LECTURE AND PREMIER OF THE NEW BOOK: Our Movie Houses: A History of Film & Cinematic Innovation in Central New York

LECTURE AND PREMIER OF THE NEW BOOK:

Our Movie Houses: A History of Film

& Cinematic Innovation in Central New York

CONTACT: DENNIS CONNORS (Curator of History at 428-1864 ext 310)

The Onondaga Historical Association Museum, one of the cultural attractions along Syracuse’s Connective Corridor, will host a book premier, talk and signing on Wednesday, June 25, for the recently released publication, Our Movie Houses: A History of Film & Cinematic Innovation in Central New York”

(Syracuse University Press, 2008). The event will feature authors Norman O. Keim, founder of the Syracuse University Film Studies Center, and David Marc, associate editor of Syracuse University Magazine, and is free and open to the public.

Book signings will take place at 5 and 6 p.m. A book talk with the authors will begin at 5:30 p.m. and will feature a display of fascinating early theater memorabilia drawn from the collection of the Onondaga Historical Association. Light refreshments will be provided.

Our Movie Houses: A History of Film & Cinematic Innovation in Central New York offers a richly detailed account of the origins of American film in the Syracuse area, a colorful history of movie theaters in Central New York, and short biographies for dozens of famous film personalities who got their start in the unlikely snow belt of New York State. The book includes several photographs of both downtown and neighborhood theaters once found throughout Syracuse and the region. Comprehensive appendices provide names and locations of these theaters that will stir fond memories for many Central New Yorkers. In Syracuse, they range from the “Acme,” which ran films on Butternut Street until 1953 to the “Lyric,” which operated until 1945 on Wolf Street. Beyond the city, theaters in towns from Adams to Weedsport, New York are included.

Among countless details on film history in the Salt City, Mr. Keim has included stories on how Syracuse seems to have beaten Thomas Edison in 1896 with the first public screening of a motion picture. He also relates the invention of the early motion picture device, the mutoscope, in Lipe’s Machine Shop, still standing in Syracuse on Geddes Street. And readers will discover the local connections for dozens of Hollywood notables such as musicals headliner Gordon MacRae, 1930s cinema leading lady Norma Shearer and silent movie child star Jackie Coogan.

Take A Trip To The Hudson River Valley!

Onondaga Historical Association Museum Bus Trip

With Travel Choice International

Hudson River Valley Getaway!

Small town America with big time views!

A weekend of food, nature and art!

Mansions, museums, picturesque towns and markets!

A not-to-be missed adventure with OHA Archivist Michael Flanagan!

June 6-7-8, 2008 (Friday-Sunday)

Includes 2 nights at the Best Western Poughkeepsie; 5 meals including dinner at the Culinary Institute of America & Sunday champagne brunch at Hotel Thayer at West Point; all entries and admissions; round trip motor coach transportation, all tips & gratuities; & Travel Choice International & Onondaga Historical Association Museum Escort.

Double Rooms Single Triple

$499 $579 $479 per person MEMBER

$529 $609 $509 per person NON MEMBER

Deposit: $100 per person non-refundable due with registration

Final Payment: Due Friday, May 16, 2008

Make checks payable to: OHA, VISA/MASTER CARD ACCEPTED

Send to: Onondaga Historical Association Museum

321 Montgomery Street

Syracuse, NY 13202

Cancellation: Prior to April 18, 2008 – everything but deposit

After April 18, 2008 – non-refundable

Trip cancellation insurance is recommended and available through Travel Choice International (445-1400) within 14 days of registration

ITINERARY

June 6, 2008 (Friday)

7-7:30 AM Bus loads & departs from Town of Dewitt Parks Facility – 5889 Butternut Drive.

10:30 AM Albany Institute of Art’s Exhibit: Art and Nature: Hudson River School Paintings. Walk or motor coach to Empire State Plaza for lunch on your own (2-3 blocks).

2:00 PM Board motor coach for Poughkeepsie.

3:30 PM Arrive Best Western – Poughkeepsie, NY

4:30 PM Board motor coach for Culinary Institute of America.

5:00 PM Tour of Culinary Institute.

6:30 PM Dinner at CIA’s Caterina de Medici Restaurant. Business casual no jeans/sneakers.

