Blog posts by Janice

Renovation Report - Behind the Scenes

Janice

Welcome to Renovation Report, the first installment in a monthly series of blog posts to provide progress reports on Brooklyn Historical Society’s (BHS) current renovation and to highlight the fascinating features of our landmark building. Designed by architect George Post and opened in 1881, Brooklyn Historical Society’s building was ahead of its time, and will be once again.

BHS trustees and staff view the ceiling restoration of the ground floor event space
BHS is midway through construction to renovate the first floor and…

Artist and Artifact exhibit - artists interpret Brooklyn's history

Janice

BHS is really excited about our new exhibit, Artist & Artifact: Re|Visioning Brooklyn's Past, presented in partnership with our neighbor BRIC Rotunda Gallery, the contemporary art space of BRIC Arts|Media|Bklyn.

Over the past two years, 10 artists (7 visual artists, 2 writers, and a musician) were invited to delve into the BHS collections and create new works inspired by what they…

Dr. Bob (In Memory of Bob Vadheim)

Janice

I also felt compelled to write upon the news of Dr. Bob Vadheim's passing. Dr. Bob was a fascinating, witty and generous man. I enjoyed visits with him at his magnificent home on Willow St. Dr. Bob was very proud – and BHS is very grateful – that he provided funding to install the clock mechanism on our clock tower so that it would be a properly working timepiece. He also printed letterpress napkins with a Brooklyn design on them – each by hand – which he…

Got cycling photos?

Janice

  One of the artworks from the current group exhibit at BHS, Brooklyn Utopias, moves beyond the museum walls. Eric Corriel's "A History of Cycling in Brooklyn," an interactive public art installation explores the history of bicycle culture in Brooklyn from 1880 to today, through images and video projected in the windows of the Brooklyn Historical Society. It can be seen from Clinton (between Pierrepont and Montague Streets) in Brooklyn Heights, sundown to sunrise, according to this calendar.…

Brooklyn Utopias? - 'Utopian' Urban Planning - what does it mean?

Janice

Yesterday (Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009) BHS hosted a lively panel discussion about 'Utopian' Urban Planning, in conjunction with BHS' current Public Perspectives exhibit, Brooklyn Utopias?. Organized by curator Katherine Gressel and moderated by urban historian and licensed architect Marta Gutman, PhD, the panel addressed what the role of artists is in urban planning and how artists and community leaders might work together. We heard from Amy Sananman, Executive Director/Founder…

Brooklyn Summer H.E.A.T. Reflections

Janice

Today's post is written by Evan Threadgill, who worked at BHS this summer through the Borough President's Office program, Brooklyn Summer H.E.A.T. Evan is entering his junior year at East NY High School of Transit Technology.  BHS is proud to participate in this program and gives tremendous thanks to Evan for all his hard work!  Today is my last day working at BHS, and the time that I have been here has been great.  Everyday since the first day I started has given me more and more experience in the museum and the office environment.  I was able to see how a museum operates behind the scenes…

What is it about Brooklyn?

Janice

Okay, I'll admit it right now. I am not a native Brooklynite. I originally come from Seattle, on the Left Coast, as many say here.  And do I live here in Bklyn now? No. Not yet, I always say sheepishly when someone asks me at the front desk. I live in a brownstone, but in another historic neighborhood - Harlem. Which is also a very cool place. So, why, then, do I work at the Brooklyn Historical Society? What am I doing here? Well, because there is just something about…

Got an idea you want to see on our museum walls?

Janice

Public Perspectives is on my brain. This is an exhibit series for which we issue an annual call to Brooklynites - anyone in Brooklyn with an idea for an exhibit can apply. Then three proposals are selected by a group of cultural experts from the community. BHS works with the recipients to develop their ideas into an exhibit that's on view at BHS for four months.  It's an amazing experience for me to step back from what I do and help someone else through the process. I think it's cool…

Exhibit Opening Sept 10 - Counter/Culture: The Disappearing Face of Brooklyn's Storefronts

Janice

I want to let everyone know about a new community-curated exhibit in our Public Perspectives series that will open at BHS on Wednesday, September 10, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Counter/Culture: The Disappearing Face of Brooklyn's Storefronts features color photographs by James and Karla Murray of mom and pop shops all over Brooklyn. Keeping it old school, the photos were taken with film. There are photos of single storefronts, and then they took the film and created digitally-edited panoramas of stretches of an entire block of storefronts. In addition to the photographs, there is audio and video of…