Category Archives: history

art gallery, art museum, art resources, Arts & Crafts, ceramics, clay, family, figurative, heritage, history, Karen Tashkovski, printmaking

Voting with Jen G.

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I’ve driven past the Matilda Joslyn Gage house a gazillion times.  You know how it is – you see the sign and say to yourself, one of these days I will investigate what that’s all about.  It is located at 210 E. Genesee Street, Fayetteville, New York 13066.

I mean, yes, it is about abolishionist Gage, and her connection to the Underground Railroad, friendship with fellow suffragette Susan B. Anthony AND she also happened to be L. Frank Baum’s mother-in-law.

Small world.

My almost thirty year connection with Chittenango, New York and all things Oz should have brought me here sooner,  No matter because today I was invited to an open house and art reception for the fabulous Jen Gandee.

Jen has created an installation of pottery and digital imagery utilizing human silhouettes representing her experience with long lines at the voting booths during the 2020 election.  These figures are stenciled onto ceramic cups glazed in variations on skin color.  They are also superimposed on printed documents from the Library of Congress, papers that have historical significance to our voting system.

The show was made possible through a CNY Arts Initiative grant.  It will be on display until November 24, 2024.  Check the Matilda Joslyn Gage Foundation web-site for hours of operation.

Other rooms in the house display Gage’s connection to Native American tribes in the area, women’s rights and a historically accurate parlor room, as this house was her childhood home.  They’ve removed the kitchen and replaced it with a gift shop.  They can also accommodate physically handicapped via a small elevator.

P.S. I loved that they served cucumber sandwiches at the event.  I almost felt like I could fall through one of those Land of the Lost time doorways and find myself in 1924, but only because the rooms reminded me of the museum in that Christopher Reeve movie “Somewhere in Time” plus I’ve been falling into too many timey-wimey rabbit holes on YouTube lately.

Thank you, Jen Gandee for giving me a reason to explore this wonderful home and for being an inspiration as both artist and advocate.

furniture, history, Karen Tashkovski

The Stickley Walking Tour

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Yesterday Amanda Clifford took us on a free walking tour of the neighborhood surrounding the Fayetteville Free Library, former home of the Stickley furniture factory and current home of the Stickley Museum, of which she is the Director.

Patri, Janine and I were joined by Mae and Joe, a lovely couple from Ohio for this adventure, which took us past several small waterfalls that make up the Ledyard Canal (the water that powers it initiates from Beard park pond), and Leopold Stickley’s former residence. The latter is a grand Victorian-style home on Clinton. He and his employees could walk to work back then.

In fact, the entire neighborhood was built around this waterway because it had the ability to power a flour mill and helped establish a knife factory and other businesses that, although no longer there, maintain a spirited presence in the area.

Stickley’s presence is still very much alive thanks to the Audi family. The factory has since moved a few miles down the road and, a few miles in the opposite direction one can find the Stickley showroom.

I loved learning about the history of the Stickley family – how the parents, German immigrants who’d settled in Wisconsin had eleven children. Their dad abandoned the family and the boys learned masonry and carpentry from their uncle. Gustav, Albert, John George and Leopold all established businesses. The Stickley company we know today was purchased from Leopold’s widow. Gustav’s furniture plans came with that sale because he’d sold them to his brother before his own company went bankrupt. So nothing is a reproduction, rather, they are simply re-issuing or re-launching furniture that comes from the original L & JG Stickley business.

It’s such an amazing American success story, really. Gustav launched the Arts & Crafts movement right here in Syracuse, New York, and that is just so cool! I have always loved the clean lines and sturdy quality of the quarter-sawn oak pieces. It is just so classic.

Amanda Clifford is available to answer questions at the Stickley Museum. Just go inside the library and take the elevator to the second floor on Tuesdays, Fridays or Saturdays. She welcomes school groups of all ages. To schedule a group tour call her at (315) 682-5500 extension 2257.

history, Karen Tashkovski, metal detecting

Metal Detecting in Jordan

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I was invited to a metal detecting party in Jordan, New York. This is not the first time I’ve ventured out of my own backyard to snoop around for treasure. I have a permit to detect on the beach at Green Lakes State Park but I only really did that once.

So, this was really fun. I met many of the people who post on the Syracuse Metal Detectives Facebook page and that was amazing! I love this hobby and it was such a pleasure to meet like-minded hobbyists who find a lot more cool stuff than I do because they have more expensive equipment and they are just better at it.

I did find stuff! Three pull tabs from soda cans, which are henceforth referred to as dream squashers because they squash the dream of finding coin. They give off a similar reading on the machine and so, it gets your hopes up, up, up….Squashed!!!!! So funny.

Elaine Smothers Peterson is the Jordan Village Historian. She invited us. She also provided pizza for lunch.

There were quite a few coin finds and other valuables! Mercury dimes and a Barber quarter.

This spot is part of the Erie Canal – a defunct part because it has been filled in and is now a grassy knoll/park area that still packs a punch of history. I’d never been there before. It is a beautiful town.

Thank you, Elaine! It was a wonderful experience!

antiques, history, Karen Tashkovski, museum

Historical Syracuse

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On a recent visit to the Onondaga Historical Association (321 Montgomery Street, Syracuse, New York 13202), I was treated to this wonderful walk down local inventions memory lane. The Brannock device was invented here – that is a big one. It’s the foot measuring device that helps you discover the correct shoe size.

Here is a Franklin roadster from 1902. This is on loan from the Smithsonian and is enclosed in a special air-conditioned environment to preserve and protect it. This car is the third of its kind to be produced and possibly the only remaining one.

Does anyone else remember getting Byrne Dairy milk delivered? Or taking a special trip to Marble Farms to get ice cream after visiting the Burnet Park Zoo?

More inventions include washing machines and typewriters. I think my mom worked at the Smith-Corona factory at one point. There is also an entire floor devoted to Syracuse China.

In addition, there is a costume display. Clothing purchased at stores like Flah’s and The Addis Company were highly valued. The equivalent today would be shopping at Jet Black (6891 E. Genesee Street, Fayetteville, New York 13066).

There are perks to becoming a member of the OHA. You can research the history of your home for instance, which is something that I am very interested in doing. You can also get discounts in their gift shop and have exclusive tours.

For $10 per person, you can do an exclusive tour of the Magic Toy Shop set! I didn’t do that – I’d like to – who is in?

I was gifted this book, which documents the series.

I was on the show once, folk dancing with the other elementary school-aged girls from church to plug The Festival of Nations. It was an event where all the ethnic communities participated in a food, music and dance party, held at the Syracuse War Memorial every November in the ’70s and early ’80s. I was hoping our picture would find its way into the pamphlet but instead, the boys who make up the Macedonian band Merak made the cut. They are all at least ten years younger than me and never watched the show. Lol – I am beyond jealous!

Once again, this blog post will resonate with people my age. The Onondaga Historical Association has been around for one hundred years. Hopefully, it will not be lost to the youth of today. Syracuse has a rich history and there is still so much more life to be lived that will eventually become part of that history.

OHA Museum/Gift Gallery
Wednesday – Friday: 10 – 4
Saturday & Sunday: 11 – 4

OHA Administrative Offices
315-428-1864
321 Montgomery Street
Syracuse, New York 13202