NYS Library Blog

“Listen, my children, and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere…”

These two lines open Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s famous poem “Paul Revere’s Ride.” This year marks the 165th anniversary of the poem, written in April 1860 and first published in the January 1861 issue of The Atlantic Monthly (which came out in December 1860). This National Poetry Month, we're taking a deep dive into the long life of this distinctly American poem. 

Longfellow's Reminder

Longfellow was inspired to write his dramatic poem about Paul Revere’s legendary midnight ride after visiting the Old North Church in Boston, MA. Through vivid imagery and rhythmic verses, the poem tells the tale of Revere’s actions on April 18, 1775.  

Longfellow likely gathered details for the poem from primary sources though he takes some creative liberties with historical details. For example, he portrayed Revere as a lone hero who single-handedly warned the colonies, when in fact he was part of a larger network of riders.

Longfellow, a prominent 19th-century poet, wrote the poem just before the Civil War, a time of growing division in the United States. According to literary critic Dana Gioia, the poem: 

"… was Longfellow's reminder to New Englanders of the courage their ancestors demonstrated in forming the Union. Another "hour of darkness and peril and need," the poem's closing lines implicitly warn, now draws near. The author's intentions were overtly political–to build public resolve to fight slavery and protect the Union–but he embodied his message in a poem compellingly told in purely narrative terms."

Come Along for the Ride!

The NYS Library has in its collections a bound first edition of the January 1861 issue of The Atlantic Monthly which first showcased “Paul Revere’s Ride.” 

Longfellow, H.W. (1861, Jan). Paul Revere’s Ride. The Atlantic Monthly, 7(39), 27–29. (NYS Library call number 051 qA881 V.7 1861)

If you can't get to the NYS Library, you can explore a scanned version of the original poem on the Internet Archive. You can access a transcript of the poem at the bottom of this post. Looking for a different way to experience this poem? The Library of Congress provides access to a 1916 audio recording of the poem--with sound effects--as part of their National Jukebox collection. 

Transcript: Paul Revere's Ride

Listen, my children, and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere, 
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-Five : 
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year.

He said to his friend, -- “If the British march
By land or sea from the town to-night,
Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry-arch 
Of the North-Church-tower, as a signal-light, -- 
One if by land, and two if by sea ;
And I on the opposite shore will be, 
Ready to ride and spread the alarm 
Through every Middlesex village and farm, 
For the country-folk to be up and to arm.”

Then he said good-night, and with muffled oar
Silently rowed to the Charlestown shore, 
Just as the moon rose over the bay, 
Where swinging wide at her moorings lay
The Somersett, British man-of-war :
A phantom ship, with each mast and spar
Across the moon, like a prison-bar, 
And a huge, black hulk, that was magnified 
By its own reflection in the tide.

Meanwhile, his friend, through alley and street
Wanders and watches with eager ears, 
Till in the silence around him he hears
The muster of men at the barrack-door,
The sound of arms, and the tramp of feet, 
And the measured tread of the grenadiers
Marching down to their boats on the shore.

Then he climbed to the tower of the church, 
Up the wooden stairs, with stealthy tread,
To the belfry-chamber overhead, 
And startled the pigeons from their perch
On the sombre rafters, that round him made
Masses and moving shapes of shade, --
Up the light ladder, slender and tall, 
To the highest window in the wall, 
Where he paused to listen and look down 
A moment on the roofs of the town, 
And the moonlight flowing over all.

Beneath, in the churchyard, lay the dead
In their night-encampment on the hill, 
Wrapped in silence so deep and still, 
That he could here, like a sentinel’s tread, 
The watchful night-wind, as it went 
Creeping along from tent to tent, 
And seeming to whisper, “All is well!”
A moment only he feels the spell 
Of the place and the hour, the secret dread
Of the lonely belfry and the dead ; 
For suddenly all his thoughts are bent
On a shadowy something far away, 
Where the river widens to meet the bay, --
A line of black, that bends and floats
On the rising tide, like a bridge of boats.

Meanwhile, impatient to mount and ride, 
Booted and spured, with a heavy stride, 
On the opposite shore walked Paul Revere 
Now he patted his horse’s side, 
Now gazed on the landscape far and near, 
Then impetuous stamped the earth, 
And turned and tightened his saddle-girth ; 
But mostly he watched with eager search 
The belfry-tower of the old North Church, 
As it rose above the graves on the hill, 
Lonely, and spectral, and sombre, and still.

And lo ! as he looks, on the belfry’s height, 
A glimmer, and then a gleam of light !
He springs to the saddle, and the bridle he turns, 
But lingers and gazes, till full on his sight 
A second lamp in the belfry burns !

