized that this mask was an authentic 19th century cast from the original 1860 Leonard Wells Volk life mask. The mask was evaluated at a major university archival research center. Comparisons were made with their own authentic Lincoln Plaster Mask, and the facial markings, structure and measurements necessary to provide authenticity were exact.

Dr. Zimmerman took the plaster cast to the Bronzart foundry in Sarasota, Florida, and they carefully reproduced the exact mask in bronze from the plaster using the “lost wax technique.” The Bronze mask weighs approximately 15 pounds with the base of polished black absolute granite weighing 14 pounds. Abraham Lincoln’s exact signature is inscribed in the front of the base. The face swivels on a brass pin imported from Italy. The total height is approximately 15 inches and the mask alone is 12.5 inches.

Through his generosity, Dr. Zimmerman donated these pieces of art to the Civil War Round Table of New York to be used as the Barondess/Lincoln Award.

Photo: Recipients of the Barondess/Lincoln Award for The New-York Historical Society: Harold Holzer, Chief Historian- Valerie Paley, Historian For Special Projects (accepting for Dr. Louise Mirrer, President and CEO)- and Richard Rabinowitz, Chief Curator (Photo Credit: R. L. Burke)

National Archives at New York City Planning Move

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The National Archives at New York City has announced that within the next two years they will move their office to the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House at One Bowling Green in New York City. Their new home will be located in the same building as the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian. The building is currently known as the Custom House building, designed by Cass Gilbert in the Beaux Arts style and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

After extensive renovation, the new space will be ready in the fall of 2011. They will announce the exact dates of the move as soon as possible.

According to an Archives Press release, &#8220At One Bowling Green our patrons will continue to receive the same great service they have come to expect from the experienced National Archives staff. We will continue to provide access to all of our holdings. An increase in our public and outreach programs, and our new proximity to other important New York cultural institutions including the Museum of the American Indian and Ellis Island, will enable us to reach a wider audience.&#8221

According to the Archives, at One Bowling Green they will:

* Occupy space on the 3rd and 4th floor of this historic building.

* Store our most used original records and most popular microfilm holdings.

* Provide access to all of our records (including records stored offsite).

* Continue to provide certified copies of National Archives holdings.

* Increase the number of public access computers so that patrons can access online resources.

* Continue to make available online subscription services including Ancestry, Footnote, Heritage Quest, ProQuest, free of charge.

* Provide additional outreach programs to increase awareness of National Archives resources in New York, the Northeast Region, and nationwide.

Two public meetings will be held on May 4th to discuss these and additional details about the move. Times and locations of these meetings will made available shortly.

For questions, contact Nancy Shader, Director of Archival Operations, National Archives at New York City by phone: 866.840.1752, fax: 212.401.1637, or email at [email protected].

NYC: Landmarks Conservancy Offers Preservation Grants

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The New York Landmarks Conservancy is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and reusing architecturally and historically important buildings in New York City. Much of the Conservancy’s work takes place in low and moderate income neighborhoods, providing a positive effect of historic preservation on community development and revitalization. Through its Neighborhood Preservation Programs, the Conservancy has provided millions of dollars in grants and low-interest loans, as well as countless hours of project management and technical assistance, to owners of all types of buildings.

There are funds available in our Neighborhood Preservation Programs to help finance exterior (and interior structural) capital work and related costs on older buildings. The properties need not be designated landmark buildings in all cases, as the funding programs have different guidelines. All of the programs are accompanied by project management assistance to foster landmark quality work and facilitate public approval processes. The Neighborhood Preservation Programs are:

1. Historic Properties Fund – a revolving loan fund for any type of property or owner. Low interest, collateralized loans for preservation work on buildings that are officially landmarks, within historic districts, or eligible for listing in the State or National Register of Historic Places. (Conservancy staff can help you to obtain this determination from the State Historic Preservation Office- it involves little further public regulation or compliance cost.) Loans range from $20,000 to approximately $300,000 per project.

2. City Ventures Fund – a grant program for nonprofit owners/developers of properties that serve lower income people. Although there is a priority for projects that provide affordable and special needs housing, properties that provide services to lower income people, such as employment training, socials services, and other educational purposes, are also eligible for funding. Capital grants of up to $30,000 are available for preservation work on older buildings that generally do not have any landmark status but have good architectural quality and integrity- consulting grants of up to $10,000 are available for professional services.

3. Emergency Preservation Grants – capitalized by The New York Community Trust, a grant program for nonprofit owners of historic properties for emergency repair work. Grants of up to $25,000 are available for immediate work that addresses public safety, water penetration, or other issues that threaten the preservation of the property.

In addition to the Neighborhood Preservation Programs, the Conservancy also provides city and statewide matching grants specifically for houses of worship. Visit their website at www.nylandmarks.org for more information about their programs.

