De Nieu Nederlanse Marcurius” August 1999 18 September 1999

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Vol. 15, No. 3 “De Nieu Nederlanse Marcurius” August 1999 18 September 1999. The New be open for public tours on the Upcoming Events Netherland Project Dinner will weekends of Sept. 25, 26; Oct. 2, 18 September, 1999. The New be held in the Terrace Gallery of 3; and Oct. 9,10, 11. Cost to the Netherland Project’s 22d annual the Cultural Education Center. The general public is $5.00 per adult. Rensselaerswijck Seminar presents festive evening will once again be *** “New Netherland through the dec- held under the auspices of the Con- 19 September 1999. The historic sulate General of the Netherlands. Dutch Mabee Farm will be open For information concerning the pro- to the public for the first since be- gram and dinner menu (created by ing acquired by the Schenectady food historian Peter. G. Rose) con- County Historical Society. It is the tact the FNN office at 518.486. earliest farm in the Mohawk Val- 4815 or refer to our website at ley--and, most important, it is virtu- . ally intact as it was in the late *** 1600s and early 1700s when the 19 September 1999. In keeping three main buildings were built. A with the anniversary theme of the pre-Revolutionary Dutch barn, De Halve Maen, 1609 Rensselaerswijck Seminar, the rep- which was moved last fall from ades.” This year’s theme will be lica of De Halve Maen will arrive Johnstown, is being re-erected at the anniversary of significant in Albany on the same date Hud- the site. Members of the Mabee events in the colony’s history. Be- son anchored at this point in the Farm committee will be on hand ginning with 1609, Dr. Paul Otto river in 1609. The ship will arrive for tours and to answer questions. will speak on “Henry Hudson, Na- at about 1pm. It will open for Of special interest is the on-site ar- tive Americans, and the Birth of school tours starting 22 Sept., and chaeological dig. The opening is New Netherland”; followed by Dr. will conduct school tours through 8 from 1pm to 5pm and the admis- Oliver Rink’s “1629: A Year of De- October. School tours must be sion is $3.00 per person and $5.00 cision for New Netherland”; Dr. scheduled through the Albany Visi- per couple. The farm is located on Wim Klooster’s “Failing to Square tor Center. A training session for route 5S. From Albany take exit 26 the Circle: The West India Com- teachers will be held just prior to off the thruway and follow 5S to pany’s Volte-Face of 1638-39”; the tours. Priority for tours will go Rotterdam Junction. Once past the Mr. Peter Christoph’s “Albany’s to those teachers who have been railroad tracks you will see the Colonial Lutherans: Ecumenism through the training. The ship will farm on your right. For patrons of and Conflict among the Churches”; ending with Dr. Charles Gehring’s “Buying Time on the South River: Augustin Herrman’s 1659 Diplo- matic Mission to Maryland.”

New Netherland Project, CEC 8th Fl., Albany, NY 12230 Voice [518] 474-6067 Fax: [518] 473-0472/474-5786 Email: [email protected] FNN Office: [518] 486-4815; GIRO: J. Venema 6566735 Homepage: http://www.nnp.org De Nieu Nederlanse Marcurius• 2 the New Netherland Project Dinner Hans van den Houten is Chairman there will be a special tour Sunday of the Organizing Committee and morning. [Announcement at dinner] also NAF’s President. The Founda- *** tion’s patron, The Honorable Pieter News Until 15 September, 1999. “Dutch van Vollenhoven, and Their