New York State Library Current Site
January 2005 Feature of the Month:


A Hudson River Portfolio

screenshot of the header for the Web site 'A Hudson River Portfolio.'

The Hudson River was named for Henry Hudson, a European explorer who sailed up the river in 1609, hoping to find a water route that would connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Although the Hudson River did not prove to be such a route, it did become one of the most prominent waterways in 17th and 18th century America, opening up trade routes north to Canada and west to the Great Lakes.

The river drew more than explorers and merchants, however. Its dramatic scenery – the Palisades, the Hudson Highlands, the Catskills – as well as its convenience to the port of New York, made the Hudson a popular destination for tourists, artists and writers, and its bends and curves were immortalized in literature, travel accounts, drawings and paintings.

The New York Public Library created A Hudson River Portfolio to bring together rare images and texts from the 19th century and make them available to researchers and students, as well as lovers of Hudson River history and art. The Web site brings together some of The Library's most celebrated materials from the heyday of the Hudson River in the 19th century, organized into four main sections:

  1. Travel along the Hudson: This section features a remarkable 1845 panorama that depicts both sides of the Hudson River between Albany and New York City. Originally created by New York engraver William Wade as a ten-foot long panorama, it was later published as a pocket-sized folding map to aid travelers in identifying natural features, landings and architectural landmarks along the 138-mile route.
  2. Collections: Selected works from the New York Public Library's collections, including prints, photographs, literature, guidebooks, maps and history.
  3. Historical Overview: Background information on the Hudson River, its discovery by Europeans, and its role in American history and culture, particularly in the areas of trade and transportation, tourism, and art and literature.
  4. Hudson Topics: An index to different places, people and topics covered by the Web site.

Funding for A Hudson River Portfolio was provided by the New York State Education Department through the Electronic Doorway Library Program, and by an appropriation from the New York State Assembly.

Related Resources:

New York State Library holdings related to the Hudson River:

The New York State Library has a variety of books, State documents, and other materials that deal with the Hudson River.

Thomas A. Cole Papers, 1821-1863: The collection consists of eight boxes of manuscripts generated by or related to Thomas Cole, an artist, poet and founder of the Hudson River School style of landscape painting. A finding aid that describes the collection is available online.

Teacher guide for Thomas Cole/Hudson River School: This teaching guide was created for "The Course of Empire: Thomas Cole and the Hudson River School Landscape Tradition," a 2003 exhibit at the New York State Museum. Although the exhibit has finished, the guide may still be of interested to teachers covering the Hudson River School.


Suggest a Site!