Winter 2019-2020
GRATITUDE
Melissa Brown Tamara Bdour, Cheyenne Ketter-Franklin Robin Foley, Rebecca Justinger Kim Luangpakdy, Matt Holland, Cynthia Van Ness Tuesday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Wednesday 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sunday 12 - 5 p.m. Closed Mondays Wednesday-Saturday: 1 - 5 p.m. Extended Library Hours Wednesday Evenings: 6 - 8 p.m. Closed Sunday, Monday, Tuesday Members: FREE Children Under 7: FREE Veterans: FREE Children (7-12): $2.50 Adults: $10, Students & Seniors : $5 Greg D. Tranter - President Cassie Irish - Vice President Mark L. Martin - Vice President Bill O’Donnell - Vice President Mark Taylor - Vice President Anne Conable - Secretary Brian Dempsey - Treasurer
Reviewing the thoughtful and animated notes of gratitude from our Buffalo Public School fourth-graders delights me. I appreciate the details they absorb and recognize in their expressive renderings - the very things I love about the Museum, seen through their eyes. Their curiosity fills our Museum an energy fueling time travel to my own childhood. I can’t pinpoint the moment I first associated happiness with service, and their parties. He encouraged us to stump him. the pursuit of history. I can say that in times when I feel my We never did. heart beat fastest, history is present. On our “Yorkers” field trip to Mumford, I can picture crossing the great lawn. The smell of smoke lay in the air. It Recalling my walks to Washington Hunt Elementary and was such fun to release the latches on creaking doors and sidetracks to the stairs of the Veteran’s Park monument- a reveal people from olden days. Some were making pies, monument, I came to learn at the Museum, was designed some were hammering metal, some were quilting blankets, by Lockport artist and Pan-American Exposition logo some were selling wares- I found them all so fascinating. designer, Raphael Beck. Recollecting jaunts over to the Niagara County Historical Society, across from my Nana and Papa’s house, I think of that foreboding casket visible through the windows of a horse-drawn hearse and being intrigued by those seven sisters with all that long hair. I also encountered Washington Hunt, setting foot in his office. Who knew my school was named for a person? I remember my fourth-grade local history lessons and our hometown walking tour - traipsing along the Erie Canal. Standing before the three-story brick Gasport Academy, I realized a girl from my own hometown became the first woman to practice law before the Supreme Court AND later run for President. Thinking about my teacher, Mr. Rinelli - he knew all of the Presidents AND their Vice Presidents, their terms of
Like the experiences of my own childhood, experiences at the Museum create a deeper, more personal understanding of community by connecting more profoundly to the meaning at the heart of our historical treasures- the stories they evoke, inspire and challenge in us. Cultivating relationships using authentic resources creates opportunities to be stirred by history- the unique stories that characterize our region. Gratitude themes the winter edition of The Album. By 2021, the Bicentennial of Erie County, we plan for every fourth-grade student in the Buffalo Public School District to experience a field trip at the Museum. Piquing the curiosity of future generations of our youngest citizens is essential. We are grateful for the opportunity to make it happen and for the generous contributors that allow us to make the opportunity a reality.
Cover images: The Buffalo History Museum is a private not-for-profit organization tax exempt under Sec. 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. We receive operating support from the County of Erie, the City of Buffalo, New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, and from donors, members and friends.The Buffalo History Museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.
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- School Tour in front of the Apostolic Clock with Ann Kellan, Chief of Education, at The Buffalo History Museum, 1959. From the collection. -Drawings by Buffalo Public School students while visiting The Buffalo History Museum.
All my best,
Rebecca Justinger Registrar Whether through financial donations or contributions of material culture, the generosity of our patrons is a vital component of The Buffalo History Museum. As a collecting institution since 1862, approximately 98% of our collections come from donations. Within the 3-D collections, one of our most prolific donors was a man named Mortimer Spiller (10/28/1922-3/19/2014). Mr. Spiller was a Western New York businessman who owned his own advertising company, The Mortimer Spiller Company. He created advertising products for local companies, such as jukebox tie bars for the Wurlitzer Company, paperweights for the Buffalo Envelope Company, and a cuff link set for the Mentholatum Company, all of which currently reside within the Museum’s collection.
Nominations for The Red Jacket, Owen B. Augspurger, and Daniel B. Niederlander Awards open in February 2020. Nominations are accepted online at buffalohistory.org ADVERTISING NOVELTY Plastic, Cotton, Metal, Wicker ca. 1955 Donor: Mortimer Spiller Collection: The Mortimer Spiller Company
Please contact Kimberly Luangpakdy, Director of Advancement, at kluangpakdy@buffalohistory.org or (716) 873-9644 ext. 322, with any questions or for more information.
