Items from the NYS Library Collections on Exhibit Elsewhere
The First Step to Freedom
This traveling exhibit, on display at numerous sites around the State in the fall of 2012, featured one of the Library's treasures - Lincoln's handwritten draft of the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation.
- Governor's press release
- First Steps to Freedom online exhibit
- Exhibit locations : New York City, Syracuse, Buffalo, Long Island, Plattsburgh, Rochester, Binghamton, Utica, Albany
NYS Education Department Exhibit
Celebrating 100 Years: New York State Education Building: On display in the Education Building is an exhibit commemorating the 100 anniversary of the building, which opened with Dedication Day ceremonies in October of 1912. Some images are also available online.
New York State Capitol Exhibits
New York State: Birthplace of Memorial Day
: An exhibit about the history of Memorial Day, which began as Decoration Day, first celebrated in 1866 in Waterloo, New York. Items on loan from the State Library include ephemera related to local celebrations, sheet music for songs written during various wars, postcards of Civil War monuments, and a WWI "Gold Star Album."
From Seneca Falls to the Supreme Court: New York's Women Leading the Way: An exhibit about women's history in New York and the nation, telling the stories of New York women who led the way in government, the arts, women's suffrage, education, labor, healthcare and other arenas. The exhibit includes a "Rosie the Riveter" poster from the State Library's collections.
Hall of Governors: In addition to their portraits, the Hall of Governors exhibit includes a variety of historical documents related to New York's government. Some items on loan from the State Library include a 1762 bill of sale for slaves, images from newspapers and magazines, books, letters, posters and a postcard of the Governor's Mansion.
New York State Museum Exhibits
An Irrepressible Conflict: The Empire State in the Civil War (September 2012 - September 2013: This exhibit focuses on the pivotal role that New York State, at the time the wealthiest and most populous state, played in the Civil War. New York’s experience provides significant insight into the reasons why the war was fought and the meaning that the Civil War holds today. The exhibition includes objects from the collections of the State Museum, Library and Archives, as well as others from institutions across the state. A related exhibit is available online.
The 1911 Capitol Fire (2011): An exhibit at the New York State Museum in 2011 commemorated the 100-year anniversary of the Capitol fire. it included several items from the State Library - which was housed in the Capitol in 1911 and lost a large part of its collections in the fire. A related exhibit is still available online.
Online Exhibits
Historical Society of the New York Courts
Charters & Constitutions: This online exhibit provides digital copies of the "various charters that were in force in the colony of New York, the constitutions adopted by the people of the State of New York since the Revolution, and the federal constitution and its Bill of Rights, ... to give context to the decisions of the judges in the landmark New York cases highlighted on this website." It includes several historical documents from the NYSL collections.