20110618 Play ball

Play Ball 19th-Century Style

June 18, 2011

One of Hoboken’s “100 Firsts” is hosting the first officially recorded, organized “base ball” game played under Alexander Joy Cartwright Jr.’s rules, on June 19, 1846. According to historical records, the New York Nine defeated Cartwright’s Knickerbockers, 23 to 1, in four innings at Hoboken’s Elysian Fields, which were located near the Hudson River, about where the former Maxwell House Plant was located.

The Museum will commemorate the event again this year with a re-creation of a mid-19th century game, on Saturday, June 18, at 1 p.m. at Stevens Institute of Technology’s Dobbelaar Baseball Field. This year, one of those teams will be a new team of Hoboken volunteers, who will learn how to play by 1873 rules for a competitive match with the Flemington Neshanocks. Anyone interested in playing on the Hoboken side should contact the Museum at 201-656-2240.

20110626 steam splendor

New York Harbor, “Steam & Splendor”

June 26, 2011

Frank Vopasek IV returns on Sunday, June 26, at 4 p.m. to give an overview of “New York Harbor: Memories from the Age of Steam.” From being the birthplace of commercial steam navigation through the end of business of the excursion steamers, New York Harbor has a nautical history as none other. This program, presented in an artistic and nostalgic manner, highlights this wonderful era with scenes of both the vessels and life aboard them from the pilot house to the engine room.

Included are 35 mm slide images of many tugs, lighters, ferries and liners that shared the waters with various passenger and excursion operations. The program includes a special tribute to the Hudson River Dayline steamers, as well as the final disposition of many New York harbor favorites. The demise of the steamboat era will be momentarily brought to life in all its splendor.

20110522 Ground zero

“The Legacy and Lessons of Ground Zero”

May 22, 2011

While the nation still mourns the victims who died nearly 10 years ago in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, countless other people continue to suffer illnesses resulting from the collapse of two of the largest buildings on Earth. This lingering tragedy stems from some of the critical decisions that were made in the chaotic aftermath of the event, according to City of Dust: Illness, Arrogance, and 9/11, the latest book by Hoboken-born author Anthony DePalma, former foreign correspondent and environmental reporter for the New York Times.

In the book, DePalma describes the intensity of Ground Zero and the vortex of dust that confounded scientists and destroyed public trust. “It was the nightmare scenario of one of the busiest and most crowded places on Earth being exposed to an unprecedented mix of known and suspected hazards,” says DePalma, who is a writer in residence and teacher at Seton Hall University, and continues to contribute to the New York Times.

20110605 Secret garden

Secret Garden Tour

June 5, 2011

Hoboken’s row homes hide lush, carefully tended green spaces that reflect the diverse interests of their inhabitants: Japanese Zen gardens, English cottage gardens and even a Moroccan courtyard. Indulge your curiosity and garden fantasies with the annual Hoboken tradition, the 14th Annual Secret Garden Tour, on Sunday, June 5, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Eight to ten homeowners will share their “secret gardens” and their gardening secrets to support the Museum’s fund-raising efforts, with assistance from the Hoboken Garden Club and title sponsor, Hufnagel Landscaping. The Tour includes a wide range of garden designs by both dedicated gardening enthusiasts and professional designers, with clever solutions to such challenging issues as shallow soil and deep shade.

It’s your chance to peek behind Hoboken’s facade into spaces that reveal gardeners’ creativity and determination to stay in touch with nature in an urban environment. Guided tours depart from the Museum on the half-hour, and last about two hours.

20110612 Sweet family fun

Sweet Family Fun Day

June 12, 2011

Make history! Join us at the Museum for an afternoon of fun, history, and sweet celebrations, on Sunday, June 12, from 12 – 4 p.m. Special guests will demonstrate how to make some of the sweet treats featured in our current exhibit, Yum-Yum, Tootsie Rolls, and Chocolate Bunnies on Motorcycles…A Sweet History of Hoboken.

