News
June 4, 2015Albany Institute to Host Author Bruce Dearstyne to Talk About the Spirit of New York 6/7 at 2PM
Sunday, June 7 at 2PM
ALBANY, NEW YORK- The Albany Institute of History & Art is pleased to host historian Dr. Bruce W. Dearstyne for a lecture and book signing on Sunday, June 7 at 2PM for his recently published book The Spirit of New York: Defining Events in the Empire State’s History. This lecture is open to the public and is free with museum admission. Books will be available for purchase and signing.
The Spirit of New York explores the history of New York State through an examination of sixteen dramatic events that happened between the late 1700s and the early 2000s. Dearstyne will give a lively and engaging presentation about the ways in which the Empire State- and Albany, its capital- have played a key role in the course of American history. He will share insights into many events in Albany and the upper Hudson Valley that affected the course of New York State history as well as stories of fascinating people such as Jackie Robinson and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, whose leadership brought changes not to just New York but to the whole country as well.
Dearstyne is the author of several books, including Railroads and Railroad Regulations in New York State, 1900-1913. He is the former program director at the New York State Archives and was on the staff of the Office of State History. He has taught New York State history at several colleges, including the University at Albany, State University of New York, Russell Sage College, and the State University of New York at Potsdam and is an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland in the College of Information Studies. He lives in Guilderland, New York.
The Spirit of New York is published by SUNY Press.
The Albany Institute of History & Art is located at 125 Washington Avenue in Albany, New York. There is limited parking available in the museums lot, located at the corner of Dove and Elk Streets in Albany (just behind the museum). There is also on street parking available. The Albany Institute is open Wednesday-Saturday 10AM-5PM, Thursday until 8PM*, and Sunday Noon-5PM. On Tuesdays, the museum is open to registered groups only. The museum is closed on Mondays and some holidays. Admission is FREE for Albany Institute members; $10/adults; $8/seniors and students with ID; $6/children 6-12; FREE/children under 6. The museum is now offering free admission on Thursdays from 5PM-8PM. For more information, visit www.albanyinstitute.org or call (518) 463-4478.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
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. Over 25,000 people visit the Albany Institute of History & Art every year, enjoying the collections, workshops, school programs, and lectures, helping to build an understanding of the history and culture of our 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).