High- Congratulations to Dr. J. A. Ja- Colonial Homes, America’s Endur- nesses Prince Maurits and Princess cobs, winner of the 1999 Hen- ing Style,” presenting recent photo- Marilene van Oranje Nassau will dricks Manuscript Award for his graphic views of Geoffrey Gross, be in atten-dance. This black-tie dissertation “Nieuw-Nederland: het highlighting early American-Dutch event starts with cocktails at 6:30 tere begin van een pas ontluikend architecture, 1664-1837. Interiors pm, with dinner & dancing to the land.” The dissertation was submit- as well as exteriors are featured in Hank Lane Revue at 7:30 pm. The ted to the Faculty of Letters of this comprehensive collection. At: Marvelettes will perform, and at Leiden University as partial fulfill- Mt. Gulian Historic Site, Ver- midnight the Nightclub Folly ment of the requirements for a doc- planck Homestead, 145 Sterling opens to Dee Jay dancing and an toral degree. Dr. Jacobs went on to Street, Beacon NY 12508; tel: early-morning breakfast. defend his dissertation successfully 914.831.8172. For further information on the in June of this year. *** Ball, cost of tickets, advertising op- *** 21 September 1999. The New- portunities, or purchase of raffle The Winne-Creble house is look- York Historical Society will open tickets, please contact Age ing for an owner interested in pre- “$24: The Legendary Deal for Diedrick at 212.355.6363, fax 212. serving the architectural tradition Manhattan,” an exhibition investi- 759.0913, or e-mail her at erland’s descendants. Built c. 1720- that follows a trail of historic 30 the brick and frame house prints, maps, wampum, beads and comes complete with back-to-back other colonial-era items in search Reunions jambless fireplaces, knee braces, of the truth beyond the legend. The The Van Voorhees Association ship stairs, beam anchors, Dutch exhibition will run until 9 March annual reunion will be held on Oc- doors. It is Located on Creble 2000. The New-York Historical So- tober 9th at the Fishkill Reformed Road near intersection with Route ciety, Two West 77th Street at Church in Fishkill, NY. For further 9W, 8 miles south of Albany. Con- Central Park West, is open Tues- information contact: Scott F. Voor- tact Paul Ehmann, Coldwell day to Sunday, 11am–5pm. Admis- hees, 147 Grand Blvd., Emerson, Banker at (518) 456-6265 or 577- sion is $5/adults, $3/students and NJ 07630. 1771. seniors, children 12 and under free. For more information call 212. *** 873. 3400. The Association of Blauvelt De- Publications *** scendants will hold its 73d annual Een zegenrijk gewest: Nieuw-Ned- 15 October 1999. The Netherland- meeting and reunion on Saturday, erland in de zeventiende eeuw by America Foundation will host its 18 Spetember at the RADISSON Jaap Jacobs. (557 pages) This pub- Eighteenth Peter Stuyvesant Ball INN, 601 From Road, Paramus, NJ lication of Dr. Jacob’s manuscript, at The Waldorf-Astoria in New 07652; tel: 201.262.6900 or winner of the Hendricks Award, York City. The Ball’s sponsor is 800.333.3333. can be ordered through the Dutch ABN AMRO Bank, with P. J. *** cyber bookstore for ƒ75,00, ca. $36.00. For ing Board serving as Ball Chair- 1662 will hold its annual on Octo- non-Dutch readers an English trans- man, and Gert-Jan van der Putten, ber 16, 1999 at the Zion Lutheran lation is in the works and will be Executive Vice President, U.S. Church, Allendale Avenue, Saddle announced in the Marcurius as serving as Ball Vice Chairman. River, NJ. soon as details are received.