June 7, 2008 (Saturday)

Enjoy hot breakfast buffet at the hotel.

8:45 AM Board motor coach for FDR Home and Library.

9:00 AM Arrive Henry Wallace Visitor & Education Center and see introductory movie.

10:00 AM Depart Visitor Center for guided tour of FDR home. Time for FDR Library too. Lunch on your own at Mrs. Nesbitt’s Café in the Henry Wallace Visitor Center.

1:00 PM Board motor coach for Rhinebeck Aerodrome display of aircraft & cars 1900-35.

6:30 PM Dinner at Hyde Park Brewing Company.

June 8, 2008 (Sunday)

Enjoy hot breakfast buffet at hotel.

9-10:30 AM Board motor coach for West Point & arrive at Visitors Center.

11:00 AM Sunday Champagne Brunch at Hotel Thayer located on West Point grounds.

12:30 PM Depart from Hotel Thayer for a 2 hour tour of West Point.

2:30 PM Tour concludes at the Visitors Center; West Point Museum is behind it.

4:00 PM Board motor coach for return to Syracuse (rest stop & dinner on your own).

9:00 PM Planned arrival at Town of Dewitt Parks facility.

OHA Members-Only Exhibition Preview!

OHA Members-Only

Exhibition Preview!

Join OHA staff as our special guest at the unveiling of the next artwork exhibition series, Exploring History With Art! This special members-only reception is Wednesday, April 2^nd, 2008 from 4-5pm.

The third artwork exhibition in the series features occupations and places of work. Appropriately titled, Occupations & Places of Work, the exhibition showcases paintings illustrating different occupations and places of work in Onondaga County through the years.

Inside the exhibit gallery you’ll see Onondaga Pottery, Comfort Tyler’s Tavern, Good Shepherd Hospital, salt towers, and several others depicting the diverse places to work in Onondaga County from the early 19^th through the late 20^th centuries.

This is the third in a series of thematic exhibits begun in 2006. The first exhibit in this series explored OHA’s extensive portrait collection, the second, transportation. The multi-year series is designed to use OHA’s sizable art collection combined with interpretive exhibit labels to not only educate visitors about the theme but to encourage viewers to use visual information to extract historical content from artworks. Local teachers and students will find subjects meeting their document-based questions social studies standards within the exhibit. Possible future thematic exhibits in this series are Children, Landscape and Women Artists.

Lively Historic Conversation and Debate Among Famous Women!

IN HER OWN WORDS:

WOMEN’S RIGHTS IN THE 19^TH CENTURY

 

Join the OHA History Upstagers on Sunday, March 30 at 2pm at OHA’s museum, 321 Montgomery St., Syracuse, NY for a rousing afternoon of conversation based on the historical novel North Star Conspiracy by Miriam Grace Monfredo.

He said “no!” but she said “yes!  Meet a group of very diversified women from 1848 Seneca Falls, NY as they discuss abolitionism, suffrage, slavery, marriage and family.  Audience interaction a must!

Cost is $3 members, $5 non-members on the museum’s second floor in the activity room. The Onondaga Historical Association Museum & Research Center is open Wednesday-Friday from 10am-2pm and weekend from 11am-4pm.

For more information or to place a reservation call 428-1864, x 312.

Illustrated Lecture! Standing Up For Freedom: Challenges to Syracuse’s 19th Century Abolitionists

CONTACT: Dennis Connors

                     Curator of History

                     315 428-1864, x 310

                     djcoha@juno.com

 

Syracuse developed a national reputation in the mid-19^th century as a stronghold of abolitionist and anti-slavery activity.  The roles of local ministers Samuel May, Jermain Loguen and others who were involved in the Underground Railroad have been documented.  And the story and site of the Jerry Rescue is marked with interpretive signs and a dramatic monument.  But these advocates of freedom faced constant challenges in their own community since not every local resident agreed with their stance.

 

On February 10 at 2 pm, Onondaga Historical Association curator of history Dennis Connors will present a lecture at the OHA Museum that explores some of the events where abolitionists and, later, Lincoln supporters faced strong opposition and even violence. 

