Here’s a link to one of the news stories from the WTVH-TV CBS 5 Syracuse tv station from 11:00pm last night of OHA’s Nifty Fifties Toys exhibition!  Please click here to watch!  And then come to OHA’s museum to see the exhibition in person.

Onondaga Historical Association Museum Presents

Kid Stuff: Toys From Your Childhood!

A Holiday Exhibit Featuring the Nifty Fifties!

Davy Crockett, hula hoop, slinky, roller skates, Tom Swift, Cherry Ames, Howdy Doody , the erector set! What do these toys and characters have in common? Why they’re toys from the Nifty Fifties, of course! And now they’re on exhibit at the Onondaga Historical Association Museum! See all these toys and more during OHA’s latest toy exhibit at the Museum, 321 Montgomery St, Syracuse , NY!

Kid Stuff: Toys From Your Childhood! is sure to bring back fond memories for all baby boomers who experienced childhood during the 1950s! Even if you weren’t alive during the Nifty Fifties, the whole family will certainly enjoy this exhibit!

Come see the toys that thrilled children on Christmas morning in the nifty ‘50s, some still in their original boxes! See vintage photos of downtown Christmas shoppers looking for bargains. See Santa checking out the special toys he’ll deliver to all the good boys and girls. See families gathered around the Christmas tree unwrapping gifts and enjoying the holiday – fifties style! See a 1950s Christmas tree with genuine ‘50s ornaments! This exhibit is sure to thrill everyone, even Ebenezer Scrooge!

So what are you waiting for? Kid Stuff: Toys From Your Childhood! is now open during our NEW museum gallery hours, Wednesday-Friday, 10-4; Saturday and Sunday, 11-4. The exhibit also will be open special hours each third Thursday, December-January, 5-8pm . The exhibit closes on Sunday, January 18, 2009.

Park for Free while visiting the Onondaga Historical Association Museum & Research Center!

Have you wanted to visit OHA’s museum to see the latest exhibit, or research your famous (or infamous) ancestor in the research center, or buy that loved one a special gift from OHA’s gift shop but haven’t because finding a parking spot is too much of a hassle?

Well, have we got news for you! For the next 6 months you can park FREE, yes FREE for the first hour in the five downtown garages! And the second hour is only $1.00! Conveniently, located to OHA’s museum and research center is a parking garage at the corner of Montgomery and East Fayette Sts.

OHA’s board of directors and staff are encouraging all OHA members to take advantage of this limited time offer to park in the downtown garages when visiting our marvelous organization.

So, what are you waiting for? Come buy OHA’s latest pictorial book, Historic Photos of Syracuse or see the 1950s toy exhibit by parking for FREE!

Beginning on December 3, 2008 , OHA is introducing our NEW museum gallery hours, Wednesday-Friday, 10-4; Saturday and Sunday, 11-4. The exhibit also will be open special hours each third Thursday, December-January, 5-8pm . The 1950s toy exhibit closes on Sunday, January 18, 2009.

Onondaga Historical Association

Museum & Research Center

announces new book

“Historic Photos of Syracuse”

A giant electric turbine on the Near West Side provides power to Syracuse’s streetcars. . .

A spindly iron lift bridge carries Salina Street across the Oswego Canal . . .

And a group of men assemble typewriters by hand on the Salt City’s Near East Side.

Very different scenes, but they all survive in photos from the exhaustive collection of the Onondaga Historical Association Museum & Research Center (OHA). These images, and nearly 200 more, are featured in the Association’s newest publication, Historic Photos of Syracuse, released this month by Turner Publishing Company of Nashville, Tennessee. This fascinating journey through time is captured in the remarkable images reproduced in this new hardcover book.

Historic Photos of Syracuse will have its unveiling at the OHA’s downtown museum on November 20, 2008 from 5 to 8 pm as part of the monthly open house series of local arts institutions known as Third Thursday. The book’s author, OHA curator of history Dennis Connors, will sign copies of the publication from 5 to 6 pm.