Specializing in developing unique advertising novelties, Mortimer Spiller came up with some truly innovative creations. One such item donated to the Museum is a mechanical baby in a laundry basket. This prototype was intended as a possible promotional item for Proctor & Gamble’s Ivory Snow laundry soap. While it was never used by Proctor & Gamble, it is an excellent example of the imaginative concepts produced by the Mortimer Spiller Company. Mr. Spiller served on the Museum’s board from 1989 to 2003. He was a patron of local arts and cultural organizations, and, because of him, we have a greater ability to tell the story of the advertising industry in Western New York.
NEW WEBSITE COMING WINTER
2019-2020! BUFFALOHISTORY.ORG
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The Red Jacket Awards Dinner 10/3
Evening with an ICON: Mary Wilson 10/28
Giants of Buffalo Film: Tom Fontana 11/15
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Something’s Brewing at The Buffalo History Museum Kim Luangpakdy Director of Advancement This summer, Buffalo Brewing Company and the Museum launched a first-of-its-kind partnership. Their signature beer, 1862, debuted at Party for the Portico on August 16. Named after the year The Buffalo History Museum was founded, 1862 can be enjoyed at Museum events and Buffalo Brewing Company’s tasting room and beer garden. A percentage of beer sales will be donated to the Museum. “For Buffalo Brewing Company this is an extremely natural fit,” said Heather and John Domres, Jr., founders and owners of Buffalo Brewing Company. “The brewery pays homage to the communities’ history with commemorative years as beer names. We display the brewing industry’s proud past in this great city. Our brewery is proud to support The Buffalo History Museum that preserves our city’s history and helps teach future generations about Buffalo’s proud past. 1862 Cream Ale celebrates the birth of that institution. Its straw yellow color, light body, and mild hop profile make this the perfect beer to enjoy at the Museum’s events!
CREATE CUSTOM GIFTS LIKE
MUGS, PHONE CASES, WALL ART, AND MORE
WITH CLASSIC BUFFALO IMAGES AT
BUFFALOHISTORY.SMUGMUG.COM
1862 can be enjoyed at Buffalo Brewing Company, located at 314 Myrtle Avenue, Buffalo.
VISIT THE BUFFALO HISTORY MUSEUM SHOP
FOR VINTAGE AND BUFFALO THEMED MERCHANDISE
new faces on our guest experience team
SHOP OPEN DURING REGULAR MUSEUM HOURS
Meet Patrick Ryan, Education Coordinator, and Matt Holland, Program & Volunteer Coordinator!
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PEARCE & PEARCE CO. RECORDS President Lincoln’s Birthday Celebration Our Research Library collections are a monument to the generosity of Buffalonians and individuals, organizations, and businesses from all over this country. Since 1862, we have accepted donations from thousands of you- ranging from a single photograph to the business records of an entire company.
exterior and interior decorating selections, and change orders.
Since we do not have the capacity to house, organize and care for everything that everyone wishes to donate, we focus on accessioning items that serve our mission to document the people, places, things, and events of the Buffalo area, fill a gap in the collection, serve the needs of our researchers, and that are in good condition.
Since these papers are not digitized or online, please plan an in-person visit during Research Library hours to see specific files. A Scholar Pass is required to access these materials – this is our screening process for using unique archival material and rare books. Scholar Pass applications can be completed online at http://tinyurl. com/scholarpass.
The Research Library’s largest acquisition in recent years is the Pearce & Pearce Co. business records. This name may be familiar to Tonawanda residents, as Pearce & Pearce Co. were real estate developers who began in the city of Buffalo, then operated mostly in Tonawanda, Amherst, and Clarence. They flourished during the postwar era by building thousands of Cape Cod, ranch, and other suburban homes, and are best known for the Green Acres and Wurlitzer Park developments. This collection was brought to our attention by preservationist and urban planner Timothy Tielman. After meeting with owner William Pearce, Jr., touring the office, and studying their files, we accepted the collection in Fall 2017. The collection was a whopping 58 file cabinet drawers worth of material, including some drawings and plans. Pearce & Pearce Co. has since closed up shop, but researchers can thank Mr. Pearce for saving and donating these records. The papers were then arranged, indexed, and described by Syracuse University intern Alexander Morehouse, who spent 150 hours this summer focusing on the Pearce & Pearce Co. collection. His generous work made it possible for us to open the collection up to the public. The guide to the entire collection is available online at https://tinyurl.com/TBHM-PearceInventory. If you’re the owner of a Pearce & Pearce Co. house, we may have all of the paperwork that brought your home into existence, including but not limited to credit reports, mortgage applications, contracts, employment history and compensation, Veteran status, building permits,
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You can find out if we have a file for your house through the index of addresses, also compiled by Alexander, online at https://tinyurl.com/TBHM-Pearce.