A hurry of hoofs in a village-street, 
A shape in the moonlight, a bulk in the dark, 
And beneath from the pebbles, in passing, a spark
Struck out by a steed that flies fearless and fleet : 
That was all ! And yet, through the gloom and the light, 
The fate of a nation was riding that night ; 
And the spark struck out by the steed, in his flight, 
Kindled the land into flame with its heat.

It was twelve by the village-clock, 
When he crossed the bridge into Medford town. 
He heard the crowing of the cock, 
And the barking of the farmer’s dog, 
And felt the damp of the river-fog, 
That rises when the sun goes down.

It was one by the village-clock, 
When he rode into Lexington. 
He saw the gilded weathercock
Swim in the moonlight as he passed, 
And the meeting-house windows, blank and bare, 
Gaze at him with a spectral glare, 
As if they already stood aghast
At the bloody work they would look upon.

It was two by the village-clock, 
When he came to the bridge in Concord town. 
He heard the bleating of the flock, 
And the twitter of birds among the trees, 
And felt the breath of the morning-breeze
Blowing over the meadows brown. 
And one was safe and asleep in his bed
Who at the bridge would be first to fall, 
Who that day would be lying dead, 
Pierced by a British musket-ball.

You know the rest. In the books you have read
How the British regulars fired and fled, --
How the farmers gave them ball for ball, 
From behind each fence and farmyard-wall, 
Chasing the red-coats down the lane, 
Then crossing the fields to emerge again
Under the trees at the turn of the road, 
And only pausing to fire and load.

So through the night rode Paul Revere ; 
And so through the night went his cry of alarm
To every Middlesex village and farm, -- 
A cry of defiance, and not of fear, --
A voice in the darkness, a knock at the door, 
And a word that shall echo forevermore !
For, borne on the night-wind of the Past, 
Through all our history, to the last, 
In the hour of darkness and peril and need, 
The people will waken and listen to hear
The hurrying hoof-beat of that steed, 
And the midnight-message of Paul Revere. 

Image Notes

Portrait of Henry W. Longfellow, c. 1861 (LONG 35854) [probable ambrotype]. Longfellow House - Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site Museum Collection, Cambridge, MA, United States. 

Select illustrations of Paul Revere from: Longfellow, H. W. (1907). Paul Revere's Ride. Houghton Mifflin. View this illustrated version of Paul Revere's Ride in the NYS Library Digital Collections.
 

Today we’re taking another trip into the NYS Library collections to explore patents! We’re looking at the 1849 patent for the safety pin, invented right here in New York State. Read on for a good story about a deceptively humble invention and why you might need one this spring! 

Keeping it Safe

Anyone who has a safety pin knows that it has hundreds of uses. From its roots as a tool for fastening diapers and repairing clothing, the safety pin has become a symbol for protection, good luck, and solidarity. In the 1970s, the punk rock subculture adopted the safety pin as part of its iconic anti-establishment fashions.  

For many long-distance runners in the northeast, the warmer months mean it's time to hit the streets for road races, and no road race is complete without safety pins to hold runners’ bibs in place.  While there is some (small) controversy in the running community around alternative types of bib pins, the iconic metal safety pin remains the constant companion of choice for many athletes hitting the trails. While Walter Hunt was certainly tuned in to the importance of good design, it’s unlikely that he could have foreseen the popularity of his invention and its many uses! 

Walter Hunt: Inventor and New Yorker

Walter Hunt was born in the 1790s and lived and worked in New York. During his life, he invented or refined several household items and tools, including a fountain pen, a knife sharpener, and an ice plough. Hunt is also credited with building one of the world’s first eye-pointed-needle sewing machines, though he did not pursue commercialization.  

In the 1840s, faced with paying a debt of $15, Hunt began work on a new invention to help him earn the money. He worked on twisting a piece of metal wire into a device with a spring at one end and a protective clasp for the pin’s point at the other. 

A Story in Patents 

The concept of a garment pin was not new, and Hunt’s design was not the first contemporary version of the safety pin, either.  An 1842 version did not include Hunt’s spring mechanism, the feature that exists in safety pins we're accustomed to using today.

Hunt patented his safety pin on April 10, 1849, and sold the rights for $400. A century later, Hunt’s name would make an appearance in an intellectual property suit brought by Isaac Merritt Singer against Elias Howe, who had patented a similar machine in 1846. Singer attempted to invalidate Howe’s patent by pointing out Hunt’s earlier work, which occurred decades before Howe’s patent was granted. However, since Hunt had abandoned the work without patenting it, Howe’s patent was ultimately upheld. 

Patents at the NYS Library

The NYS Library has been a United States Patent and Trademark Resource Center since 1871. A Patent and Trademark Resource Center (or PTRC) is part of a nationwide network of academic, public, and state libraries designated to support the public with trademark and patent assistance.

The NYS Library's patent collection includes nearly everything the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has published and distributed, from early material on paper, through microforms and CD/DVDs, up to their current online databases.  