Sweet-shop owner Mario Lepore will revive the traditional Hoboken ice cream flavor, Yum-Yum. And expert carver Nestor Lagman will ply his knife skills on fruit. It’s free, and all ages are welcome.

20110423 Thomas Lipton

A Full Cup: Sir Thomas Lipton Book Talk

April 23, 2011

Long before millionaire entrepreneurs Sir Richard Branson or Larry Ellison fascinated international audiences with their panache and sailing exploits, there was Sir Thomas Lipton, whose name graces the Tea Building at the north end of Washington St. Author Michael D’Antonio, whose book, A Full Cup: Sir Thomas Lipton’s Extraordinary Life and his Quest for the America’s Cup, debuted last year to rave reviews, will visit the Museum on Sunday, April 23 at 4 p.m., for a talk and book signing about “The Great Lipton.”

2011-05-08 Ferry history

Ferry History: “Two Sides of the River”

May 8, 2011

New York harbor was once a ferryboat mecca, boasting numerous fleets of railroad, public, and privately owned vessels that carried millions of passengers and vehicles. For over a century, the ferry was the primary way to cross the mighty Hudson and other waters surrounding Manhattan Island. Each line boasted its own colorful vessels, supported by a unique shore-side infrastructure unrivaled to this day.

Engineer and historian Frank Vopasek IV, who spoke during our Up & Down the River exhibit in 2009, returns on Sunday, May 8, at 4 p.m. to present a program that pays homage to a way of life that disappeared almost overnight. He will highlight the nautical landmarks of New York harbor along with other long-retired vessels, telling a historical narrative from a nostalgic perspective, illustrated with 35 mm slides.

20110515 Baby parade

The 10th Annual Hoboken Baby Parade

May 15, 2011

Spring heralds the return of a century-old community tradition, the Hoboken Baby Parade, in which Hoboken’s babies venture out in their finest attire, toddlers flaunt their cutest costumes, and parents create amazing mini-floats balanced atop carriages and wagons.

The Parade begins at Sinatra Park—located at Fifth Street and the Hudson River—and proceeds south along the waterfront to Pier A. The Parade is free and registration begins at noon. Parents are encouraged to dress up their babies, toddlers and older siblings—and, of course, themselves and their strollers. Trophies are awarded for Best Dressed Child, Most Creative Carriage, and Best Dressed Family (the latter category has been awarded to twins and triplets, families with multiple children, parents and children, cousins, and even playgroups).

20110410 Tootsie tales

Tootsie Tales from Candy Land Book Talk

April 10, 2011

Rutgers professor Samira Kawash is writing a book about the origins and evolution of candy, and blogs about it at candyprofessor.com. Dr. Kawash visits the Museum on Sunday, April 10, at 4 p.m. to give a talk she’s calling “Tootsie Tales from Candy Land.” Her premise: For the past century, America has been famous as a “great candy-eating nation.” Less well known, she says, “American inventors and dreamers have given us many new ways of getting our candy fix.” The early decades of the 20th century were an especially exciting time for candy. Dr. Kawash will cover the beginnings of American candy as we know it today, how it started off as “good food,” and how it made its way into the American kitchen.

20110327 Twin Towers

“Remembering the Twin Towers”

March 27, 2011

On Sunday, March 27, at 4 p.m., the Open River program will bring in Rutgers University American Studies professor Angus Gillespie to discuss the World Trade Center towers and their role as a national symbol. In the 1990s, he was intrigued by the twin towers and their symbolic meaning. When he discovered there were no books about them, he delved into the subject on his own, applying his expertise as a folklore researcher, who has studied myths, legends, tales, and ballads across the United States.

In 1999, Rutgers University Press published his book, Twin Towers: The Life of New York City’s World Trade Center, which became a bestseller in the weeks after the attacks. When he learned that most of the buildings’ original records vanished with the buildings, he donated his research notes and primary materials to the Rutgers Library so that others can use them, too.