We’ve opened all our boxes and drawers and gathered together some of the most interesting and unexpected gems from our collection to put on display for you! From Gordon Smith’s toy Indians to a reel from the Anaconda Wire & Cable Company and a receipt book from George Sackett’s drugstore, we promise you a glimpse into Hastings’ past through our eclectic and eccentric exhibition.
Among the items on display is a wooden bowling set from the Draper family collection. The set dates to 1893 and features an intriguing group of elfish creatures created by author and illustrator Palmer Cox (1840-1924). He named them The Brownies (see photo at right) and based them on a Scottish legend of sprites who did good deeds while humans were asleep. We also have a 1943 edition of one of Cox’s books, The Brownies, Their Book, first published in 1887.
We now have a Flickr photostream full of hundreds of photos from our collection, including the one at left of buildings just south of the Warburton Ave. bridge in July 1931. Just give a click to get a glimpse of Hastings’ past! We'll be adding more interesting items from our collection, so visit often!
Created by the Hastings Historical Society and the latest addition to Arcadia Publishing’s “Images of America” series, this 118-page paperback is filled with 200 black-and-white captioned photographs covering the history of our Village. The book is available at local retail outlets, or you can order it from the Historical Society for $20 each (plus $3 shipping). A separate set of 15 black-and-white postcards is also available, for $8 (plus $2 shipping). To see the postcards and images from the book, click here.
Click here for a printable order form and order yours today!
The centuries-long history of Hastings-on-Hudson is now accessible to all who live, work and visit here, thanks to a new project of the Hastings Historical Society. A historical walking tour of Hastings, starting at Boulanger Plaza, features signs with Village history and photos at 34 different historical sites.
The Hastings Historical Society received an “Award toward Excellence” for the Museum in the Streets® from the Lower Hudson Conference of Historical Agencies and Museums, which called the project “a unique, illustrated bilingual walking tour and street exhibition using archival materials and presenting them to citizens, school children, and heritage tourists alike in a direct and engaging way.”