Most of the U.S. patent collection is housed on the 7th floor of the NYS Library. The public is welcome to visit and use the U.S. Patent collection. Patrons can use the patent collection for both patentability searches and historical inquiries.

The NYS Library has trained staff who can assist you in learning to use these tools. Appointments are not required to use the patent collection but are recommended if you would like assistance. You can make an appointment on our website. 

In the early morning hours of March 29, 1911, a fire broke out in the New York State Capitol at Albany. By sunset, the collection of the New York State Library, then housed in the Capitol, had been reduced to ashes.

Much of the New York State Library's collections were lost in the 1911 fire. Many items that did survive the fire emerged from the destruction with lasting marks of disaster. The Van Rensselaer Manor papers, painstakingly preserved by the family for 250 years, were severely damaged. Even cards in the card catalog were affected! You can find images of the damaged items on our Capitol Fire LibGuide. 

Fall River and its industries 

Other surviving materials show telltale signs of the fire but remain legible.  

Fall river and its industries, pictured below, also survived the Capitol Fire. This 280-page volume was published in 1877, and includes illustrations, a folded map, and genealogical tables, to name a few exciting features. In the photos, the book is undergoing assessment and care in the NYS Library’s Preservation unit. Click on either photo to enlarge it. 

Item Details for Further Exploration 

Fall River and its industries: an historical and statistical record of village, town, and city, from the date of the original charter of the freemen's purchase in 1656 to the present time. With valuable statistical tables, family genealogies, etc., illustrated by views and portraits on steel. NYS Library call number 974.48 qF191.

In addition, the NYS Library’s Manuscripts and Special Collections (MSC) unit maintains the New York State Library Fire Collection, comprising materials from 1899-1942 that document the 1911 fire and the Library's efforts to rebuild its collections. Are you interested in digging deeper into these items? Ask the MSC librarians! 

Manuscripts and Special Collections (MSC) staff recently stumbled upon an eye-catching, unique item in our collections that we wanted to share with our dear readers. Tucked away in our collection of Bound materials (typically bound volumes of diaries, journals, and the like), is a scrapbook of drawings by schoolchildren, created in 1848. 

Acquired by the NYS Library in July 1948, the cover of the scrapbook is labeled as “District No. 4 Guilderland ‘TRY’” and assigned the call number BD12037. The inside cover of the scrapbook includes a color map of Albany County, drawn by student H. Degraff, age 10. The rest of the scrapbook contains dozens of dazzling drawings from the many talented students whose work is archived and highlighted in this bound item. 

The topics and scenes covered in the drawings range from a sailboat sailing down (one would assume) the Hudson River, to highly detailed portraits of unknown individuals, animals snuggling one another in front of a picturesque nature backdrop, and a child posing with a pet pooch; the list goes on! 

Words cannot do justice to the skill and technique these schoolchildren demonstrate in their drawings. Faces are detailed and anatomically accurate, animals have intricate hair/fur draped over their bodies, and the nature landscapes include accurate shadows and shading. Please enjoy a few select images from this wonderful scrapbook of illustrations. 

Anyone interested in viewing this item for themselves can schedule a research appointment with the NYS Library’s Manuscripts and Special Collections and request to view this gem of New York State’s history for themselves!

NYS Personal History Initiative

New York State is still home to a vibrant arts scene and remains a leader in arts education. As part of the NYS Personal History Initiative, teachers from all New York communities are invited to contribute media and stories to exhibit how students are shaping our cultural landscape. Check out the New York Spotlight: Arts Education collection and consider submitting student artwork. 

While you're there, explore firsthand accounts of life in New York State and share your own story!

In December, 2024, Chelsea Teale of the New Netherland Research Center published an article in the journal of the Holland Society, de Halve Maen. Based on an accidental find in the New York State Archives Applications for Land Grants collection, Dr. Teale was able to piece together the owner and location of a stream depicted on three maps and in other documents: Teunis Viele’s Killetie (Teunis Viele’s Little Stream).  

The stream ran along the course of what is now Livingston Avenue in Albany and enters into the Hudson River. It is possible that the stream was routed underground in the eighteenth century to accommodate the developing Albany Basin. The article encourages people to use the collection to find obscure geographic information like extinct place names and locations.  

In the image below, it is possible to see the labeled stream extending from the Hudson River southeast.

In November 2024, Chelsea Teale of the New Netherland Research Center published an article in the journal of the Lewes Historical Society, Lewes History.  

In the article, Dr. Teale provides a transcription of a 1661 medicine chest sent to what is now New Castle, Delaware by the City of Amsterdam. The city also sent a new surgeon, Jacob Kommer. 

The Dutch-language list of contents includes predictable tools like tourniquets and basins, but also 20 different botanicals for use in medicines.  

