The Corner
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| Renwick Park. Photo from the Collection of The History Center. |
As we plan for the The History Center's new exhibit space in the Tompkins Center for History and Culture (tompkins-center.net) we are using PLACE as an organizational concept. We reference the word "place" a great deal. For example, through our heritage tourism initiative we say that we are a place that makes history every day. The role of residents in being active placemakers is touted in planning circles. Many of our programs and those of our sister organization, Historic Ithaca, are about connecting people to place. We are embarking on a place based educational initiative. We firmly believe that place matters. Give us more material to work with. Please send me how you would complete this sentence: Tompkins County is a place that _________."
Executive Director of The History Center in Tompkins County
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Celebrating History Awards Gala
Thursday, March 1st, 2018, 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
at First Unitarian Society of Ithaca
306 North Aurora Street
The History Center in Tompkins County is pleased to announce its third annual Celebrating History Awards Gala scheduled for Thursday, March 1 at the First Unitarian Society of Ithaca. The History Center's trustees and employees view the awards as a way to honor those who are making history, engaging with local history, interpreting local history, and/or whose work resonates with our mission statement.
The event is to benefit The History Center and will be festive with well-deserved recognition, music, hearty hors d'oeuvres, drinks and conviviality.
Awardees
Ithaca Aviation Heritage Foundation
Louise Bement
Historian, Town of Lansing
Diana Riesman
Executive Director and Co-Founder, Wharton Studio Museum
Dr. Sean Eversley Bradwell
Director of Programs & Outreach at Ithaca College and Tompkins County Heritage Ambassador
And Stuart W. Stein
will be recognized posthumously
as the Founder of Tompkins County Heritage Tourism
or by contacting Ksenia Ionova at 607-273-8284 Ext. 227.
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Johnny Russo's East Hill Classic Jazz Band CD Fundraiser
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| East Hill Classic Jazz Band. Photo provided. |
The History Center in Tompkins County, in conjunction with members of the East Hill Classic Jazz Band, including co-directors Johnny Russo, Doug Robinson, Brian Earle, London McDaniel, et. al., have teamed up for an Ithaca Our Home: A Forty Year Musical Odyssey in Tompkins County project reflecting the run of this remarkable group in Ithaca and Tompkins County. The book will include photos, remembrances by Johnny and the musicians, and a seventeen song CD of original songs with printed lyrics inspired by the community, institutions and business that nurtured and supported their long remarkable career. These songs include Aurora Street Blues, College Avenue Strut, and the Mystery of Taughannock with various photos of the band in action in diverse settings from the Ithaca Farmers Market, Cornell's Fraternity Row, Alumni Events to Weddings and Carnegie Hall in 2003.
This project is expected to be ready by this summer, with The History Center receiving all the money from sales. Though Johnny & the Band have donated all this material to benefit The History Center, there is a cost associated with the physical production. The goal is to raise $3250. Please contribute by following this link or contacting Ksenia Ionova at 607-273-8284 Ext. 227, and if you would like to be noted as one of the supporters be sure to leave your name. If you would prefer to contribute by check you can make it out to The History Center in Tompkins County and note that it is to be used for the Russo CD project and mail to 401 E. State Street, Suite 100, Ithaca, NY 14850.
Thank you for your support!
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Bookstore & Gift Shop Highlights
Coming up soon:
Quarterly Newsletter of the Newfield Historical Society
By Alan Chaffee and the Town of Newfield Historical Society
The History Center's store is starting to sell copies of the quarterly newsletter of the Newfield Historical Society. The current issue includes many enlarged great images of Newfield, an enlarged color 11'x17' 1853 Newfield village map, and articles about the covered bridge.
Mention our newsletter and get 15% off from this selected title!
Tompkins Co
unty: Images of Work and Play
By the Municipal Historians of Tompkins County and the Tompkins County Historian
Decades of memories culled from attics, albums and organizations, including The History Center, are preserved in this charming collection of photographs chronicling the everyday lives of Tompkins County residents.
