Longer days. Warmer temperatures. More birdsong. The signs of spring have been growing stronger in New York for weeks, and now the season has arrived. We’re proud to share some of the delights of spring with you at our parks and historic sites — here’s hoping we’ll see you out there.
Springing from the Earth
Getting out on the trail in the springtime is an exhilarating experience, as wildflowers begin to bloom, trees return to leaf, and the smells of nature fully return. If you enjoy identifying the plants, insects and animals you see on the trail, consider joining the global nonprofit iNaturalist project. You can use their app to identify flora and fauna you find, record your sightings, or find out from other users what’s been sighted nearby. Below are a few plants to look out for!
Black History Month is drawing to a close. But at the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, research into New York’s Black history is continuous. From the 1627 arrival of the first 22 enslaved African men to the 1827 abolition of slavery in New York and into the future, Black history is the history of New York and of the United States. This is a cornerstone principle of ‘Our Whole History,’ a Parks initiative launched several years ago to thoroughly research and share the stories of New York State from the points of view of all who lived it.
As research continues, a more complete picture of the past emerges. The stories of the Black New Yorkers who contributed so much to New York’s history are revealed through painstaking, detail-oriented research. Key caretakers, highly skilled laborers, folks who contributed to a smooth-running household become clearer.
To piece together their stories, our dedicated historians conduct archaeology, study physical objects, and delve deep into records of all kinds: account ledgers of both homes and businesses; census data; estate inventories; wills; letters and journals; city directories; diaries, and more.
Several of our historians shared with us the stories of Black figures who shaped the history of their sites.
In settlements along the Hudson River Valley and in Albany on the hill where the New York State Capitol sits today, enslaved and free African descendants once gathered with family and friends to celebrate Pinkster. During the holiday, the Dutch attended religious services but also gathered socially to play games and eat holiday foods. Enslaved Africans had leave to travel and gather during the festivities, which was not allowed during most of the year.
Left: Pinkster event signage outside of Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site. Right: Pinkster coverage from the Albany Morning Express, 1880.
Over the past few decades, the Pinkster celebration has enjoyed a resurgence in New York State. And in recent years, historic sites in New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation’s care have served as venues to carry on the deeply rooted cultural tradition.
A History of Pinkster
Settlers in New Netherland, a 17th century Dutch colonial province on the east coast, practiced their religious observance of Pentecost (Pinksteren in Dutch) or Whitsunday in the Americas. Pentecost signifies the Holy Spirit being sent to the disciples, roughly fifty days after the resurrection, as described in the New Testament of the Christian bible.
In 1803, a published account of Pinkster in the Albany Centinel newspaper described the scene: “readiness, on Monday morning, blacks and a certain class of whites, together with countries and colours, begin to assemble on Pinkster from every part of the city and from the adjacent country miles around, forming in the whole a motley group of thousands…”
The Canandaigua Treaty Day Celebration is held annually in Canandaigua, New York, to polish the chain of friendship between the United States and the Six Nations, and to honor the sovereignty of the Haudenosaunee (hoh-DEE-noh-SHoh-nee) Confederacy. The Six Nations consist of the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora, who originally and currently live in Northeast North America and Upstate New York.
Ganondagan State Historic Site is home to theSeneca Art & Culture Center, which features stories of Haudenosaunee contributions to art, culture and society, and the Bark Longhouse, a replica of a 1600s Seneca family’s dwelling as well colonial trades and goods. Self-guided hiking trails, including a tree tour and medicine walk, are available year-round, dawn to dusk, weather-permitting.
Michael Oberg, Distinguished Professor of History, SUNY Geneseo, gives a presentation at Ganondagan State Historic Site.
Co-created in 1794 by the young United States and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (an alliance of Six Nations), the Canandaigua Treaty was a binding, solemn agreement that defined mutual obligations between the independent nations. It set out to affirm land rights to the Haudenosaunee and established the promise of friendship between all parties. Today the treaty is commemorated by the Haudenosaunee by paying tribute to their peace-making efforts to uphold their end of the “chain” of friendship.
On November 11, Ganondagan State Historic Site hosted a lunch, lecture and tour to honor the 229th anniversary of the Canandaigua Treaty at their Seneca Art & Culture Center in Victor, NY. The annual event signals how the relationship between the United States and Six Nations has been challenged, strained, and violated, but reveals that the treaty itself has never been broken and is still recognized by both governments.
Art and artifact conservators are the guardians of our cultural heritage. Their fascinating work blends art and science to protect the treasures of the past for future generations. But that work is often invisible to the public.
The American Institute for Conservation showcases this field through the annual Ask A Conservator Day. This year, NY State Parks and Historic Sites’ Department of Historic Preservation conservators Elizabeth Robson (Paintings) and Paige Schmidt (Wooden Objects) took a break from their labs to answer questions about their work.
What do conservators do? What is outside the scope of their field?
Conservators are highly skilled, highly trained professionals who care for art and artifacts. They assess the condition of a particular object and carry out a course of treatment for it. They also provide guidance on how to store and exhibit an object or work of art.
Conservators also specialize in one area of expertise, such as paintings, paper, objects, textiles, or architecture. There are further specialties within these categories, like murals, books, photographs, frames, wooden objects, archaeological objects, metals, and more. While a conservator’s treatment may improve the aesthetics of an object (e.g. replacing missing paint), they never do so at the expense of any original material. Nor do they give appraisals of artworks or artifacts.
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