A Holiday Reading

The NYS Library, in partnership with the NYS Museum, invites you to celebrate the magic of the season with a special holiday storytime and read-aloud of ’Twas the Night Before Christmas! This cherished holiday poem will come to life as you explore the fascinating history of the poem with a rare treat—a display of the original 201-year-old Troy Daily Sentinel featuring the first-ever printing of this iconic piece of literature, courtesy of the NYS Library’s Manuscripts and Special Collections.

This event will take place in the NYS Museum’s Adirondack Hall on Saturday, December 21, at 11 AM. After the reading, young visitors can channel their holiday spirit by writing letters to Santa at a festive letter-writing station. Don’t miss this enchanting event for all ages, blending storytelling, history, and holiday cheer! Please visit our events calendar for more information. 

A Historic Treasure

The Troy Daily Sentinel will be on display in the Cultural Education Center from Friday, December 20 through Friday, December 27, 2024. 

"A Visit from St. Nicholas" (also known as "'Twas the Night Before Christmas") was originally published in the Troy Sentinel, on December 23, 1823. It appeared without attribution and would do so for the next fourteen years as it made its swift and merry way around the world.

The poem underwent several edits between 1823 and 1844. Most of these involved relatively minor changes to punctuation, typography, and spelling (thro/through, sprung/sprang, peddler/pedlar, etc.). Some more telling alterations had to do with a couple of reindeer names, which changed from "Dunder and Blixem" (Dutch for thunder and lightning) to "Donder and Blixen," and eventually to the German "Donder and Blitzen." 

…and a Mystery!

The poem has often been credited to Clement Clarke Moore, a wealthy New York City professor. However, there is a growing belief that instead, it may have been written by Major Henry Livingston, Jr., a Dutch land surveyor from Poughkeepsie, NY.

In New-York Book of Poetry, in 1837, Charles Fenno Hoffman identified his friend Clement Moore as the author of this now widely circulated and beloved holiday poem. In 1844, Moore included it in an anthology of his own, referring to it as his long-ago "trifle"—a thing he hadn't cared to acknowledge before, but would happily do so now.

Henry Livingston died in 1828, just five years after the poem first appeared in the Troy newspaper. Livingston never claimed authorship. By the turn of the century, members of the Livingston clan had begun to publicly insist that he was the one who had actually written it, citing family lore and other potential evidence.

Today, as families of all kinds gather to give thanks, you have an excellent opportunity to begin your genealogy journey!

Thanksgiving dishes are a delicious way to connect with family history, as recipes often carry the flavors of cultural traditions. Grandma’s famous pie or the secret to Uncle Joe’s stuffing may trace back generations. Exploring the origins of these recipes opens a window into the past, blending history and heritage with every bite.  

Thanksgiving isn’t just about sharing a meal—it’s about savoring the stories behind it.

The NYS Library’s local history and genealogy collections can help you with your family research. Read on for more Thanksgiving history, as well as ideas for sharing your own stories. Click on any image below to enlarge it.

What’s Cooking in the Collections? 

Need some recipe inspiration? Look at these interesting recipes from our collections! And don’t forget to check out our Tasting History series for more recipe ideas and reviews from our wonderful Taste Testers!  

Plain and Easy

Here’s Hannah Glasse’s instructions on how to roast a turkey taken from the 1765 edition of her cookbook, The Art of Cookery:

Don't Mock It Until You've Tried It

Perhaps you’re looking to try something really new this Thanksgiving? How about some mock recipes from Helen Watkeys Moore’s 1918 cookbook Camouflage Cookery. From the foreword of the book: 

Its [the cookbook’s] object is to bring together palatable and economical recipes, by the best known American cooks, for those who wish to prepare wholesome and appetizing dishes. 

Undeniable Star Power

Or, maybe, this year you want to go with a theme? What better theme could there be than bacon? In this 1920’s cookbook, Armour’s Star Bacon Recipes, bacon is the central ingredient for every recipe! 

Celebrations Past and Present  

What was Thanksgiving like in the past? Here’s an entry from the 1870 diary of Emma Waite, a young black woman who lived in Saratoga Springs, New York.  

Extract from Emma Waite’s Diary (BD18715):  

November, Thursday 24. 1870.  

quite plesant for thanksgiving.  
I had a very nice time  
today we had a nice dinner  
and beer and burbun to  
wash it down and then I took  
tea with Mrs Jackson, and  
afterwards attended the Opera  
House to see Les Brigands.  
Silly took the principal part  

Share Your Story

Do you have a Thanksgiving story, tradition, or recipe to share? You can contribute to the historical record by adding your own objects to the NYS Personal History Initiative!  The NYS Library’s Personal History Initiative collects and preserves stories from individual New Yorkers and New York communities. The NYS Personal History Initiative accepts submissions directly through the New York Experience prompts. Everyone has a story. Share yours today! 

However you choose to celebrate, we hope you have a safe and joyful Thanksgiving! 