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Traveling Exhibit
"Journey to the North; New York's Freedom Trail"
February 2 through March, 2018
Journey to the North is a six panel traveling exhibit about the Underground Railroad. This exhibit uses the story of one fictitious character to convey the real events experienced by many freedom seekers (escaped slaves) during their journey to freedom. Much of the narrative is told from the point of view of Sarah, a fifteen year old fictional escaped slave. As visitors read the text they are challenged to imagine themselves in her situation and faced with her decisions.
This exhibition was developed for the New York State Historical Association by the Cooperstown Graduate Program in History Museum Studies. Generous support for the exhibition came from the New York Council for the Humanities and Heritage New York. This exhibit is owned by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
Main Gallery Exhibition
The Maps of Tompkins County
Maps are powerful and engaging forms of visual communication. They show us our world, and the myriad smaller places within it. Maps simplify, scale down, and organize what otherwise would be too large, too distant, or too complex to be seen.
Maps fulfill a multitude of functions, and are used for a variety of purposes. Political maps, railway maps, waterway maps, soil maps; from cross-sections of lake water depth to trolley routes; maps are irresistible and invaluable resources for learning about our environment in all its tremendous diversity.
This exhibit displays a sampling of The History Center's map collection from the 19th through the 21st centuries.
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Peter Webb & Phyllis Webb of Caroline, n.d. Photo from the Collection of The History Center. |
Our Community Corner
The Webbs - A Tompkins County Family
In honor of our county's bicentennial in 2017 The History Center is celebrating one long-established family from Caroline, the Webbs and their descendants, who exemplify the strength, character, and dedication to family and community that highlight the best of Tompkins County. Peter and Phyllis Webb were both born into slavery sometime in the 1790s and brought to New York as children. Phyllis (she had no last name) was born in North Carolina. Peter Webb, who was born around 1792 in Virginia, was brought here by John James Speed, a slave merchant who settled in Caroline on Level Green Road. Through tremendous hard work and perseverance Peter bought his freedom in 1818; Phyllis would be freed when slavery was abolished in New York State in 1827.
This photograph exhibit tells the moving and enriching story of one family's triumph over extreme hardship and their prosperous and vibrant descendants.
Former Map Room
The Many Names of Fall Creek
Names tell a story. Known to the Cayugas as Nogaene, Fall Creek flows past Tompkins County places whose names acknowledge the many connections we have with the creek--from business success to technical triumph, and even personal tragedies.
The exhibition is co-sponsored by:
Tompkins County Bicentennial Commission
and
Names on the Land--Tompkins County
Exploring Tompkins County:
A Municipality Display Case
Town of Ithaca: Early Days
Exploring Tompkins County display is a collaboration between The History Center in Tompkins County and Tompkins County's municipal historians. This new exhibit samples artifacts of early Town of Ithaca. We thank David George, Town of Ithaca Historian, for providing his knowledge and time to create this unique exhibit. In
the photo: Town of Ithaca Board Minutes, 1821. Photo Courtesy of David George.
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Heritage Ambassadors Training Program 2018
Call for Participants!
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Heritage Ambassadors leading a Pub Crawl tour group in April, 2017.
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The Heritage Ambassador Program is a free, fun, and engaging training program to get to know Tompkins County's history and rich heritage. In turn, you will be a resource to fellow county residents and to visitors.
After the training, you will commit to:
1. Engaging county residents with the history of our unique community;
2. Assisting visitors to get the most out of their time in Tompkins County;
3. Volunteering for at least three events per year (e.g., HistoryForge Days, Old House tours, heritage tours, and Visit Ithaca and Discovery Trail events).
The Spring 2018 Heritage Ambassadors training is scheduled for six consecutive Wednesdays from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, beginning February 28, 2018 and running through April 4, 2018.
To participate in the Spring 2018 Heritage Ambassadors training, complete and submit an
electronic application.
For more information, visit Ithaca Heritage (http://www.ithacaheritage.com/heritage-ambassadors/) or contact Rod Howe at [email protected].