 

In the 1830s, citizens held meetings to denounce local abolitionists.  In 1852, residents wishing to commemorate the first anniversary of the Jerry Rescue were denied access to City Hall.  In 1861, abolitionist leaders Samuel May and Susan B. Anthony were burned in effigy in Hanover Square .  And in March of 1863, a gang of nearly 100 men attacked several local African-Americans following a city election victory of Copperhead Democrats.  The Copperheads opposed President Lincoln’s handling of the Civil War, did not welcome that year’s Emancipation Proclamation and opposed the drafting of soldiers that had just been approved by Congress.  That March conscription law would lead to a much more violent riot in New York City four months later.

 

The challenges facing those who worked for decades in Syracuse to support the cause of freeing America ’s millions of slaves were real.  This program, offered during Black History Month, will shed light on some of those challenges and help place the efforts of people like May, Loguen, Anthony and others in the often emotional context of the times.

 

Admission to the OHA Museum at 321 Montgomery Street in downtown Syracuse is free but there is a fee for the lecture of $3 at the door.  OHA members are free.  For more information, contact the OHA at 428-1864.

History Mystery at Onondaga Historical Association Museum!

YOU’RE INVITED TO OHA’s HISTORY MYSTERY!

The Sinister Secret of the Sand in the Salt Shaker

It’s got everything!

The place—Onondaga Historical Association Museum

The time—19th century.

The people—elite Victorians.

The event—an Egyptian treasure being unveiled at the museum.

Saturday Evening February 9^th and 16^th , 7-9pm, OHA Museum, 321 Montgomery St., Syracuse, NY 13202

Reservations at $15 per person includes intermission refreshments by KC Catering

Call 428-1864, x 313

The OHA History Upstagers will provide a terrific whodunit…Crime! Clues! Detectives! Interactive fun!

It’s hysterical, hilarious and historical. After all, it is written and directed by Scott Peal!

This history mystery spans the “sands of time and deceit” from 2000 BC to 2008 AD.

It’s a killer!

Ebenezer Scrooge’s Ladies Come to OHA Museum on Sunday, December 16th!

Join well known 19^th century British author, Charles Dickens, as he introduces audiences to the female characters from his very popular short novel, A Christmas Carol.

 

The program takes place on Sunday, December 16^th, 2007 at 2pm at the Onondaga Historical Association Museum & Research Center, 321 Montgomery St., Syracuse, NY.

 

Converse with these ladies as to their portrayal in his novel, how they relate to Scrooge, and if they feel they were correctly portrayed for their era.  Find out if Charles Dickens’ own personal attitudes toward women influenced his writing.

 

Hear anecdotes from Dickens’ life!

 

Glimpse Victorian life and its customs!

 

Participate in activities involving observation & imagination – a writer’s tools!

 

Enjoy a reading from one of Dickens’ works!

 

The afternoon ends with complimentary refreshments and a holiday raffle in support of OHA’s education programs.

Tall Tales with Ephraim Webster at OHA Museum!

TALL TALES

STORIES FROM ONONDAGA COUNTY’S PAST

Long before television, Onondaga County’s early residents were kept amused by tall tales that were spun by pioneers, canalers, salt boilers, and immigrants. Ephraim Webster was one of those early settlers. He started a trading post in a mosquito-infested swamp at the foot of Onondaga Lake many, many years ago – long before anyone had heard of the word destiny in those parts. Help Ephraim retell his adventures and little ditties from our local history during this interactive and informative program. Staff creative consultant, Scott Peal, transforms himself into this colorful character from our past.

The program is FREE and takes place at the OHA Museum, 321 Montgomery St., Syracuse on Sunday, November 11, 2007 at 2pm.

This program is underwritten through a NYS Senator John DeFrancisco Heritage Grant, administered by the Cultural Resources Council of Onondaga County.

For more information, please contact the OHA Education Department at 428-1864 ext 313 and by e-mail at eawoha@yahoo.com

Meet Charles Dickens and His Friends: A Literary Holiday

On Sunday December 9, from 2 until 4 pm, the Onondaga Historical Association Museum & Research Center is offering a special treat for the holiday season. Stop in to the OHA Museum and enjoy the opportunity to meet a special visitor from the past, Charles Dickens, whose presentation will help get patrons in the traditional holiday spirit. At the same time, over half a dozen more contemporary authors will be present to sign recent books focusing on Upstate New York history. Copies will be available through the OHA Museum Gift Shop that day with a special one-day discount. Refreshments will also be served, by none other than Mrs. Bob Cratchit, herself. And there will be a chance to buy a raffle ticket to win a basket of special holiday surprises.

