From the Director's Desk

Dear Friends,

As the year draws to a close, I want to express my gratitude to all of you for your enthusiasm for New Netherland.  Because of your interest we were able to hold two conferences this year and a gala to celebrate Charly Gehring's astounding 50 years of translation work, all while continuing our research grants to scholars and our Live from New Amsterdam discussion series over zoom.  Many thanks to all who participated in these programs, and we look forward to seeing you in the New Year.

Warmly,

Deborah Hamer, Executive Director

Our 46th annual conference, Dutch Albany in History & Art was a great success. Attendees were treated to a number of talks by historians and curators and then went on to the Albany Institute to see Delights of the Senses: Seventeenth-Century Dutch Art and Life, Featuring Paintings from the Leiden Collection and People of the Waters that Are Never Still: Celebration of Mohican Art and Culture.  Many thanks to all of our presenters who discussed Albany's history and material culture and to our partners the New York State Library and the Albany Institute of History & Art.  In case you missed it, the exhibitions are open until the end of December, and you can find the conference program here: https://crm.newnetherlandinstitute.org/dutch-albany-conference/

Pictured from left: Cheryle Weber showing images from her presentation The Tercentenary Celebration in Albany, Marge Steurbaut speaking on The Glazing of Beverwijck’s First Protestant Church: Colonial Power Visualized, Molly Leech discussing Materialities and Global Trajectories of the New Netherland Fur Trade.

The next episode of Live From New Amsterdam, NNI's joint lunchtime series with the New Amsterdam Project at New-York Historical Society will be on Thursday December 19th.  Russell Shorto will interview James Bradley about his new book on Martin van Buren.  Previous guests from this season include Ian Stewart, Josephine Bloodgood, and Jaap Jacobs, and we will have new episodes January 23, February 20, March 27, April 17, and May 22.

The New York History Conference is accepting proposals that deal with the history, culture, economy, politics, geography, anthropology, or archaeology of New York State. Proposals related to New Netherland and Dutch New York are welcome.

The deadlines for NNI's Charles Wendell Research Grant and for NNI's Student Scholar Research Grant are coming up on February 15, 2025.  The Wendell Grant is open to scholars at any stage of their careers, and the Student Scholar Grant is open only to those currently pursuing a PhD in New Netherland history and related fields.  Visit the fellowship website for more details.

Through your support of NNI with your membership and donations, you enable NNI to continue its efforts and find new ways to broaden our reach, investigating opportunities to raise awareness about this often-overlooked chapter of the American story. Please keep us in mind as you consider your charitable donations. And, please let me know if you would like to explore further involvement by becoming a member of our Board of Trustees. The Board meets four times a year to plan upcoming activities that promote understanding of New York’s Dutch colonial past and its vital legacy.

You can make a tax-deductible fee-free donation of $50.00 or more to NNI by mailing a check to us at P.O. Box 2536, Empire State Plaza Station, Albany NY 12220-0536, or go online and donate on our website. Your donation gives you a new or renewed membership in NNI. Donors contributing $100 or more will receive a copy of Dutch Renaissance: Translations Unveil America’s Forgotten Past, by Peter A. Douglas, 2024.

Sincerely and with gratitude,

Marilyn E. Douglas, Chair