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The History Center Welcomes Teachers
February 16 through February 24 (at The History Center and in the Ithaca community)
Show your VIT pass at The History Center during Ithaca Loves Teachers Week, February 16th through February 24th, and get 25% off on local history books, photos and more! Pick up several of our historic dolls: Harriet Tubman, Amelia Earhart and Bessie Coleman at a 30% discount. Our famous Ithaca Kitty will also be available at a discounted price for teachers.
We will feature a 'free box' where teachers may help themselves to past History Center newsletters, 19th century magazines, photos and other items!
The History Center is open Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 11:00 a.m. till 5:00 p.m.
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This image of Ithaca's State Street from the 1950s is just one of many available for research and enjoyment at The History Center.
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Getting the Most Out of the John Marcham Research Library
Saturday, February 17th, 10:30 AM (at The History Center)
Are you interested in your family's history? How about the history of your house? Have you ever wondered why your street has an unusual name? Do you like old photographs and maps? If the answer to any of these questions is "yes" then you might want to come to The History Center on Saturday February 17th at 10:30 for a peek behind the scenes of The History Center's Research Library and collections. History Center Archivist Donna Eschenbrenner will give an introduction to the many resources you can find on genealogy, the local built environment, and more. Come for the "show-and-tell" and stay afterwards for your own research on the topic of your choosing.
Saturday, February 24, 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM (at the Southside Community Center)
The Southside Community Center, in conjunction with The History Center in Tompkins County and Historic Ithaca, presents a screening of the PhotoSynthesis Productions film "Civil Warriors" (http://www.civilwarriorsmovie.com/), a dramatization of four Ithacans who served in the United States Colored Troops (USCT) during the Civil War. Produced and directed by Deborah C. Hoard and Che Broadnax, the film explores the unique setting of the soldiers' African American Southside community and connects to the larger struggle for civil rights at this pivotal point in national history. Winner of two independent film-festival awards, the drama illuminates the lives of African American soldiers and their families through first-person narration that resonates with the power of spoken word performance. A panel discussion will follow the film, and director Hoard will share a curriculum based on the C3 Framework for Social Studies that focuses on the concepts of storytelling and recovered history. Cost: $5 suggested donation supports the Southside Community Center's programs. Find more information
here.
First Friday Gallery Night:
Accordion Music Night
Friday, March 2, 6:00 PM (at The History Center)
In conjunction with First Friday Gallery Night and the Local Music Series, The History Center will host an Accordion Music Night featuring local accordion players Dominic Versage and Jerry Drolesky. Come and enjoy local music, light refreshments and current exhibits.
Talk "Blanche Hazard: Pioneering Local Suffragist & Women's Studies Educator"by Corey Ryan Earle
Saturday, March 3, 3:30 PM (at The History Center)
A pioneering historian, educator, author, and civic leader, Blanche Evans Hazard taught in the Department of Home Economics at Cornell University from 1914 to 1922. Hazard's achievements include development of innovative courses on industrial economics, labor management, and women's studies, and she was among the first women published by Harvard University Press. During the women's suffrage movement, Hazard educated thousands of New York women on their duties as voting citizens through a widely-distributed bulletin titled "Civic Duties of Women," a Cornell course titled "Woman and the State," and various lectures and extension programs.
Corey Ryan Earle is a Visiting Lecturer at Cornell University, where he teaches a 400-person class on the history of Cornell. He serves as a Cornell history resource person for departments and organizations on campus and is the former president of the board of trustees of The History Center in Tompkins County.
Thursday, March 8, 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM (at Tompkins County Public Library)
Join Tompkins County Historian Carol Kammen for these free monthly workshops on exploring and 'doing' local history.
Talk "Town of Ithaca: Early Days" by David George
Saturday, March 10, 2:00 PM (at The History Center)
In conjunction with the new Municipality Display Case exhibit "Town of Ithaca: Early Days," David George, Town of Ithaca Historian, will give a talk about the years following Town of Ithaca's incorporation in 1821.
