News
September 10, 2015New Exhibition Explores Capital Region History Through 50 Objects
It’s not often that you see a video game and a chamber pot together in an exhibition. It’s even more unusual when both are highlighted as historic artifacts. But the Capital Region of New York has such a varied history that this pairing, along with forty-eight other items, will come together at the Albany Institute of History & Art to tell their stories in The Capital Region in 50 Objects. This collaborative exhibition was developed in partnership with area historic organizations and public input. The Capital Region in 50 Objects will open at the Albany Institute on September 19, 2015 and will run through April 3, 2016.
Each region of the country has its own distinctive history that sets it apart from others. The Capital Region of New York–consisting of Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, and Schenectady counties–is no different.
“The Capital Region in 50 Objects is modeled on similar undertakings in the United States and Great Britain,” says Albany Institute’s Executive Director Tammis Groft. “In 2011, the British Museum and the BBC partnered together on a project to tell a history of the world in 100 objects and then the New York Times presented a feature called ‘A History of New York in 50 Objects’.”
“We wanted to use this very approachable format and organize an exhibition where people could come and see selected objects in person,” says Groft. She continues, “As we thought about this type of exhibition, we asked ourselves: What is it that gives the Capital Region its identity? What historic events, people, ideas, and objects have shaped its character? And, even more challenging, it is possible to symbolize the Capital Region’s distinctiveness in fifty objects?”
The Capital Region in 50 Objects represents over three years of outreach, research, and collaboration. The Albany Institute sent surveys to nearly sixty museums and cultural organizations throughout the region. Through partnership with the Times Union, the Institute was also able to ask readers to submit their ideas based on themes such as Arts, Sports, & Entertainment; Science & Technology; Politics; Industry, Commerce, & Transportation; Life & Society. Then, after reviewing the responses, a committee worked to select fifty topics to represent a diverse history of the region. Topics range from Uncle Sam and Henry Johnson to WGY and early radio and television broadcasting, the Saratoga Race Track, Emma Willard, and Antarctic flights.
Numerous museums, historical societies, business entities, and private individuals worked with the Albany Institute of History & Art to assemble fifty objects that tell an amazing story of the Capital Region over the past four hundred years. Some of the objects in the exhibition are immediately recognizable as Capital Region icons, such as Albany’s beloved Nipper, the RCA dog that looks down from this rooftop perch on Broadway in downtown Albany. Other objects, such as the Witenagemot oak peace tree from the Knickerbocker Historical Society in Schaghticoke, may be little known to visitors, but the old oak tree represents a profoundly important event that took place in 1676 with the formalization of a peace treaty among English colonists, Mohawks, Mohicans, and Hoosacs, all of whom inhabited the area around the junction of the Hudson and Hoosick Rivers.
“The exhibition represents the voice of our region– how all of us who live and work here see our own history and identity. And it’s a fantastic way to share that history with others,” says Albany Institute’s Chief Curator Doug McCombs.
In addition, the Albany Institute will host a variety of related special events, family programs, guest lecturers, and more so that the public will be able to connect to the exhibition content in numerous ways. Upcoming events are listed at the end of this release.
The exhibition, which opens on Saturday, September 19, will debut at a special reception on Friday, September 18 from 5:30 – 8 p.m. This reception is free and open to the public, but RSVPs are requested. Guests should RSVP to 518.463.4478 ext 403.
The Albany Institute of History & Art wants to thank the participants and supporters that influenced and made possible The Capital Region in 50 Objects, including the Times Union, the New York State Council on the Arts, the New York Council for the Humanities, the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, Matthew Bender IV, and Dr. and Mrs. Lawrence R. Marwill.
Object lenders include: Albany Pine Bush Preserve; Bernard Brown; Nancy E. Carey;
Dudley Observatory; Emma Dickson and the Rapp Road Historical Association; Emma Willard School; Empire State Aerosciences Museum; Empire State Plaza Art Collection, New York State Office of General Services; Vince Forte, Jr.; Grafton Community Library; Hudson-Mohawk Industrial Gateway; Iroquois Indian Museum; William Kennedy; Knickerbocker Historical Society; Manchester Metropolitan University Library, UK; Jack McEneny; MiSci (Museum of Innovation and Science); National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame; New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center; New York State Museum; Old State Fort Museum; Port of Albany; Rensselaer County Historical Society; Saratoga National Historical Park; Schenectady Historical Society; Vicarious Visions; and Stewart Wagner.
Image lenders include: Emma Dickson and the Rapp Road Historical Association; Fort Orange Club; Gary Gold; David and Ruth Hoffman; William Kennedy; Metropolitan Museum of Art; MiSci (Museum of Innovation and Science); New York State Library; New York State Museum;
Tom Nelson; Rensselaer County Historical Society; Len Tantillo; Underground Railroad History Project; and Vicarious Visions.
Members of the press are invited to an exhibition preview at the Albany Institute on Tuesday, September 15 at 10AM. Chief Curator Doug McCombs will lead a tour of the exhibition (still in installation stage) and both he and Tammis Groft will be available to answer questions. Refreshments will be provided. Please RSVP to Aine Leader-Nagy at 518.463.4478 ext. 408 or leader.nagya@albanyinstitute.org.
The Albany Institute of History & Art is located at 125 Washington Avenue in Albany, New York. Free parking is available in the museum’s lot at the corner of Elk and Dove Streets. The museum is open Wednesday-Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Thursdays until 8p.m.*, and Sunday 12 noon – 5 p.m. On Tuesdays, the museum is open to registered groups only. The museum is closed on Mondays and some holidays. Admission is free for Institute members; $10/adults; $8/seniors; $8/students with ID; $6/children 6-12; FREE/children under 6. *AIHA now offers free admission on Thursdays from 5 – 8 p.m.
For more information, visit www.albanyinstitute.org or call 518.463.4478.
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Founded in 1791, the Albany Institute of History & Art is New York’s oldest museum. Its collections document the Hudson Valley as a crossroads of culture, influencing the art and history of the region, the state, and the nation. With more than 35,000 objects and one million documents in the library, it is an important resource for the region, giving our community a sense of the part the Hudson Valley played in the American story, and our own place in history. Permanent and temporary exhibitions are open year-round and create a sense of place, allowing visitors to meet the people who helped shape this region. Among the museum’s best-known and most-loved collections are the 19th century Hudson River School landscape paintings by artists like Thomas Cole and Frederic Church, the 19th century sculpture collections, and, of course, the famous Albany Mummies that came to the museum in 1909 and have been on view ever since. For more information, please visit www.albanyinstitute.org and be sure to follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/albanyinstitute) and Twitter (@AlbanyInstitute).