Charles Dickens, portrayed by professional actor Scott Peal, is not unknown in Syracuse, although he last visited almost 140 years ago. In 1868, the famous English author stopped in the Salt City to tender readings from his Pickwick Papers and The Christmas Carol. He performed on the stage of Clinton Square’s Wieting Hall, a space that predated the famous opera house. Local reviewers were surprised by his small stature, but generally complimentary of his “power of expression.”

Dickens, however, had the misfortune of arriving in Syracuse in early March. He reported that Syracuse was, “a very grim place in a heavy thaw.” Nevertheless, he was pleased with the attendance and ticket sales, which encouraged him for a possible return engagement. It has taken him quite a long time but Mr. Dickens has finally been able to work Syracuse back into his busy lecturing schedule.

At the OHA Museum, he will offer amusing anecdotes from his life and participants will enjoy his wit and wisdom as he offers a glimpse of Victorian life and its customs. He will also offer a few lessons and activities in use of one’s faculties of observation and imagination, important talents for a successful writer. And finally, participants will enjoy listening to Mr. Dickens read excerpts from A Christmas Carol.

Following his presentations, Mr. Dickens will invite everyone to visit with several other authors who will have gathered at the OHA Museum for a Historical Book Signing, a wonderful opportunity for picking up some final holiday gifts, ones made most personal and unique by the author’s signatures. Books by those authors present can be purchased that day at the OHA Museum Gift Shop and then brought to the authors for signing.

Scheduled to be at the OHA Museum that afternoon will be the following Syracuse University Press authors, listed with the books that will be available.

Dennis Connors:

A Crossroads in Time: An Illustrated History of Syracuse

Robert Bogdan:

Real Photo Postcard Guide: The People’s Photography

Adirondack Vernacular: The Photography of Henry M. Beach

Milton Sernett:

Abolition’s Axe: Beriah Green, Oneida Institute and the Black Freedom Struggle

North Star Country: Upstate New York & The Crusade for African American Freedom

Paul Malo:

Fool’s Paradise: Remembering The Thousand Islands

Boldt Castle: In Search of the Lost Story

A Floating World: More People, Places and Pastimes of the Thousand Islands

Jim Pula:

Ethnic Utica

New York Mills: The Evolution of a Village

Anthony Wonderley:

Oneida Iroquois: Folklore, Myth and History

Christopher Vecsey:

The Iroquois and Their Neighbors

Iroquois Land Claims

John Robert Greene:

The Hill: An Illustrated Biography of Syracuse University 1870-Present

Syracuse University: The Tolley Years

Syracuse University: The Eggers years

The OHA Museum is located downtown at 321 Montgomery Street. Free, on street parking is available on Sundays. This event is open to the public and admission to the museum is free. All exhibit areas will be open and the museum will be decorated for the holidays. For more information, please visit the OHA web site at www.cnyhistory.org or contact the OHA Education Department at 428-1864 ext 313 and by e-mail at ohamail2002@yahoo.com

TALESPIN: STORIES FROM THE LONGHOUSE

Onondaga Historical Association Museum & Research Center (OHA)

Presents

 

TALESPIN: STORIES FROM

THE LONGHOUSE

 

Gossiping Dogs! Naked Birds!

Mosquito Monsters!

 

Join She Who Tells Stories with her friend, fur trader Ephraim Webster as they bring to life Haudenosaunee traditional stories of nature and lessons in which the audience can take part. Come and shake your booty with Bear, shop for clothes that are for the Birds, “spin tall tail” with the Dogs and get the “buzz” from a monstrous Mosquito! Staff educators Tonawanda Seneca Karen Crow and Scott Peal share the wisdom of the People of the Longhouse in this interactive presentation.

 

TAILSPIN: STORIES FROM THE LONGHOUSE

will be held at the OHA Museum on Sunday,

October 28^th at 2pm.

 

The program is FREE!