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A New History of the Munsee Indians

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More enigmatic than they should be in this late age, even among historians of New York, the Munsee are less known than the story for which they are best known &#8211 the purchase of Manhattan Island for veritable pittance in 1626. One reason the Munsee (a northern sub-set of sorts of the Lenni Lenape or Delaware, as they were called by Europeans) have been ignored by historians is their rather early refugee status by the 1740s.

Anthropologist Robert S. Grumet’s The Munsee Indians: A History attempts to paint a portrait of the Munsee, whose territory stretched form the lower Hudson River Valley to the headwaters of the Delaware, as an Indian Nation in their own right. Previous histories, particularly those of the Lenape, have generally ignored the important role of the Munsee.

Grumet marshals archeological, anthropological and archival evidence to bring to life the memorial lives of Mattano, Tackapousha, Mamanuchqua, and other Munsee leaders who helped shape the course of American history in the mid-Atlantic before the American Revolution. The Musee emigrated to reservations in Wisconsin, Ontario, and Oklahoma where their descendants live to this day.

Grumet is the senior research associate at the McNeil Center for Early American Studies, at the University of Pennsylvania and author of Historic Contact: Indian People and Colonists in Today’s Northeastern United States in the Sixteenth Through Eighteenth Centuries.

The Munsee Indians: A History is part of the Civilization of the American Indian Series by the University of Oklahoma Press.

SepiaTown: A New Historical Image Mapping Site

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There is a new historical image website (mobile version coming soon) that lets people experience the past through a large and growing collection of user-submitted, mapped historical images. SepiaTown is just getting started with a collection of over 400 mapped New York City images, plus a growing collection from a host of cities around the world.

In the coming months they’ll be adding a number of new features to the site: a mobile version, filtering by date and media type, film and audio upload, plus individualized pages for registered users. Users can upload, map and share their own images- if you like, each image can feature a link to your own site.

Abraham Lincoln Reurns to The Cooper Union

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Widely considered the turning point for the still-obscure Illinois senator, Abraham Lincoln’s forceful appearance in The Cooper Union’s Great Hall 150 years ago is credited with helping him secure the nomination for president. Great Evenings in The Great Hall, The Cooper Union’s dynamic performance series celebrating its 150th anniversary, will offer a powerful finale by recreating one of the most influential presentations ever given: Lincoln’s pivotal Right Makes Might speech from 1860.

Academy Award and Golden Globe winner Richard Dreyfuss (Jaws, The Goodbye Girl, Close Encounters), Tony, Obie and Drama Desk honoree Andre De Shields (The Wiz, The Full Monty,) and Tony nominee and film actor Stephen Lang (The Speed of Darkness, Avatar) will voice the stirring words that changed a nation. Lincoln scholar and co-chairman of the United States Lincoln Bicentennial Commission Harold Holzer will introduce the evening filled with fiery oration and period music. Michael Unger will direct this free performance.

“Abraham Lincoln: Right makes Might&#8221 takes place on Thursday, February 25, 2010 at 6:30 PM at The Cooper Union, New York City. The event is free, however tickets are required. Distribution will begin at 4 p.m. in front of Cooper Union’s Foundation Building (East 7th St. b/w 3rd and 4th Aves) on a first-come, first-served basis.

In memory of John Jay Iselin, 10th President of The Cooper Union, this program is the second annual John Jay Iselin lecture, a collaboration of The Cooper Union and the New York State Archives Partnership Trust.

For more information, visit http://www.cooper.edu, call 212.353.4195 or email [email protected].

Photo: Photo of Abraham Lincoln taken February 27, 1860 in New York City by Mathew Brady, the day of his famous Cooper Union speech.

Books: Historic Photos of New York State

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Richard Reisem’s new book, Historic Photos of New York State showcases striking black-and-white images that take you on a journey through New York State during the unforgettable landmark epochs of the Civil War, Prohibition, and the Great Depression. Other historic subjects depicted include the 1939 World’s Fair, the age of the industrialists, the Pan-American Exposition at Buffalo, European immigrants who disembarked at Ellis Island, the Grand Union Hotel at Saratoga Springs, the State Capital at Albany, Niagara Falls, and more.

Among the photographers represented in the Historic Photos of New York State are Matthew Brady, John Collier, Carl Dietz, Arnold Genthe, Lewis Wickes Hine, Listte Model, Arthur Rothstein, Alfred Stiglitz and others. The range of New York experience from 1850 to 1967 is covered in nearly 200 images drawn from around the state.

The author is a former trustee of the Landmark Society of Western New York, and has served on the board of trustees of the Rochester Historical Society. For sixteen years he served on the Rochester Preservation Board and was chair for four years- he spent 31 years at Eastman Kodak.

The book is published by Turner Publishing.