Today we're sharing three images from the Neil B. Reynolds Photograph Collection (NYSL MSC PRI5151). This collection contains almost two hundred amazing photographs Neil Reynolds took, most of them of his family while vacationing in the beautiful Adirondack Mountain region. 

The first photo shows a group of people enjoying a picnic (1920).

The second photo has three people who appear to be preparing an outdoor meal (1920).

And the last photo shows a man in a boat holding a up a fish. The caption on the back of that picture says, "Good bait for a good catch"!

You can explore more information and additional images from the Neil B. Reynolds Photograph Collection on our website.

Bonus: You can also contribute to the historical record by adding your own outdoor dining memories to the NYS Personal History Initiative! Everyone has a story. Upload your memories to share with others! 

In the run up for the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution we've been going through our collections and rediscovering some amazing treasures!  

This commission, dated 19 June 1775, named Philip Schuyler a major general, third in command under George Washington and commander of the Northern Department of the Continental Army.  

The most eye-catching part of this commission, though, is the quite recognizable signature of John Hancock, president of the Second Continental Congress. His large, distinctive signature is as striking here as it is on the Declaration of Independence!  

From the Van Rensselaer (Rensselaerwyck) Manor Papers (NYSL MSC SC7079). 

It’s almost time for the 2024 Olympic games! Here at the NYS Library, we’re getting ready for the games the only way we know how, by bringing out some winning items from our collections.

These three postcards from the NYS Library’s Manuscripts and Special Collections unit show scenes from Lake Placid, NY, home of the 1980 Winter Olympic Games and probably best known for the ice hockey tournament, the Miracle on Ice!  

Whether you’re looking forward to Paris 2024 or just thinking ahead to winter weather, we’re sure these snowy postcards will add some Olympic-sized cool to your day.

The postcards are from the NYS Library’s Abele Transportation History Collection, SC22662 (Box 31, Folder 5). 

P.S. Don’t miss Roni, the 1980 Winter Olympics mascot, a raccoon who features on the back of each postcard. 

Here at the New York State Library, we have myriads of flowers. It all depends on the angle through which you choose to view them.  For instance, we have art books with paintings of flowers. We have photography collections with flowers from all over the world. Then, we have more specialized tomes on topics such as arrangement, gardening, and reproduction. There are flowers through the lens of New York State: past festival brochures, exhaustive accounts of state flora, and much more. Whatever your choice, please enjoy the colorful view of May Flowers at the New York State Library!

Barnhart, R. M. (1983). Peach blossom spring: Gardens and flowers in Chinese paintings. Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

Bayley, K. (1909). Easter lilies: Reverie [score]. Koninsky Music Company. *

Botanical fine art weekly. (1894). Wild flowers of America: flowers of every state in the American union. By a corps of special artists and botanists.  

The book of flowers: Flora and Thalia; or gems of flowers and poetry. (1836). Carey, Lea, and Blanchard. 

Dreier, T. (1918, Jan.). The blue flower: A monthly magazine for lovers of flowers. Gloeckner.

Dunthorne, G. (1938). Flower and fruit prints of the 18th and early 19th centuries, their history, makers and uses, with a catalogue raisonné of the works in which they are found. Author. 

Erickson, R., George, A. S., Marchant, N. G., & Morcombe, M. K. (1973). Flowers and plants of western Australia. A. H. & A. W. Reed. 

Gerdts, W. H. (1983). Down garden paths: The floral environment in American art. Fairleigh Dickinson University Press. 

Goodale, G. L. (1894). The wild flowers of America. Bradlee Whidden. 

Grandville, J. I. (1865). The flowers personified. (N. Cleaveland; Trans.) J. Miller. 

House, H. (1921). Wild flowers of New York. University of the State of New York. *

Line, L., & Hodge, W. H. (1978). The Audubon Society book of wildflowers. Harry N. Abrams, Inc. *

Meeuse, B. (1984). The sex life of flowers. Facts on File.

Mitchell, P. (1973). Great flower painters: Four centuries of floral art. The Overlook Press. 

New York State Department of Commerce. (1981-1983). I love New York spring flower festival. 

Osgood, F. S. L. (1841). The poetry of flowers and flowers of poetry: To which are added, a simple treatise on botany, with familiar examples, and a copious floral dictionary. J. C. Riker. 

Perleberg, H. C. (1938). Fleurs en couleur. Author.  

Pratt, R. (1942). The picture garden book and gardener’s assistant. Howell, Sockin, Publishers, Inc. 

Preininger, M. (1936). Japanese flower arrangement for modern homes. Little, Brown, and Company. 

Prentice, T. M. (1973). Weeds & wildflowers of eastern North America. Peabody Museum of Salem. *

Proctor, J. (1978). Color in plants and flowers. Everest House. *

Pryke, P. (1993). Flowers, flowers!: Inspired arrangements for all occasions. Rizzoli. 

