Historic Huguenot digital initiatives

While today we might find these objects made of human hair to be unusual, hair art was quite the popular medium during the 19th century. Driven by the sentimental feelings of the Victorian era, individuals used loved one’s hair to express love and devotion, as well as making it a part of the mourning process. The framed hair bouquet is believed to have been on display in the parlor of Mrs. John LeFevre Deyo in Llyod, NY. A more simplistic approach to the art, the writing book page features ornamental hair samples that are braided and beribboned. This page was created by Naomi C. Freer in the late 19th century. The locks of hair likely belonged to Naomi Freer’s family and friends. (HHS Permanent Collection; gifts of Marcelle H. Littell and Ruth Bradt)

Joining other institutions, Historic Huguenot Street has launched a new online programming initiative that includes videos, hands-on activities, special deals from the museum shop, and new ways to participate and explore its exhibitions, archives and collection. These virtual experiences will be available on the museum’s website and shared through its social-media channels using the hashtag #MuseumsFromHome.

“Historic Huguenot Street is fortunate in that it already had a strong and engaging online presence,” says Liselle LaFrance, HHS’s executive director. “As disappointed as we are about not being able to serve people directly on site, the current circumstances have allowed us to test new interpretive approaches.”

On Mondays, school programming coordinator Alyssa Bruno reads children’s books in the museum shop.

Tuesdays and Thursdays highlights the HHS collections and archives.

Wednesdays showcase continued adult education with a series of readings from historical lectures, accounts on the fight for women’s suffrage and more.

Fridays feature special programs from arts and interpretation manager Amber Neilson, including most recently a video of popular spooky stories from the site.

And Saturdays HHS participates in #ShopUlsterSaturday, a county-wide small-business initiative offering deals from its online museum shop available for delivery.

This isn’t the first time Historic Huguenot Street has gone digital: The museum’s free walking tour app is available for download and allows visitors practicing social distancing to learn about the history of Huguenot Street from their phones (https://www.huguenotstreet.org/app). Historic Huguenot Street’s collections are available 24/7 through New York Heritage Digital Collections (https://nyheritage.org/contributors/historic-huguenot-street), including manuscripts and photographs, and objects such as textiles, kitchenware and more.

“Historic Huguenot Street’s curatorial team has been developing a number of exhibits relating to women’s history as part of the celebration of the centennial of women’s suffrage in New York State,” says Josephine Bloodgood, director of curatorial and preservation affairs. “These were intended to be physical exhibits. Instead, starting next month, these stories, told through original documents, collection objects and text, will be made available online through the HHS website. In this way, our audiences can learn and explore the narratives from their own homes.”