In partnership with the Buffalo Civil War RoundTable and the Union Volunteers Fife and Drum Corps
February 9th | 12 - 1:30 p.m. Free to attend
In addition to serving house historians, we hope that students of urban history and planning will use the Pearce & Pearce Co. collection to research the period of post-war suburban development and expansion. If you’re looking around your home or office wondering if you have records that The Buffalo History Museum’s Research Library might need, here are high-priority items that we are seeking, in good condition and original hard-copy: •Pictures and photographs, past and present, of houses, buildings, streets, factories, churches, schools, shops, breweries, restaurants, saloons, hotels, parks, waterways, etc., in Buffalo and Erie County •Menus from Buffalo-area restaurants and saloons, past and present •Cookbooks published in the Buffalo area, including church or school cookbooks •Diaries and letters that touch in some way on life in the Buffalo area. To learn more about the Pearce & Pearce Co. records or find out if your items might serve Research Library researchers, please drop us a line at library@ buffalohistory.org or call us at (716) 873-9644 x 305. We cannot accept items for donation via mail or in person without prior conversation or acceptance of the donation, but snapshots and lists or descriptions of what you have to offer will be a great help in deciding if your items are something we can add to the Research Library. Your thoughtfulness might benefit a future historian.
Buffalo Jazz Collective Septet Holiday Celebration
DECEMBER
JANUARY
Wednesday 12/11 | 6 - 8 p.m. To Be Confirmed: Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration Book Talk: Makers, Moments & Memorabilia: Visit buffalohistory.org for event and program updates. A Chronicle of Buffalo Professional Sports M&T Third Friday 1/17 | 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Co-sponsored by Western New York Heritage, author of Free admission to the Museum and Resource Center at Makers, Moments & Memorabilia: A Chronicle of Buffalo 459 Forest Avenue along with activities, tours, and more. Professional Sports, Greg Tranter, hosts a talk about the book Wednesday 12/4 | 6 - 8 p.m. Visit buffalohistory.org for an updated list of activities. as an exploration of the history of professional sports in Buffalo Elizabeth Cady Stanton: Suffragist and the collaboration between the Museum and Western New Public speaker and storyteller Denise Reichard will portray Wednesday 1/22 | 6 - 8 p.m. suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton in a program that explores the York Heritage. Subscribers of Western New York Heritage Hidden in Plain Sight: Stained Glass in Buffalo Magazine and members of the Museum free; woman suffrage movement. Members free; museum admission. Megan McElfresh, executive director of the Stained Glass museum admission. Association of America, will host a program on history and Thursday 12/5 | 5:30 - 8 p.m. stained glass in Buffalo. Members free; museum admission. Thursday 12/12 | 5:30 - 8 p.m. Hard Hat Tour Under the Portico Hard Hat Tour Under the Portico In partnership with Preservation Buffalo Niagara, witness the See 12/5 for details. progress of restoration under the Museum’s portico space with a special tour. Members of the Museum and Preservation M&T Third Friday 12/20 | 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Buffalo Niagara $15; general admission $20. Register online at Free admission to the Museum and Resource Center at preservationbuffalonigara.org. Sunday 2/9 | 12 - 1:30 p.m. 459 Forest Avenue along with activities, tours, and more. President Lincoln's Birthday Celebration Visit buffalohistory.org for an updated list of activities. Saturday 12/7 | 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. In partnership with the Buffalo Civil War Round Table and the FDR Remembers Pearl Harbor and WWII Union Volunteers Fife and Drum Corps, the longest running Co-sponsored by The Buffalo Naval and Military Park, actor celebration of President Lincoln’s Birthday in the nation returns! Albert McFadyen will commemorate the attack on Pearl There will be a short program, Lincoln orator, and uniformed from all of us at Harbor and World War II with a portrayal of President Franklin reenactors as they perform a rifle salute. D. Roosevelt in an engaging program. Members of the Museum The Buffalo History Museum! Free to attend. and Buffalo Naval and Military Park free; museum admission. THE MUSEUM, MUSEUM SHOP, AND M&T Third Friday 2/21 | 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. RESEARCH LIBRARY ARE CLOSED ON: Sunday 12/8 | 2:30 - 4 p.m. Free admission to the Museum and Resource Center at Christmas Eve, Tuesday, December 24 Jazz on Second Sundays: Buffalo Jazz Collective 459 Forest Avenue along with activities, tours, and more. Christmas Day, Wednesday, December 25 Septet Holiday Celebration Visit buffalohistory.org for an updated list of activities. New Year’s Eve, Tuesday, December 31 In partnership with the Buffalo Jazz Collective, celebrate the New Year’s Day, Wednesday, January 1 holiday season with this concert that features jazz versions of holiday arrangements and songs. Sunday 12/1 | 12 - 5 p.m. Museum Store Sunday Ornament making, hot chocolate, and various promotions available at the Museum Shop.
FEBRUARY
Happy Holidays
Partnership with Burchfield Penney Art Center Launched in November, members of The Buffalo History Museum can now receive FREE ADMISSION to the Burchfield Penney when they present their membership to the Museum! Likewise, members of the Burchfield Penney can now enjoy FREE ADMISSION to the Museum with proof of their membership to the art center.
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