#artifactny

[artifactnewyork-blog]

Although it was built in Cortland, NY in 1925, this truck at CNY Living History Center found its way to a firehouse in Argentina. It was used there until 1958, when four Argentine firemen, or “bomberos,” took the journey of a lifetime -- driving the truck from Buenos Aries to Cortland, New York. The journey took almost 2 years, during which time the men lived on the truck, surmounting the mountains between Argentina and Chile and fixing axles broken by rough terrain. After many travails, the valiant bomberos finally arrived in Cortland in the summer of 1960, driving in at the blazing speed of 5 MPH. For more on this epic story of perseverance, which in many characterizes the spirit of the museum, visit Cortland's CNY Living History Center!

[artifactnewyork-blog]

Far from an ordinary piece of furniture, this table at the Rochester Historical Society contained a portal to the great beyond — or so some thought! This table was modeled after a clever technique originated by the Fox Sisters, who famously held the first public demonstration of Spiritualism in Rochester, NY in 1849.  By summoning eerie rapping sounds from furniture, the Fox Sisters convinced 19th century audiences that they were receiving messages from the dead — when they were in fact hearing a ball and rod mechanism that produced the rappings when manipulated by the mediums.

Today you can see the haunted table, and the secret it contains, at the Rochester Historical Society!  Happy Halloween from Artifact|NY!  

[artifactnewyork-blog]

Currently on view at the Everson Museum of Art, Adelaide Alsop Robineau’s “Scarab Vase” is a masterpiece of American pottery. Also known as “The Apotheosis of the Toiler” -- since it reputedly took Robineau one thousand hours to complete -- the Scarab Vase features intricate decorative techniques, an innovative crystalline glaze, and detailed designs. The Everson Museum of Art owns the largest concentration of Robineau’s work in the world -- more than 100 works -- and established the Ceramic National Exhibition in her honor in 1932.  Next month, Robineau’s Scarab Vase will be featured in the museum’s brand new Ceramics Center!

http://everson.org/exp…/current-exhibitions/mastering-medium

[artifactnewyork-blog]

Exhibited at @rockwellmuseum, Virgil Ortiz’s sculpture Ancient Elder is part of his “eVOlution” storyline, a futuristic revolution in which the Pueblo people regain their sacred lands in the year 2180. In honor of The Rockwell’s 40th Anniversary this year, Ortiz collaborated with local students at Corning’s High School Learning Center to design and paint a mural inspired by Ancient Elder for The Rockwell's annual Alley Art Project. During the artistic process, each student created a character with the power to enact societal change, empowering a young generation of visionaries with Ortiz’s words "Art saves lives."

For the full story on this artwork and the mural project: http://rockwellmuseum.org/blog/ortiz-40th-anniversary-mural/

[artifactnewyork-blog]

On exhibit at the Oneida Community Mansion House, this architectural elevation shows the original design for the 1878 New House of the Oneida Community, a religious utopian commune established in Oneida, NY in 1848.  A National Historic Landmark, the New House was designed by the prolific Lewis W. Leeds & Co., who also re-designed the US Capitol after the Civil War.  This architectural elevation not only shows aspects of the original design that were erected, but elements -- such as the tower at left and the arcade across -- that were never built.

Document conservation supported by the Ralph Myron Sayer and Sophrona Davis Sayer Endowment Fund.

[artifactnewyork-blog]

This late 19C Mohawk Lamp at the Oneida County Historical Society guided canal boats along New York State Canals, including the Erie Canal. Illuminated by kerosene, it marked navigable channels, safely leading canal boats to their destinations. Oneida County is the site of the first completed section of the Erie Canal (Utica to Rome, completed 1819), which sparked economic prosperity in the region by expediting transportation from New York City to the Great Lakes and beyond.

[artifactnewyork-blog]

#‎Itsofficiallysummerwhen‬ you need a sprinkler like this one! Displayed in the coach house of the Heart’s Delight Farm Heritage Exhibit at the William H Miner Agricultural Research Institute, the Studebaker Patent Sprinkler wagon was used to dampen over 30 miles of roads on Heart’s Delight Farm in Chazy, NY, and likely used to water gardens and lawns as well. The wagon was purchased by William Henry Miner, the orphan-turned-millionaire railroad inventor and philanthropist, who established Heart’s Delight Farm with his wife Alice in 1903. Using cutting edge hydroelectric power, the modest farm developed into a modern working farm with over 800 employees, more than 12,000-acres, and several hundred buildings. Today, the Heart’s Delight Farm Heritage Exhibit is an idyllic tribute to the  technological advances of the Miners and their industrious lives.