Historic Photos of Syracuse is part of a larger series of books by Turner Publishing that features high quality reproduction of historic photos from various American cities. In this book, Connors has made a special effort to select images of distinctive quality with emphasis on photos that have not been published in previous titles by the OHA. The book is divided into four chronological chapters covering 1854 to 1980. Each chapter begins with a description of a unique local event during that time, while offering an overview of Syracuse during that era. These mini-histories are followed by photographs from those decades, with a descriptive caption for each. The book is a stunning celebration of Syracuse’s rich history and will make a very distinctive and memorable holiday gift.

Copies will be available from the OHA Museum Gift Shop for $39.95 and OHA membership discount applies. Purchase your book on November 20^th and receive a bonus gift from the OHA!

Onondaga Historical Association Museum Presents

Kid Stuff: Toys From Your Childhood!

A Holiday Exhibit Featuring the Nifty Fifties!

Davey Crockett, hula hoop, slinky, roller skates, Tom Swift, Cherry Ames, Howdy Doody, the erector set! What do these toys and characters have in common? Why they’re toys from the Nifty Fifties, of course! And they’ll soon be on exhibit at the Onondaga Historical Association Museum! See all these toys and more during OHA’s latest toy exhibit opening Thursday, November 20, 2008 from 5-8pm!

Kid Stuff: Toys From Your Childhood! is sure to bring back fond memories for all baby boomers who experienced childhood during the 1950s! Even if you weren’t alive during the Nifty Fifties, the whole family will certainly enjoy this exhibit!

Come see the toys that thrilled children in the ‘50s on Christmas morning, some still in their original boxes! See vintage photos of downtown Christmas shoppers looking for bargains. See Santa checking out the special toys he’ll deliver to all the good boys and girls. See families gathered around the Christmas tree unwrapping gifts and enjoying the holiday – fifties style! See a 1950s Christmas tree! This exhibit is sure to thrill everyone, even Ebenezer Scrooge!

So what are you waiting for? Kid Stuff: Toys From Your Childhood! opens on Thursday, November 20, 2008 and closes on Sunday, January 18, 2009. The exhibit is open during regular museum gallery hours, Wednesday-Friday, 10-2; Saturday and Sunday, 11-4. The exhibit also will be open special hours each third Thursday, November-January, 5-8pm.

A Small Sample of 1950s Toys Appearing in the Exhibit

The Rocket Ride at the E.W. Edwards Dept. Store in the 1950s

Santa Claus Riding in Style to Sears

Onondaga Historical Association

Museum & Research Center

Celebrates its 12^th Annual

“Our Glorious Workplaces”

Onondaga Historical Association Museum and Research Center (OHA) will celebrate its 12^th Annual “Our Glorious Workplaces” on Saturday, November 15, 2008. This year OHA is pleased to recognize Centro, a CNYRTA Company, whose mission is to be responsive to the transportation needs of our community by providing safe, convenient, reliable and environmentally responsible services to those of Onondaga, Cayuga, Oneida, and Oswego Counties.

The evening will begin at 6:00PM with a reception at Centro’s Warren H. Frank Transportation Center located at 200 Cortland Ave. Frank Kobliski, Executive Director, and the Centro staff will provide guests with an exciting and educational opportunity to drive a simulated bus and take a 20-minute tour of their facility. At 7:30PM, guests will have the option to enjoy a ride on a new Centro hybrid electric bus from the Warren H. Frank Transportation Center to the historic Hotel Syracuse, to conclude the evening with an elegant dinner and presentation by Dennis Connors, OHA’s Curator of History.

Call today to reserve your ticket, at $195/ person, and support the mission, programs, and work of the OHA. For more information, or to make a reservation, please contact Adrienne Quirk, Director of Development at (315) 428-1864 Ext 314. Please note the evening is black tie optional.

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.

Onondaga Historical Association Museum & Research Center (OHA) Announces The First Place Winners of the 2008 CNY National History Day Competition!