Redouté, P. J. (1982). Lilies, and related flowers. Overlook Press.

Reed, C. A. (1912). Wild flowers of New York. Mohonk Salesrooms. 

Sprague, I. (1887). Flowers of the field and forest: From original water-color drawings after nature. Nims and Knight.

Throop, C. W. (1879). Water color studies taken during two summers in Switzerland, 1877 & 1879 (BD23582). New York State Library Manuscripts and Special Collections, New York State Library. Albany, NY. 

Torrey, J. (1843). A flora of the State of New York: Comprising full descriptions of all the indigenous and naturalized plants hitherto discovered in the state; with remarks on their economical and medicinal properties. Carroll and Cook. 

James Vick’s Sons. (1869). Vick’s illustrated guide for the flower garden and catalogue of seeds. James Vick. 

Willsdon, C. A. P. (2004). In the gardens of Impressionism. Vendome Press. 

Yoshida, T. (2002). Portraits of Himalayan flowers. Timber Press. 
 

Happy Women’s History Month from the New York State Library! Did you know that our collections include many interesting items like stamps or magazines from different historical time periods? Visit us on the 7th floor of the Cultural Education Center to check out our exhibit which includes primary and secondary source documents about both the Suffrage and Anti-Suffrage movements.

Documents chosen for this exhibit present the power of voice with cultural elements. The exhibit shares how slogans, graphics and text can influence advocacy with either the Suffrage or Anti-Suffrage movements. For example, the Bloomer Schottisch score composed by William Dressler in 1851. The Bloomer Schottisch is in honor of Amelia Bloomer who was a strong advocate of the Women's Suffrage movement. Amelia Bloomer published the newspaper, the Lily in honor of women and was a supporter of women's clothes being less constrictive. Hence, the pantaloons or "bloomers" were created for women. The score has a great illustration of a woman highlighting her leg with a bloomer.

The exhibit also includes documents that highlight the art of persuasion. For example, the Baseball Schedule from the Women's Anti-Suffrage Association. The baseball schedule is quite detailed and relays information on how New York Women should be, that women and men were created differently to work in different spheres for the common good, how the husband in New York State pays the wife's bills, and how suffrage was defeated in twenty states. 

Selected items are from both the main Research Library and the Manuscripts and Special Collections unit. Unable to visit us in person? Join us virtually on Monday, March 25, 2024 for Celebrating the 19th Amendment. CTLE credit and educator’s guide will be provided with the 1 hour webinar on March 25, 2024.  

References for the Exhibit:

Blackwell, A. S. (1917). In the hands of her friends (cover). The Woman Citizen. 2(6).  

Blackwell, A. S. (1917). Keeping up with the plow. The Woman Citizen. 1(1), 10.

Bronson, M. (1920, November 13).  An Amendment to restore the rights of the people. The Woman Patriot, 4(46), 1-2.

Buckley, J. M. (1909?). The wrong and peril of woman suffrage. F. H. Revel company.

Burr, H. A. (1886). Woman suffrage cook book. Hattie A. Burr.

[Buttons]. (1895-1909). Gertrude Collier Papers (SC13804, folder 1). New York State Library Manuscripts and Special Collections, New York State Library, Albany, NY.

Chapman Catt, C. (1912?). Do you know? In Woman suffrage, arguments and results. (2-3). National American Woman Suffrage Association.

[Collection of stamps supporting women’s suffrage]. (1915). (BRO2859). New York State Library Manuscripts and Special Collections, New York State Library, Albany, NY.                                          

Coolidge, O. (1966). Women’s rights; the suffrage movement in America, 1848-1920. E. P. Dutton & Co., Inc.

Daniel, S. I. (1931). Women builders. Associated Publishers, Inc.

Dressler, W. (1851). The Bloomer Schottish [score]. William Hall and Son. (SCO344). New York State Library Manuscripts and Special Collections, New York State Library, Albany, NY.

DuBois, W. E. B. (1915, August). Votes for women (cover). The Crisis, 10(4).

Empire State Campaign Committee. (1915). A million women appeal to the voters of New York for justice. (BRO2856). New York State Library Manuscripts and Special Collections, New York State Library, Albany, NY.

Empire State Campaign Committee. (1915). How to vote for woman suffrage amendment Election Day, November 2nd, 1915. (BRO2859). New York State Library Manuscripts and Special Collections, New York State Library, Albany, NY.

Empire State Campaign Committee. (1915). Vote for women 1915 [envelope]. (BRO2859). New York State Library Manuscripts and Special Collections, New York State Library, Albany, NY.

Finnegan, M. M. (1999). The suffrage blouse. Selling suffrage: Consumer culture & votes for women. Columbia University Press. 127.

Gattey, C. N. (1967). The Bloomer girls. Coward-McCann.

