The Corner
WE ARE ITHACA
For November's First Friday Gallery Night, The History Center will showcase WE A
RE ITHACA
.......
a celebration in portraits.
WE ARE ITHACA has hosted a multi-faceted portrait
project in 2017/2018 that used the power of photography to engage diverse communities within our city in dialogue and celebration of our complex identity. This is a project of the Community Arts Partnership made possible by a grant from the Park Foundation.
WE ARE ITHACA hosted 28 portrait sessions throughout Ithaca
,
making more than 1,200 portraits of Ithacans
. A top priority has been to represent all segments of the Ithaca community and sessions have been held in all quadrants of the city to be as inclusive as possible. People were invited to bring something meaningful to the portrait session and/or be dressed in clothing that speaks to a part of their identity, life, history. At the same time, those who were willing were invited to share something about themselves on video.
WE ARE ITHACA celebrates the individuals who compose our rich community. The collective results provide an informative and inspirational visual foundation to a vibrant community celebration and a valuable historic snapshot of Ithaca to be shared with future generations. Our desire to be seen, heard, and acknowledged is powerful.
This evening, November 2, Project Director Robyn Wishna will speak about WE ARE ITHACA at 6:00 PM sharp and show an 8-minute documentary multiple times throughout the evening. Visitors are also encouraged to enjoy the photos and videos of the exhibit, enjoy refreshments, contribute to our pop-up wall art answering the question, "What do you love about Ithaca?", and join in a group photo. There will also be a surprise interactive portion for willing visitors, with prizes of merchandise from our store. The first 20 people who show up for the 6:00 PM presentation will be given WE ARE ITHACA posters or stickers.
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Bookstore & Gift Shop Highlights
In honor of these historic women, these three dolls will be ON SALE 50% OFF throughout November.
We celebrate Bessie Coleman and Amelia Earhart during November, the Aviation History Month. We also commemorate Harriet Tubman's final rescue mission in November 1860.
Bessie Coleman & Amelia Earhart & Harriet Tubman Dolls
from Girls Explore Series
Bessie
Coleman was the
first black woman pilot.
Amelia Earhart was the first woman aviator to fly across the Atlantic Ocean.
On her visit to Ithaca she landed where the Hangar Theatre is today.
Harriet Tubman was an abolitionist, suffragist, army scout, and escaped slave who guided at least seventy slaves to freedom at great personal risk.
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Current Exhibits
Recognizing Women's Right To Vote in New York State
Recently arrived: This traveling exhibit features the journey of women's efforts to gain the vote here in New York state. This exhibition was curated by Julia Corrice, Susan Goodier, and Sally Roesch Wagner of the South Central Regional Library Council, in partnership with the Empire State Library Network and New York Heritage Digital Collections, with funding from Humanities New York and exhibition materials contributed by libraries around the country. Learn more
here.
WE ARE ITHACA.......
a celebration in portraits
Our map room features WE ARE ITHACA.......a celebration in portraits.
This is a project of the Community Arts Partnership made possible by a grant from the Park Foundation.
(Read "The Corner" above and attend our November 2 event to learn more about the project!)
Exploring Tompkins County: A Municipality
Display Case
"Danby: Its Rural Side, Its Historic Side, And More"
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.
Photo: Town of Ithaca Board Minutes, 1821. (Courtesy of David George)
Also on Display
While in the midst of packing and getting ready for the move to our new home, The History Center still offers ongoing exhibits and displays, including "The Maps of Tompkins County," "Our Community: The Story of Reggae in Ithaca," and "Ladies' Accessories Display." Please come to take a look on Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Please Note:
The History Center in Tompkins County will be closed to the public Thursday, November 22 through Saturday, November 24. We will resume our normal hours Tuesday, November 27.
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First Friday Gallery Night
Friday, November 2, 6:00 to 8:00 PM (The History Center)
Read "The Corner" above for more information!
Saturday, November 3, 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM (The History Center)
Revisit your favorite summer events at "Our Fairs & Festivals," a celebration of community folklife. From 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM, learn about annual highlights of the Ithaca Festival, Groton Old Home Days, and the Trumansburg Fair from local artists, farmers, and showmen at three family-friendly learning stations. From 12:30 to 1:00 PM, join folklorist Hannah Davis to learn about each of these local events' history and traditional culture. Share your own experiences to add documentation to The History Center's archive. This event concludes "Interpreting Community Folklife at Tompkins County's Fairs and Festivals," a project made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. Learn more about Davis and this project on the
Ithaca Heritage blog.