Contact: Elaine Wisowaty, Education Director

On Saturday, 8 March 2008, the OHA Museum & Research Center sponsored the CNY National History Day Competition at the Schine Student Center on the campus of Syracuse University. Below are the first place winners in their respective categories. These students will progress to the NYS competition to be held in Cooperstown, NY in May 2008.

Junior Historical Paper

Ryan Van Slyke, Eagle Hill Middle School

Senior Historical Paper

Gavin Caster, Cicero North Syracuse HS

Junior Individual Exhibit

Robert Cussen, Liverpool Middle School

Junior Group Exhibit

Austin Bush & Brendan Sala

Chestnut Hill Middle School

Senior Individual Exhibit

Nathaniel Lawson, Liverpool HS

Senior Group Exhibit

Ashley Leonard & Chaunte Revette

Liverpool HS

Senior Individual Performance

Luciano Ovalle, Liverpool HS

Junior Group Performance

Jaimie Bailer & Kirin Kaur

Liverpool Middle School

Junior Individual Documentary

Bethany Owens, Liverpool Middle School

Junior Group Documentary

Sara Dowes, Libby Northrop, Jessi Hebblethwait Liverpool Middle School

Senior Individual Documentary

Tom Conkey, Liverpool HS

Senior Group Documentary

Amelia Weimar & Rachel Weimer

Living Word Academy

Junior Website

Ellen Sweder, Eagle Hill Middle School

Onondaga Historical Association Museum & Research Center

Receives Conservation Bookshelf From Institute of Museum & Library Services

For Immediate Release
3 April 2008

Contact: Thomas Hunter, Assistant Director, 315 428-1864, x 320

IMLS Contact:
Jeannine Mjoseth,
202-653-4632

Treasured objects and documents held by the Onondaga Historical Association Museum & Research Center (OHA) will be preserved for future generations with help from the IMLS Connecting to Collections Bookshelf, a core set of conservation books, DVDs, and online resources donated by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the primary source of federal funding of the nation’s museums and libraries. IMLS and its cooperator, the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH), will award a total of 2,000 free sets of the IMLS Bookshelf by the end of 2008. Of 851 recipients in the first round of selection, OHA was the only museum in Syracuse, NY to receive these preservation and conservation resources.

OHA’s collections of museum objects, manuscripts, photographs, and many other items significant to the history Syracuse and Onondaga County, NY will benefit from these newly acquired resources. “It is an honor to be chosen as one of the Bookshelf recipients,” said Thomas Hunter, OHA’s assistant director. “OHA’s curatorial staff will utilize these preservation and conservation tools to enhance the quality of care of our community’s magnificent material culture.”

“We are pleased to announce the first group of IMLS Bookshelf recipients. These libraries and museums are taking up the charge to care for America’s heritage,” said Anne-Imelda Radice, Director of IMLS. “A recent national study tells a sobering story about the state of America’s library and museum collections. Without immediate action we stand to lose important collections that are at the heart of the American story.”

OHA is among the first to receive this essential set of resources based on an application describing the needs and plans for care of its collections. The IMLS Bookshelf focuses on collections typically found in art or history museums and in libraries’ special collections, with an added selection of texts for zoos, aquaria, public gardens, and nature centers. It addresses such topics as the philosophy and ethics of collecting, collections management and planning, emergency preparedness, and culturally specific conservation issues.

The IMLS Bookshelf is a crucial component of Connecting to Collections: A Call to Action, a conservation initiative that the Institute launched in 2006. IMLS began the initiative in response to a 2005 study by Heritage Preservation documenting the dire state of the nation’s collections. The multi-faceted, multi-year initiative shines a nationwide spotlight on the needs of America’s collections, especially those held by smaller institutions, which often lack the human and financial resources necessary to adequately care for their collections. Click here for more information on the conservation initiative.

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute’s mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about the Institute, please visit www.imls.gov.

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.