Save the Date: Spring Railway Tour
Saturday, March 17th, 1:00 PM to 5:30 PM
The History Center is organizing a bus tour of the Tompkins County railway system. Tompkins County today is served by one railroad - the Norfolk Southern branch from Sayre PA to the AES Cayuga power station and the Cargill salt mines, both in Lansing. We will visit structures and railroad grades of this industrial past and present, from Trumansburg to Newfield (the ill-fated Pennsylvania & Sodus Bay railroad) to Willseyville (just over in Tioga County) to Freeville to Lansing. Stay Tuned for more information on how you can register to join this exciting tour. Spring Railway Tour Fee - $25.00. Please register by filling out an online
registration form or contacting Ksenia Ionova at 607-273-8284 Ext. 227.
Rod Serling and Carl Sagan: Bridging Imagination and Science
Saturday, March 24, 2:00 PM (at Cinemapolis, Ithaca, NY)
Rod
Serling and Carl Sagan seamlessly bridged imagination and science and through that cultivated a sense of wonder. They had strong connections to Ithaca and this region. Panelists Anne
Serling and Nick Sagan will incorporate the personal sides of their respective fathers and be joined by Andrew Polak, President of the
Rod
Serling Memorial foundation. Moderator Mason Peck, Professor
of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Cornell University, will lead a facilitated discussion with all three panelists about these men and their views about the world as we explore how their legacies are relevant today. Their shared interests and passions will be highlighted. The program will delve into questions such as the interrelationships among science, imagination and culture. The goal is to leave attendees with a sense of hope. There is a long arc of integrating science into our daily lives. Where are we currently on that arc? Dialogue will be interspersed with video clips, images and quotes. There will be time for Q&A.
Nick Sagan and Anne
Serling will be available after the panel to sell and sign books in the lobby.
To guarantee a seat you may preregister prior to March 17 at https://cinemapolis.org/. Preregistration ticket prices: $18 general admission / $15 for students and retirees (present ID at check-in). After March 17th and on the day of the event: $20 general admission; $17 for students and retirees. This is a benefit for The History Center in Tompkins County.
Register for the Reading and Discussion Series: James Baldwin's America
April 3rd, 17th and 24th (at The History Center, 401 East State Street, Suite 100, Ithaca, NY 14850)
April 10th, May 3rd, and 8th (at the Hoyt Fuller room of Africana Studies and Research Center, 310 Triphammer Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850)
The History Center is pleased to offer James Baldwin's America, a reading and discussion series developed and sponsored by Humanities New York.
At The History Center and the Africana Studies and Research Center, participants will come together over the course of six sessions to discuss a variety of thematically linked texts with Eric Acree, Director of the Africana Library, Cornell University, who will be joined by Kimerly Cornish, Education and Outreach Coordinator, Office of Human Rights, and Marquis Bey, Ph. D. Candidate, Cornell University. Participants in James Baldwin's America will explore Baldwin's major essays, including Notes of A Native Son, Nobody Knows My Name, and The Fire Next Time, as well as much of his previously uncollected nonfiction.
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We are Moving!
Packing Highlights
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| The Chamber Pot. Photo from the Collection of The History Center. |
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The Chamber Pot
Once people became "civilized" and lived together in larger groups, the need to deal with the waste products of human existence arose. Children, especially, are fascinated with these bodily functions, yet they are rarely referred to in "polite" society. Nonetheless, there they are, and we all have to deal with them.
Historically, other than heading for "the bushes," there have long been allotted places for this, and various technologies have been employed to alleviate any accumulation of what we now know to be toxic and unhealthy, as well as merely unpleasant. Once people began living in enclosed spaces, there needed to be a solution of how to avoid nighttime excursions into the chill darkness should the need arise. Thus, the evolution of the chamber pot. It is known by this term in English, since it was a fairly large empty container, a "pot" and was employed in a bedroom or bedchamber. Read more
here.
This chamber pot was recently packed for our move to the new Tompkins Center for History and Culture. Watch this space for more updates on packing our collection!
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