*** “The Virtual New Amsterdam Pro- *** “Dear Cousin”: A Charted Geneal- ject” has developed a digitized ver- Dues. The reminder mailed out in ogy of the Descendants of Anneke sion of the Castello Plan based on the beginning of April had some Jans Bogardus (1605-1663) to the a reproduction in Peter Spier’s good results. However, there are 5th Generation. This publication book The Legend of New Amster- still a number of members who can be ordered by sending $29.50 dam. have not renewed for 1999. Please ($33.00 for Canada and overseas) realize that our very small FNN of- to William B. Bogardus, 1121 Lin- fice has its own expenses like any hof Rd., Wilmington, OH 45177- News from the FNN other office. Your dues are ear- 2917 The FNN has a new fax number. maked for that purpose, and your *** Please use 518.473.0472 for all fu- check enables us to remain solvent. Patterns and Portraits: Women in ture fax transmissions to the office. the History of the Reformed Private donors and foundations in the various categories of membership in the FNN Church in America edited by January 21, 1998-January 23, 1999. Renée S. House and John W. Coak- Sustaining Friend (up to $100) William Nelson Turpin John Lansing ley. No. 31 in the Historical Series Raymond Beecher Martha Updike Lewis Lottridge George Belzer Mark Van Auken Dr. John Mattson of the Reformed Church in Amer- Cynthia Broth Biasca Mary Van Buren David McKeown ica, this volume is dedicated to Pieter Blonk Peter Vandegrift Mrs. E. Milano Carole W. Hageman, vice-presi- Pat Bonomi Mariet Vanden Munckhof-Vedder Richard Mooney Adriana Millenaar Brown Russell Van Norman John Moore dent of the FNN. Among the George Burger M. J. van Zwieten Kenneth & Jane Moriarty twelve contributors are Joyce D. Robert Comegys Evert Volkerz John M. Murrin John Decker Manning Voorhees Arthur Newkirk Goodfriend, Firth Haring Fabend, Hubert De Leeuw Jack Voorhies Betty & Victor Nuovo and Carole Hageman. The 182- Kevin Denton Howard & Marilyn Vreeland James Quackenbush page volume can be ordered Frances Dowling Charlotte Wilcoxen Rev. Louis Springsteen Diane Smith Drugge Landon Wright John Stevens through William B. Eerdmans Pub- Cornelia Ernst Theodore Wright, Jr. Peter Ten Eyck lishing Company, 255 Jefferson Firth Fabend Jerome Yavarkovsky Earl Van Alstyne Arthur Fontijn Mark & Linda Young William J. Vanden Heuvel Ave. S.E., Grand Rapids, MI Bradley Griffin Rob Zaagman Mary Van Gorden 49503 for $14.00. Evan Haefeli Mrs. Alexander Vietor Alfred Hagedorn Burgher ($100+) Harold Vroman *** Janet Harman Dr. Robert Alexander Janet Walker Journey to a New Land--The Bradt Hubert Jockin Gerald Auten Virginia Ward Family in History by Joan Bradt Roy Jonkers Judy & Ennis Bergsma Dr. Charles Warner Wendell Roy Jorgensen Rod Blackburn Wood (325 pages) can be ordered Stanley Keasel William Bogardus Magistrate ($500+) by sending $20.00 (US) to Mrs. Karen Kelley Judith Box Phoebe Bender Alan LaRue Andrew Brink Marilyn & Peter Douglas Joan Wood, 701-2185 Marine Mr. & Mrs. C. H. Linder, Jr. John Brownell Carol Hageman Drive, Oakville, Ontario, Canada Dennis Maika Thomas Burke Ed Vandenburgh L6L 5L6 Elisabeth Night Marie Carlson Paul Palen William & Mary Jane Crotty Burgomaster ($1000+) Johannes Postma & Joelle Million George Damiano Elisabeth Funk Katherine Potter Donald Derr Peter Paulson Websites William Reese Shirley Dunn Melvin & Connie Rosen Jim Elting Council ($3000+): none For those of you who missed the Mr. & Mrs. R. Ryskamp Dorothy Gress several public network an- Dr. Robert Schenk Sarah Gronim Director General ($5000+) Isabella Scholte Susan Haswell Mary Van Orsdol nouncements about the genealogi- James Schuyler Mary Herberich John & Sally Van Schaick cal website which taps the Mr. & Mrs. James Sefcik Henry Hoff Lee Stanton Dr. & Mrs. Paul Huey Benefactor (10,000+): none considerable holdings of the LDS Julie Steitz Carole Huxley archives in Salt Lake City, it is: Nancy Stoving Dr. H. J. C. Jacobs Mr. & Mrs. Taytelbaum Herbert Johnson Virginy Thole Dorothy Koenig ***

Totidem Verbis Countless visitors to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam have stood in awe of the overwhelming proportions and dark beauty of Rembrandt’s De Nachtwacht. It is an ex- perience not to be missed. For those of you living in the Northeast–using distance as an excuse–did you know that it only takes a short trip to Canajoharie in the beau- tiful Mohawk Valley to see a full-scale replica of the painting? Following is the story of its genesis by James Crawford, curator of the Art Gallery at the Canajoharie Library in