Blog Posts
Program Partner Highlight: Chris O’Brien
A man of many talents, Historic Richmond Town program partner and artist-in-residence, Chris O’Brien, has been contributing to the organization’s robust programming and events for years. In this blog post and video, check out his latest projects and learn more about his exciting NEW project, The Staten Island Field Recording Society.
IlluminArt Illuminates Stay-At-Home Art & Culture
IlluminArt Productions is a long time partner of Historic Richmond Town; which serves as rehearsal and exhibition space for their theatre and Arts Empowerment Project, respectively. The mission of IlluminArt is to empower students of all ages to utilize the arts as a tool to express themselves and illuminate critical social issues, creating conversations for positive change.
They achieve this through a variety of programs. Before the stay-at-home order was issues in light of COVID-19, they had 33 residencies in schools and community based organizations. Some of these programs, like Arts Empowerment, have continued remotely. Read on to see how you can access their amazing programming for your and your family!
Pondering Food
Chief Curator Maxine Friedman recounts research for Historic Richmond Town’s “Bringing Up Baby” exhibition, which explores how parents raised and cared for their children in earlier times, and more specifically to the issue of food safety in the 1800s.
The Staten Island Historian
The Staten Island Historical Society began publication of the Staten Island Historian in 1938, only three years after the Society’s Historical Museum first opened its doors to the public. For nearly 80 years, the Historian featured articles contributed by Society staff and other local historians and longtime residents on a broad range of Staten Island topics, including archaeology, historic preservation, local industries, and family histories. Although the Historian ceased publication in 2016, it continues to be a valuable resource for anyone with an interest in Staten Island’s history and culture.
Volume 1. - January 1938
The very first issue, January 1938, provides an introduction to the Staten Island Historical Society, explores the history of basket making, and takes readers on a tour of the Voorlezer’s House. Read the full issue here.
Tillie Travels Through Time
Tillie is the four year old daughter of a longtime member of the Historic Richmond Town team and former caretaker of one of its historic houses. Tillie has, quite literally, grown up at the much-beloved historic site, participating in living history programs, tagging along on tours and playing in the park’s historic gardens.