Gitto, M. (2020). New York State Library educator guide for the 19th Amendment: New York State Library documents of the women's suffrage and anti-suffrage movements. The University of the State of New York, The State Education Department, The New York State Library.

Good Housekeeping. (1920, November). Campbell’s soup advertisement. 71(4). 69.

Hanna, P. (1915). The Anti-Suffrage Rose [score]. Women’s Anti-Suffrage Association (SCO SC12607-130). New York State Library Manuscripts and Special Collections, New York State Library, Albany, NY. http://purl.nysed.gov/nysl/44691143

Harper’s Bazar. (1869, June 12). The champions of women’s suffrage. 2(24), 381.

Hart, H. (1909). Woman suffrage: A national danger. T. Murby & Co.

Jones, B. W. (1990). Quest for equality: the life and writings of Mary Eliza Church Terrell, 1863-1954. Carlson Pub.

The Literary Digest. (1913). The pro-suffrage number of life magazine advertisement. 46(17). 977.

Logan, S. W. (1999). We are coming: the persuasive discourse of nineteenth-century Black women. Southern Illinois University Press.

Luce, H. R. (1920, October 28). “Congratulations (cover).”  Life, 76(1982).

Luce, H. R. (1917, November 1). Some (as yet) untried ways of winning the vote. Life, 70(1827), 706-707.

Luce, H. R. (1913, May 15). Take down the barriers. Life, 61(1594), 986.

Metcalfe, A.G. (1917). United we differ. Woman's effort: a chronicle of British women's fifty years struggle for citizenship (1865-1914). B.H. Blackwell.

Miller, A. D. (1915). Are women people? A book of rhymes for suffrage times. George H. Doran Company.

National American Woman Suffrage Association. (1912?). Woman suffrage, arguments and results; a collection of eight popular booklets covering together practically the entire field of suffrage claims and evidence. Designed especially for the convenience of suffrage speakers and writers and for the use of debaters and libraries. National American Woman Suffrage Association.

National Woman Suffrage Publishing Co., Inc. (1917). Twelve reasons why women should vote [broadside]. (BRO1140). New York State Library Manuscripts and Special Collections, New York State Library, Albany, NY.

New York State Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage. (1915). Anti-suffrage baseball schedule book. Publications collection, 1839-1921. Bulk 1914-1917 (SC13339, Folder 23). New York State Library Manuscripts and Special Collections, New York State Library, Albany, NY. https://purl.nysed.gov/nysl/122487074

New York State Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage. (1915, October 31). [Envelope with a "Vote NO on Woman Suffrage" sticker]. Publications collection, 1839-1921. Bulk 1914-1917 (SC13339, Folder 8). New York State Library Manuscripts and Special Collections, New York State Library, Albany, NY.

New York State Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage. (n.d.). He can’t hold on much longer [political cartoon]. Publications collection, 1839-1921. Bulk 1914-1917 (SC13339, Folder 21). New York State Library Manuscripts and Special Collections, New York State Library, Albany, NY. https://purl.nysed.gov/nysl/122487074

New York State Association Opposed to Woman’s Suffrage. (n.d.). Home! [political cartoon]. Publications collection, 1839-1921. Bulk 1914-1917 (SC13339, Folder 21). New York State Library Manuscripts and Special Collections, New York State Library, Albany, NY.

New York State Association Opposed to Women’s Suffrage. (n.d.). Official ballot. Publications collection, 1839-1921. Bulk 1914-1917 (SC13339, folder 27). New York State Library Manuscripts and Special Collections, New York State Library, Albany, NY.

New York State Association Opposed to Woman’s Suffrage. (n.d.). Publications collection, 1839-1921. Bulk 1914-1917. (SC13339). New York State Library Manuscripts and Special Collections, New York State Library, Albany, NY.  

New York State Association Opposed to Woman’s Suffrage. (n.d.). The red behind the yellow, socialists working on suffrage. Publications collection, 1839-1921. Bulk 1914-1917 (SC13339, folder 8). New York State Library Manuscripts and Special Collections, New York State Library, Albany, NY. https://purl.nysed.gov/nysl/122487074             

New York State Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage. (n.d.). Red Riding Hood revised. Publications collection, 1839-1921. Bulk 1914-1917 (SC13339, folder 19). New York State Library Manuscripts and Special Collections, New York State Library, Albany, NY. https://purl.nysed.gov/nysl/122487074

New York State Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage. (n.d.). Special privileges New York State women have secured under male suffrage. Publications collection, 1839-1921. Bulk 1914-1917 (SC13339, Folder 8). New York State Library Manuscripts and Special Collections, New York State Library, Albany, NY.