HistoryForge Neighborhood Evolution
Saturday, November 3, 2:00 to 4:00 PM (Tentative start at Fall Creek Elementary School, 202 King Street, Ithaca, NY 14850)
HistoryForge will help provide a historical context with a presentation and short walking tour. The focus will be on the area of Fall Creek around the elementary school to Ithaca Falls to Northstar House. Further details will be available on our website starting October 24. This event, sponsored by M&T Bank, is the final in a three part series.
African Americans in Ithaca: Situating People in Place and Time
Friday, November 9 & Saturday, November 10 (
Southside Community Center, 305 South Plain Street,
Ithaca, NY 14850)
The History Center in Tompkins County and the Southside
Community Center are hosting a two-day
community
forum focused on the
African-
American
community in Ithaca. The full schedule is now available online
here.
The Southside Community Center's legacy dates back to the work and ideals of the Frances Harper Women's Club, a group of Black women in the Ithaca community in the 1920s; learn more
here
.
Saturday, November 10, 1:00 to 4:00 PM (The Space @ GreenStar, 700 West Buffalo Street, Ithaca, NY 14850)
Love geography? Collect geographic facts as you read and travel? The GeoWhiz competition brings together teams of three contestants (13 and up), and asks them a wide range of questions about local, state, national, and international geography. It's free to watch, and we've set things up so the audience can play along too!
Plus an Ithaca Heritage event...
The Inside Straight: Tour & Screening
Saturday, December 8, 11:00 AM to 12:40 PM (Willard Straight Hall, 136 Ho Plaza, Ithaca, NY 14850)
Explore the nooks and crannies of Cornell's student union, the Collegiate Gothic-style Willard Straight Hall, on a guided architectural history tour led by Cornell's Cat Holmes. The tour culminates with an insider's view of the Straight's historic University Theatre, where Cornell Cinema Director Mary Fessenden shares the theatre's history and architecture. We'll enjoy two silent film shorts in the storied space: an episode from Beatrice Fairfax, a silent serial produced by Ithaca's own Wharton, Inc. Studio, and a student silent film shot in part at the cinema. Light snacks and drinks provided. Tour is limited to only 20 participants, so
buy your $15 tickets soon
. Subject to availability, tickets may also be purchased on-site the day of the tour. The Inside Straight is sponsored by Ithaca Heritage, Historic Ithaca, Wharton Studio Museum, and Cornell Cinema.
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Looking for Students of All Ages!
Uncovering Our Histories: Student gathering about histories in our communities
Friday, November 16, 5:00 to 6:30 PM
The History Center in Tompkins County (401 East State Street, Suite 100, Ithaca NY)
Calling all students - middle school, high school, and college students in Tompkins County! What stories matter in your community? What stories are hidden away, forgotten, or not being told? Join us for an afternoon of conversation and fun activities to explore how we can make these stories visible!
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Tickets Now On Sale!
The History Center in Tompkins County, in cooperation with the State Theatre and DSP Shows, and sponsored by CFCU Community Credit Union, presents the Hometown Music Makers' Revue on Saturday, December 8 at 7:00 PM. This concert will highlight more than a century's history of music in Tompkins County, from Patsy Conway's world-renowned brass band in the early 1900s to the contemporary musicians w
ho help make Ithaca a draw for art and entertainment today.
This concert, in recognition of the many people who made and continue to make
music
here, and of enthusiastic Ithaca audiences, is part of a three-day celebration of the State Theatre's 90th birthday. The concert is also a kick-off for The History Center's move to the new Tompkins Center for History and Culture in the former Tompkins Trust Building on the Commons' Bank Alley. Tickets are available through the State Theatre's ticket office by phone at 607-277-8283 and online here.
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From the New York State History Museum
November is New York State History Month!
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Photo credit:
Glenn Castellano, New York Historical Society |
Celebrate the Empire State's rich history by visiting the State Museum, touring an exhibition, and attending a public program.
In celebration of New York State History Month and in commemoration of the 101st anniversary of women's suffrage in New York State, the Museum is proud to display a model of a statue honoring Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony from November 6, 2018 through March 31, 2019. The statue, designed by Meredith Bergmann, will be unveiled in New York City's Central Park in 2020 - the first statue in the park to honor a woman.
For more information, click
here.
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We are Moving!
Packing Highlights
Irene Castle was a famous actress in the silent film era and worked extensively at the Wharton Studios in Ithaca during their heyday around 1918. Her life and career story is told in this 1958 autobiography. It is one of the many books we are packing as we prepare for our move to the new Tompkins Center for History and Culture.
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