KINGSTON, N.Y. – The Hudson River Maritime Museum is pleased to announce the upcoming lecture “Indigenous Removal in the Hudson Valley During the French & Indian War,” held in-person on Wednesday, June 22, 2022 at 7:00 PM.
The lecture will discuss an attempt by the colonial governments of New York and New Jersey, as well as Sir William Johnson, the British superintendent of Indian affairs, to remove members of Algonquian-speaking Native groups from the wider Hudson Valley region during the Seven Years’ War (1754-63). Acting in an atmosphere of crisis and widespread paranoia among the colonial population, government officials came to exploit and exaggerate individual acts of violence against members of local Native groups to encourage their resettlement first among the Mohawks and subsequently farther afield.

Dr. Tom Mitrod discusses an attempt by the colonial governments of New York and New Jersey, as well as Sir William Johnson, the British superintendent of Indian affairs, to remove members of Algonquian-speaking Native groups from the wider Hudson Valley region during the Seven Years’ War, also known as the French and Indian War, which took place from 1754-63. As the crisis of war and paranoia spread among the colonial population, government officials exploited and exaggerated individual acts of violence against local Native groups to encourage them to leave the Hudson Valley, resettling first among the Mohawks and later farther west.
​
Tom Arne Midtrød is an associate professor of early American history at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. He is author of the book The Memory of All Ancient Customs: Native American Diplomacy in the Colonial Hudson Valley.
 
Tickets are $7 for the general public and free for Hudson River Maritime Museum members. To register, visit www.hrmm.org/lecture-series.

​Twilight Tasting History Cruises Take Place Aboard Solaris

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
KINGSTON, N.Y. – The Hudson River Maritime Museum is pleased to announce a slate of new programs aboard Solaris, the museum’s 100% solar-powered tour boat. “Twilight Tasting History Cruises” take place Fridays evenings starting Friday, June 17, 2022. Featuring a rotating slate of Hudson Valley food history subjects, guests aboard Solaris will get to taste samples of local foods, learn from food historian Sarah Wassberg Johnson, and enjoy the beautiful atmosphere of the Hudson River at sunset.

Sarah Wassberg Johnson is a food historian who has been featured on seasons 1, 2, and 3 of The History Channel’s “The Food That Built America” and in documentary films, on radio and podcasts, and publications such as NPR, The Atlantic, CNN, Gastro Obscura, and more. You can find her work and more at www.thefoodhistorian.com. She also happens to be the Director of Exhibits & Outreach at the Hudson River Maritime Museum!

Tasting topics include heirloom apples, cheese, chocolate, booze & Prohibition, and honey. Each cruise will focus on a particular topic with history discussion provided by Wassberg Johnson and a tasting of related foods from local purveyors and producers.

This Friday’s cruise is focused on cheese in the Hudson Valley. Wassberg Johnson will discuss the dairying heritage of the Hudson Valley, which famous cheeses were invented in the Hudson Valley and New York State, and the history of cheesemaking. Guests will taste and compare local and historic cheeses.

Tickets are $45 for adults and $42 for seniors and include the tastings, wine, and sparkling water, as well as tasting notecards. Don’t miss this amazing opportunity to learn more about the food history of the Hudson Valley, and taste it, too!

Tickets, schedule, and more information available at www.hrmm.org/tasting-history.

Solaris is a 100% solar-powered vessel built by the Hudson River Maritime Museum. It does not require fossil fuels to operate. Designed by marine architect Dave Gerr from a concept developed by David Borton, owner of Sustainable Energy, our tour boat is commercial in design, meeting all U.S. Coast Guard regulations for commercial passenger-carrying vessels. She can travel up to 50 miles at night without the use of her solar panels. Even on cloudy days, the solar panels are so efficient that they continue to power the batteries. Solaris is used for educational programs, public tours, and private charters and events. With near-silent running, low wake, and no engine fumes, Solaris makes the ideal "floating classroom" for children and the general public alike.

The Hudson River Maritime Museum is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the maritime history of the Hudson River, its tributaries and related communities. In addition to extensive collections documenting maritime transportation, industry, recreation, and natural science, the museum offers classes and programs at its Wooden Boat School, Sailing and Rowing School, and aboard its floating classroom, Solaris. The museum is located along the historic Rondout waterfront in downtown Kingston. ​

KINGSTON, N.Y. – The Hudson River Maritime Museum is pleased to announce the upcoming lecture “The 1904 General Slocum Disaster: New York’s Deadliest Day before 9/11,” held virtually on Wednesday, June 8, 2022 at 7:00 PM.
​
This talk details the extraordinary story of the burning of the steamboat General Slocum, the deadliest day in New York City history before September 11. More than 1,000 New Yorkers perished on June 15, 1904 when their steamboat burst into flames on the East River.  A panicked and untrained crew, coupled with rotten life preservers and inaccessible life boats, turned a small storage room fire into a human tragedy of immense proportions. News of the horror made headlines around the world and elicited an enormous outpouring of sympathy and donations. Later, as evidence of negligence and corruption on the part of the steamer's owners mounted, sympathy turned to outrage and demands for justice that were never fully met.  This talk brings to life this gripping tragedy and the wider, compelling story of innocents lost, heroes made, and a city and people that overcame.