New York State Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage. (n.d.). Suffragist-feminist ideal family life [political cartoons]. Publications collection, 1839-1921. Bulk 1914-1917 (SC13339, Folder 21). New York State Library Manuscripts and Special Collections, New York State Library, Albany, NY. https://purl.nysed.gov/nysl/122487074

New York State Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage. (n.d.). Think over these facts before voting on the Suffrage Amendment [broadside]. Publications collection, 1839-1921. Bulk 1914-1917 (SC13339, EL). New York State Library Manuscripts and Special Collections, New York State Library, Albany, NY. https://purl.nysed.gov/nysl/122487074

New York State Association Opposed to Woman’s Suffrage. (n.d.). Votes for women [political cartoon]. Publications collection, 1839-1921. Bulk 1914-1917 (SC13339, Folder 21). New York State Library Manuscripts and Special Collections, New York State Library, Albany, NY. https://purl.nysed.gov/nysl/122487074

New York State Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage. (n.d.). We believe the men of the state capable of conducting the government [postcard]. Publications collection, 1839-1921. Bulk 1914-1917 (SC13339, Folder 8). New York State Library Manuscripts and Special Collections, New York State Library, Albany, NY.

New York State Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage. (1915). Woman Suffrage has been defeated; Woman Suffrage is going, not coming [leaflet]. Publications collection, 1839-1921. Bulk 1914-1917 (SC 13339, folder 29). New York State Library Manuscripts and Special Collections, New York State Library, Albany, NY.  https://purl.nysed.gov/nysl/122487074

New York State Woman Suffrage Party. (1917). Suffrage as a war measure [broadside]. (BRO3054). New York State Library Manuscripts and Special Collections, New York State Library, Albany, NY. https://purl.nysed.gov/nysl/122487074

Severn, B. (1967). Free but not equal: How women won the right to vote. J. Messner.

Terborg-Penn, R. (1998). African American women in the struggle for the vote, 1850-1920. Indiana University Press.

Tracey, W. (1919). Why shouldn’t they be good enough now [score]. Shapiro, Bernstein & Co. (SCO13309). New York State Library Manuscripts and Special Collections, New York State Library, Albany, NY.    

Readers can find just about anything in a library, and as library workers, we’re always happy to help patrons discover all kinds of things between the pages of a book. Sometimes we even discover some surprising finds ourselves! Check out these buried treasures recently found in books from the NYS Library’s collections: 

First up is this winsome 1879 doodle and signature found on a book's end paper. This feathered friend was resting in a copy of Contributions to the early history of the Northwest including the Moravian missions in Ohio, by Samuel. P. Hildreth, M.D. Call no. 977 H64c. 

This next one will probably feel familiar to some readers out there! This grocery receipt from the early 20th century was used as a bookmark at some point. This dispatch from the past was found in a copy of Great conflagration. Chicago: its past, present and future. Embracing a detailed narrative of the great conflagration in the north, south, and west divisions...Also, a condensed history of Chicago, its population, growth and great public works. And a statement of all the great fires of the world, by James Washington Sheahan, 977.31 C531.  

Before dawn on August 2, 1826, Alexander Stewart Scott stepped aboard the steamboat Chambly in Quebec City, Canada. He was on vacation from his studies at law school and was on his way to visit family in western New York. Fortunately for us, he kept a diary of his trip. 

Traveling by steamboat, stage, canal packet, and wagon, his journey took him, via land and water, along a route defined by Lake Champlain, Lake George, and the Erie Canal. 

Scott was 21 years old; the Erie Canal was not yet one year old. (In operation in parts since 1819, it was not officially “opened” until October 26, 1825.)  

He sampled the waters at Saratoga Springs, about which, on August 16, he wrote: “they may be of ‘The Waters of life’ but they have a most villainous taste, extremely saline, and strongly impregnated, as I am told with Carbonic acid – the Village itself is a very handsome place …” 

Walking around Albany on September 25, he visited the New York State Library, which was housed in the Capitol. Of the library he wrote that it had “a small, but as far as I am able to judge a very choice collection of Books.” 

In his second-to-last journal entry, on Saturday, November 18, as he traveled by steamboat on the last leg of his journey, he obviously was bored and so he wrote: 

“…a long passage this; and which is rendered the more dull by the want of Books or something else to help one to kill time; a small Library is a very desirable thing on board of these public Packets, in this respect we are far inferior to the Americans, who … even in their Canal Boats have generally got a pretty good collection of works of different natures for the use of the Passengers – for the reading of which they are commonly charged at the rate of a cent a volume, and often nothing at all …” 

The cherry on the top of this sundae of a book is the expense account of his trip, which lists the places he visited, how many miles it was between his starting point and his destination, his method of transportation, and how much it cost to travel two hundred years ago. 

Scott’s hand-written diary can be viewed as part of the New York State Library’s Digital Collections.  

For teachers: An annotated transcript – with drawings and maps from other New York State Library collections – was published in 2019: Schneider, Paul G., Jr. Everything Worthy of Observation: The 1826 New York State Travel Journal of Alexander Stewart Scott (Albany, N.Y. : SUNY Press/Excelsior Editions)