News Articles

Dreaming of Wild Foods

Innovative new works added to the Contemporary Native American Art Collection

Published April 6, 2017 | Ethnography

In FY 2016-2017, NYSM acquired eight stunning new artworks by artists previously not represented in the Contemporary Native American Art Collection (part of the Ethnology Collections). The selections, from artists with nascent and well-established careers include: Noel Chrisjohn Benson (Oneida...

“Ageswe’gaiyo” (oil on panel), with the women of the NYSM Anthropology Collections

Bold changes in Contemporary Native American Art collections mark International Women's Day 2017

Published March 8, 2017 | Ethnography

“Ageswe’gaiyo” (oil on panel), one of the 2016 purchases for the NYSM Contemporary Native American Art Collection arrived today at the museum, which is also International Women's Day 2017 (March 8). This exquisite painting features the artist, Luanne Redeye (Seneca), offering a glimpse of her...

John Hart Photo

Director of Research and Collections Receives Award for Collections-Based Research

Published March 1, 2017 | Research & Collections

Dr. John Hart, Director of Research and Collections at the New York State Museum, has received the Society for American Archaeology’s 2017 Award for Excellence in Curation, Collections Management, and Collections-based Research and Education.

The award is made only once every 4 years in...

rock collections

New Acquisition to the Mineralogy Collection

Published November 30, 2016 | Mineralogy

The Museum's mineralogy collection constitutes the world's largest and most complete array of New York State minerals. However, the collection also contains thousands of non-New York specimens, including minerals from Europe, Africa, Asia, and North and South America. 

A recent...

Native American Baskets

New Acquisition: Mahican and Mohawk Baskets

Published September 14, 2016 | Ethnography

The Museum recently acquired a collection of 19th and 20th century Mahican and Mohawk baskets. The baskets range in size and decoration, from miniature baskets to large gathering baskets, fancy baskets with curlicues, and baskets with stamped and dyed splints in indigo and yellow colors.

...

1947 Tavern Television

New Acquisition: 1947 Tavern Television

Published August 4, 2016 | Social History

The State Museum recently acquired a fully-restored 1947 Tavern Television made by the United States Television Manufacturing Corporation (USTMC). Made in New York City, this unit is believed to be one of only five known sets left in the United States and the only one that is in operating...

Archaeology Open House 2016

Archaeology Exposed: NYSM Open House at Schuyler Flatts a Success

Published July 6, 2016 | Archaeology

Archaeologists with the New York State Museum are working at Schuyler Flatts in Albany County to learn more about life along the Hudson River hundreds of years ago and how Europeans, Africans, and Native Americans left their marks in the form of artifacts and building foundations. On Saturday,...

University at Albany Presidential Award

Archaeology Staff Receive University at Albany's President's Award

Published May 11, 2016 | Archaeology

New York State Museum Archaeology staff recently received the University at Albany’s President’s Award for Exemplary Public Engagement in recognition of the joint Museum-University archaeological field school at the Pethick Site in Schohaire County, New York. New York State Archaeologist,...

Long island fish collection example

Researching a Newly Acquired Fish Collection from Long Island

Published February 29, 2016 | Ichthyology

In 2014, the State Museum acquired Dr. Howard Reisman's (emeritus professor at Long Island University) personal collection of fish specimens. The collection has over 2,500 individual specimens, including a substantial number of samples from the marine waters surrounding Long Island.

...

Liquor Chest

New Acquisition: Liquor Chest Used by NYS Soldiers in American Revolution and War of 1812

Published February 29, 2016 | Political History

A liquor chest used by soldiers in the American Revolution and the War of 1812 was recently donated to the New York State Museum. The chest was donated by the descendants of Captain Abraham Swartwout (an officer on General George Washington's staff during the American Revolution) and Brigadier...

beaked whale skeleton

Collections News: Beaked Whale Skeleton

Published January 14, 2016 | Mammalogy

A 20-foot long Cuvier's Beaked Whale skeleton was acquired by the State Museum in 2014. Worldwide, there are less than 250 Cuvier's Beaked Whale specimens in collections. These whales, also known as goose-beaked whales, are known to be one of the deepest diving whales. One Cuvier's Beaked Whale...

Man in collection area

Student Profile: Museum Fellow Jordon Loucks

Published January 14, 2016 | Historical Archaeology

Jordon Loucks is a Ph.D student at SUNY Albany and works at the Museum to conduct research for his doctoral program.

Jordon's research is focused on early 19th century immigrants in the Northeast United States, with a particular emphasis on Irish immigrants. "A typical day for me at the...

Marian Lupulescu in the mineral collection

Behind the Scenes in the Mineralogy Collection

Published January 14, 2016 | Mineralogy

From rocks to gems to minerals, there are thousands of specimens in the Museum's mineralogy collection. "Every mineral can tell you a story," says Dr. Marian Lupulescu, curator of geology at the State Museum.

Many New York pegmatite rock minerals (igneous rocks with large crystals) are...

Million Dollar Beach Site

The Stratigraphy of the Million Dollar Beach Site

Published December 9, 2015 | CRSP

One of the first things archaeologists seek to understand when they are investigating a site is the stratigraphy. This entails both documentary research and ground-truthing through test excavations like shovel test pits (STPs) or small excavation units. At its most basic, stratigraphy is...

Million Dollar Beach Site

Introduction to Work at the Million Dollar Beach Site

Published December 9, 2015 | CRSP

The Million Dollar Beach Site was identified in August of 2013 during a survey of the area around the DEC parking lot and campground prior to road improvements (see Photo 1). This survey proceeded directly into limited test excavations after the discovery of almost 2,000 prehistoric artifacts...

Tidal Bays and Marshes Exhibit

Bird Hall Renovation

Published December 1, 2015 | Exhibitions

In October 2015 the Museum opened a newly renovated area of Bird Hall - "Tidal Bays and Marshes". There are a total of six "bays" in Bird Hall, and Museum staff will be renovating each bay to give visitors a renewed Birds of New York exhibition experience.

A major goal of the renovation...

tree stump with roots fossil

Re-Examining the Earth's Oldest Trees

Published October 9, 2015 | Paleobotany

Did you know that fossils of the Earth's oldest trees are part of the State Museum's collections? In the late 19th century, scientists uncovered evidence of the world's oldest known forest in Gilboa, NY (Schoharie County). Since then, the Museum has collected a variety of specimens from the site...

Jamborite detail

First occurrence of Dissakisite-(Ce) and Jamborite in New York

Published August 11, 2015 | Mineralogy

Dissakisite-(Ce) - Ca(Ce,REE)(Mg,Fe2+)(Al,Fe3+)2Si3O12(OH) - the magnesium analogue of the more common allanite (Ce), was found in a specimen from the Henry Rudy Farm, in Orange County. It occurs as millimeter-size pink crystals...

gold coin 1859

Archaeology Work in Utica

Published June 26, 2015 | CRSP

Since 2012, archaeologists from the State Museum have been working alongside a highway construction project in Utica, uncovering artifacts from the early 19th century.

Why? The archaeologists are members of the Cultural Resources Survey Program (CRSP)at the State Museum. CRSP helps...

old petition

Museum Adds 1917 Women's Suffrage Petitions to Collection

Published June 26, 2015 | Social History

The Museum recently acquired a series of 1917 Franklin County women's suffrage petitions from Jean Kubaryk, a teacher at North Warren Central School District. Ms. Kubaryk had been displaying the petitions in her classroom for years, but decided to donate the petitions to the Museum so they can...

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