Edward T. O’Donnell is a history professor at Holy Cross College in Worcester, MA. He is the author of several books, including Henry George and the Crisis of Inequality: Progress and Poverty in the Gilded Age (Columbia, 2015) and Ship Ablaze: The Tragedy of the Steamboat General Slocum (Random House, 2003). O’Donnell also hosted (2016-2020) a popular U.S. history podcast, In The Past Lane (www.InThePastlane.com) and he has written history-themed feature and opinion pieces for the Huffington Post, Newsweek, and the New York Times. O’Donnell has also created courses for the Great Courses Company, including “Turning Points in American History.”
​
Tickets are $7 for the general public and free for Hudson River Maritime Museum members. To register, visit www.hrmm.org/lecture-series.

About the Follow the River Lecture Series
For more than a decade the Hudson River Maritime Museum's "Follow the River Lecture Series" has hosted historians, authors, and maritime experts for engaging illustrated talks on a variety of regional history and maritime subjects. In recent years, many of the lectures have also been recorded and are available on YouTube. For more information about upcoming lectures and to access recordings of past lectures, visit www.hrmm.org/lecture-series. The series is sponsored by Rondout Savings Bank.
The Hudson River Maritime Museum is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the maritime history of the Hudson River, its tributaries and related communities. In addition to extensive collections documenting maritime transportation, industry, recreation, and natural science, the museum offers classes and programs at its Wooden Boat School, Sailing and Rowing School, and aboard its floating classroom, Solaris. The museum is located along the historic Rondout waterfront in downtown Kingston. Visit www.hrmm.org for more information.

On June 9 & 10, the Maiden crew will partner with the Hudson River Maritime Museum, Sloop Clearwater, and the Sloop Apollonia to provide field trips for local schoolchildren to come to the Kingston waterfront, many for the first time, meet the crew, tour the boat, and participate in workshops in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) learning opportunities related to sailing. These field trips will inspire and encourage children from our local community to pursue education and excel in their own learning journeys.

The wider community will also be welcomed to meet the crew and tour the vessel. For information on how to support the Maiden’s visit to Kingston, join the flotilla, participate in youth field trips, or visit the boat and her crew, please go to: ​

Kingston N.Y.- Celebrate Pride Month with HRMM. Every Thursday evening in June we will host open, supervised Woodshop hours welcoming all who want to work on personal projects in a friendly and gender-expansive shop environment. This class is designed for makers with some woodshop experience. Participants will have access to a full range of Woodshop tools and are responsible for bringing their own materials and hardware. Instructors Becky Sellinger (she/her) and Liz McClellan (they/them) will be available as helping hands and to offer guidance and instruction developing your skills with tools in the shop as needed for your project. Participants are required to attend one shop orientation and to be checked off on power tool use before or during open shop hours. Students must supply their own materials. All are welcome, though please be mindful this is a safe space created with intention for women and queer folks.

Thursdays, 6pm-9pm, June 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

General Registration: $35
Member (Individual Level): $30
Member (Household Level & Above): $30

For Information and Class Schedules:
email Wooden Boat School Manager
Becky Sellinger, bsellinger@hrmm.org

KINGSTON, N.Y. – The Hudson River Maritime Museum is pleased to announce the upcoming lecture “Warning Signs:  Climate Change in the Hudson Valley,” held in-person on Wednesday, May 25, 2022 at 7:00 PM.
​
The signs of climate change are all around us; rising sea levels, more frequent and severe storms, heatwaves, and droughts are becoming the norm both globally, and right here in the Hudson Valley. Scientists warn that we must take significant action this decade to save ourselves from the most serious consequences of a warming earth. Learn what the HRMM is doing to educate the public about the causes, consequences, and actions that we can take to meet this challenge with its new exhibit, Warming Signs: Climate Change in the Hudson Valley. Participants will have the opportunity to tour both the new indoor and outdoor exhibits which are scheduled to open in June.