Canajoharie, New York. In December of 1924, Bartlett Arkell, rary Amsterdam citizens into Dutch Amsterdam, where it was stored until founder of the Canajoharie Library Master Settings. He was so good at March of 1927, when the painter and and Art Gallery undertook a trip to making these copies that if it were not his family came to Canajoharie to su- Europe to study various museums of for using his own signature and paint- pervise its installation. art looking for models for his own mu- ings copy of a work by ... and naming While here, the artist was somewhat seum planned for construction starting the respective artist, he could have surprised to see a tile floor (not unlike in the spring of 1925. His travels took been a forger of Dutch works. the one at the Metropolitan Museum him to England, France and Holland, Arkell hired Kopershoeck to make of Art), which he objected would clash where he spent a week in Amsterdam the copy, which was a daunting task. with the colors in the painting. Beech- both visiting the Rijksmuseum and The artist spent almost two years work- Nut carpenters were employed to other artistic sites in the city. ing on the painting, copying each fig- place a carpet over the tiles and the As a result of his stay in Amsterdam ure in a sketch book at the museum, room was set for its opening the next and his visit to the Walker Art Gallery day. in Liverpool, England, Mr. Arkell de- Kopershoeck would paint about 20 veloped a clear idea of the look he was copies of Dutch Master works during seeking for his own gallery. At the cen- the next ten years. He returned to Ca- ter of his favorite galleries in both mu- najoharie once, to over see the installa- seums was the same painting, The tion of another large copy of a Dutch Nightwatch by Rembrandt. Of course, painting at the High School next door the work in England was a 3/4 scale to the library. At the same time, he replica of the Dutch original. The copy painted an exterior view of Arkell’s had been painted at the request of the house in Manchester Vermont and his Walker’s Directors in the late 1800s. Canajoharie’s Nightwatch brownstone on 10th Street in New Utilizing elements from the design then transferring the drawings to can- York as if they were classic Dutch of both rooms and one of the Euro- vas, before painting them. works of the 1600s and a portrait of pean paintings galleries at the Metro- No other exact copy of the work Mr. Arkell, the artist and two friends, politan Museum of Art (now a part of had ever been or ever was authorized. Nelson Greene and Frank Barbour the arms and armor collections rooms The Trustees of the museum had a playing cards. In this canvas, it ap- at the museum), Mr. Arkell decided to long standing tradition of not allowing pears as if Kopershoeck is cheating. have a full scale replica of the Dutch an exact copy of this work to be The Nightwatch can still be seen in painting commissioned for his gallery, painted, but Kopershoeck was clever. Canajoharie and like its original has and contacted the Director of the He suggested that if the work were ex- been restored due to tears in the can- Rijksmuseum to recommend an indi- actly 3 centimeters larger than the vas but unlike the original can not be vidual to make such a copy. original in either direction, it would cleaned to a brighter, lighter canvas as He was sent to the ideal candidate not be exactly the same, and he was the work in Holland has been restored. for the job then active in Holland, Mil- given approval to paint the work to It will always be dark, surrounded in ton Kopershoeck, a graduate of the those dimensions. The scale of the discolored varnish as it did in 1924. Royal Dutch School of Art in Amster- painting is so massive that the one In 1935, Milton Kopershoeck died dam and the top of his class in making inch difference in height or length can in Amsterdam. With much of the work replicas of the Old Master Paintings of only be detected by measuring. he had undertaken over the previous Holland. In addition to making copies Completed in the Winter of 1926, decade having been purchased by Mr. of Dutch paintings, for museums, the the painting was shipped, rolled and Arkell, his career as a copyist and artist painted portraits of contempo- with a partially assembled frame from painter of portraits will be seen in Ca- najoharie.

The Canajoharie Library and Art Gallery is open M-W & F 10-4:45; Th 10-8:30; Sat 10-1:30. From Albany take the Thruway west to exit 29. Turn right onto 5S then right at traffic light. The Library is one block on the left. Tel: 518.673.2314