Russ Lange worked as a scientist and engineer at IBM for 40 years.  He retired from the position of IBM Fellow and VP of Technology Strategy.  He became interested in climate change in the early 80s while at IBM Research.  In 2006 Russ became the Executive Director for HRMM and has been involved in its leadership in various capacities since.  His special interest is exhibit development and has been involved, together with his wife and other teams, in the creation of over 25 exhibits at HRMM, The Newburgh Historical Society, The D&H Canal Museum and IBM.
​
Meg Clark: With thirty years of experience as a classroom teacher and environmental educator, Meg has a deep appreciation for the need to provide students with meaningful opportunities to explore their natural world.  In her capacity as elementary science and math specialist for Ulster BOCES and the Kingston School district, she has written curricula, provided teacher training, and served as an adjunct professor for the School of Education at SUNY New Paltz. Her classroom experience has made her acutely aware of the capacity that we all have to impact children’s lives."
 
Tickets are $7 for the general public and free for Hudson River Maritime Museum members. To register, visit www.hrmm.org/lecture-series.

About the Follow the River Lecture Series
For more than a decade the Hudson River Maritime Museum's "Follow the River Lecture Series" has hosted historians, authors, and maritime experts for engaging illustrated talks on a variety of regional history and maritime subjects. In recent years, many of the lectures have also been recorded and are available on YouTube. For more information about upcoming lectures and to access recordings of past lectures, visit www.hrmm.org/lecture-series. The series is sponsored by Rondout Savings Bank.

​The Hudson River Maritime Museum is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the maritime history of the Hudson River, its tributaries and related communities. In addition to extensive collections documenting maritime transportation, industry, recreation, and natural science, the museum offers classes and programs at its Wooden Boat School, Sailing and Rowing School, and aboard its floating classroom, Solaris. The museum is located along the historic Rondout waterfront in downtown Kingston. Visit www.hrmm.org for more information.

HRMM Wooden Boat School located at 86 Rondout Landing in Kingston's historic Rondout district. The Wooden Boat School was founded by the Hudson River Maritime Museum in 2015 to preserve the maritime craft traditions of the Hudson Valley and to teach a hands-on interpretation of the living history of the Hudson River. The school offers diverse curriculum and opportunities which inspire skills in woodworking, boat building, and maritime craft. Also available are restoration services for wooden boats. A class calendar and details can be found at www.hrmm.org/boat-school.
The Hudson River Maritime Museum is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the maritime history of the Hudson River, its tributaries and related communities. In addition to extensive collections documenting maritime transportation, industry, recreation, and natural science, the museum offers classes and programs at its Wooden Boat School, Sailing and Rowing School, and aboard its floating classroom, Solaris. The museum is located along the historic Rondout waterfront in downtown Kingston. ​

KINGSTON, N.Y. - ​The Hudson River Maritime Museum is pleased to announce that after two long years it is finally able to host an exhibit opening reception for members and the public. On Sunday, May 29, 2022 from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., guests are welcome to view not one but three exhibits. “A New Age of Sail: The History and Future of Sail Freight on the Hudson River” is the brand new exhibit for 2022 which will be opening for the first time that afternoon. The exhibit opening reception will also celebrate the 2021 exhibit “Warning Signs: Climate Change in the Hudson Valley” and the 2020 exhibit “Mary Powell: Queen of the Hudson.” 

​“A New Age of Sail” examines the long history of sailing cargo vessels on the Hudson River, from the 17th century until their decline in the mid-20th century, and how the lessons of that era might help us combat the challenges of climate change in the 21st century.

Tracking challenges to and opportunities of sail freight throughout the decades, the exhibit will also include information about late 20th century sail freight endeavors, including those which came out of the Oil Crisis of the 1970s, as well as research and development of improvements on sail freight technologies from the mid-20th century to today, including future plans currently being developed in other nations. The schooner Apollonia will be one of the modern vessels highlighted in the exhibit and an exhibit partner, with a satellite traveling exhibit aboard.

“Warning Signs: Climate Change in the Hudson Valley” examines the impacts of climate change locally, using local climate data, as well as provides general information about the science behind climate change and how individuals and communities can mitigate the effects of global warming.

“Mary Powell: Queen of the Hudson” covers the role of one of the Hudson River’s most famous steamboats in American history, and how and why she became beloved by so many people.

Both “A New Age of Sail” and “Mary Powell: Queen of the Hudson” were supported in part by the Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area. “Warning Signs: Climate Change in the Hudson Valley” was supported by funding from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation’s Hudson River Estuary Program.

Tickets to the reception are $15 for the general public and free for Hudson River Maritime Museum members. For more information, including tickets, visit www.hrmm.org/exhibit-opening.
​
The Hudson River Maritime Museum is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the maritime history of the Hudson River, its tributaries and related communities. In addition to extensive collections documenting maritime transportation, industry, recreation, and natural science, the museum offers classes and programs at its Wooden Boat School, Sailing and Rowing School, and aboard its floating classroom, Solaris. The museum is located along the historic Rondout waterfront in downtown Kingston. Visit www.hrmm.org for more information.