Exhibits from Previous Years
View our diverse array of previous exhibits illustrating the interesting history of the Kingston area.
2021 – 2022 Exhibition: Signs of the Times
The 2021 – 2022 Museum Gallery exhibit “Signs of the Times: the Modjeska Sign Studios, Kingston New York” features the signs of many Kingston businesses from the 1920’s to the early 1970’s. Founded by Gus Modjeska, who grew up in Malden, the Studio produced storefront signs, wall advertising, billboards, truck lettering and neon signs which were found throughout Kingston and the mid-Hudson Valley. The company took photographs of their installations which provide a look at Kingston streets and their businesses during this time period. On display in the Museum will be original photo journals and memorabilia of the business, remarkable large black and white photo enlargements of signs, several neon signs from the 1950’s, and a video displaying many Modjeska signs through the years. This exhibit was made possible through the donation of many photo albums from Carl Modjeska, the son of Gus Modjeska, who worked at the sign studio. Cynde Modjeska, Carl’s daughter, has been helpful in this process and has loaned signs for the exhibit. The exhibit is sponsored by Timely Signs of Kingston.
Walkthrough Video: https://youtu.be/QHjjn3ZO_KI
Gallery Video: https://youtu.be/babMXvCBd6I
2019: The Life and Death of the Kingston Post Office: A Story of an American Community through the Eyes of an Architectural Gem
The 2019 gallery exhibition presented a photographic review of the history of midtown Kingston using the post office (1908-1969) as a central character in the life of a neighborhood. Featuring over 200 photographs, historic postcards, and artifacts, the exhibition was curated and produced by Stephen Blauweiss, a Kingston-based filmmaker and historian. The exhibit accompanies the publication of a recent work on the same topic by Stephen Blauweiss with Karen Berelowitz, newly published by Blauweiss Media.
2018: Charles Keefe, Colonial Revival Architect in Kingston and New York
This exhibit featured highlights from the Friends of Historic Kingston archives on the works of the architect Charles Keefe. The exhibit accompanied the publication of the recent work by William B. Rhoads, Professor Emeritus of Art History at SUNY New Paltz, the author of Charles S. Keefe (1876-1946): Colonial Revival Architect in Kingston and New York, published by Black Dome Press. Charles S. Keefe was a leading Kingston architect with a national reputation as a designer of colonial houses. While he maintained an office in New York City and his clients hailed from New England to California with others in Canada and Ecuador, Kingston was always his home base and the site of important houses planned for the Arnold, Downer and Matthews families, as well as quarters for the Knights of Columbus and American Legion. The abundantly illustrated book is a richly detailed and colorful account of Keefe’s professional career and private life in Kingston and is available for purchase at the gallery.
2017: Treasures of the Collection
A highlight of the exhibit was the major donation to the organization of a pair of portraits by John Vanderlyn (1775-1852). Another section of the exhibit honored the centennial of Kingston’s part in World War I. The exhibit included memorabilia from the William Anderson Carl Collection, FHK Archives, including items from Anderson’s tour of duty in France, photographs, and most notably, the Croix de Guerre he received from the French Government for the performance of heroic deeds in combat.
2016: Celebrating 50 Years
The Gallery exhibition featured highlights from Friends of Historic Kingston collections. From paintings of Kingston, architectural drawings by Kingston architects, to models of historic steamboats, the exhibit presented acquisitions from FHK’s local history collection and archives.
2015: Jervis McEntee: Kingston’s Artist of the Hudson River School
This exhibit was a presentation of the work of Kingston native, Jervis McEntee, a member of the Hudson River School. It included never before-seen works from the McEntee family and local collectors and works from museums as diverse as the Adirondack Museum, the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum in Vermont, and the Senate House State Historic Site in Kingston.
In addition to paintings, other works on view in “Jervis McEntee: Kingston’s Artist of the Hudson River School” included drawings by the artist; vintage photographs of McEntee family members and close friends. An illustrated book based on the exhibit, published by Black Dome Press is available.
2014: Kingston—The IBM Years
This exhibit explored IBM’s signature achievements during its 40-years in Ulster County. The show included the SAGE air defense system and System/360 mainframe, focus on the people who worked for the computer giant and their lives and neighborhoods. FHK volunteers recorded more than 50 oral histories of people in the community connected to IBM.
The exhibit included one of the earliest electric typewriters produced in Kingston, and rare vintage photographs of the SAGE project, the testing floor for the System/360 mainframe and the typewriter assembly line.
An illustrated book, co-published with Black Dome Press, accompanies the exhibition. Visit the oral histories and online exhibition by clicking here.
2013: Greetings From Kingston: A Story in Postcards
This exhibit featured 100 vintage postcards showcasing the rich historic and architectural heritage of our city. The postcards visually reconstruct the remarkable story of our community, our energy and what we value. They serve to remind viewers of what has been lost, but at the same time, how much more has been saved.
2012: Saving the Best to Last
The story of Fred J. Johnston, Kingston’s noted Early American Antiques dealer and Preservationist, was featured in the exhibit which included biographical ephemera, highlights of his antiques trade and his leadership in local preservation.
2011: Anton Otto Fischer
Eighteen marine paintings of this noted Woodstock and Kingston artist and illustrator were on display in the Museum Gallery. The paintings were from the collection of the Hudson River Maritime Museum and local collections.
2010: Street Whys
This exhibit featured stories about the names of Kingston’s streets, researched by Kingston City Historian Ed Ford. The show celebrated the publication of his book “Street Whys” which provides history and anecdotes of each street in Kingston.
2009: Hudson Fulton: Take Two
As part of New York State’s Quadricentennial celebration, FHK invited ten artists to create contemporary responses to memorabilia from the 1909 Hudson-Fulton Tricentennial celebration. The mixed media exhibit and catalogue was a collaborative effort.
2008: Joseph Tubby, Artist, Rondout N.Y.
A retrospective of Joseph Tubby (1821-1896), a nineteenth century Kingston artist noted for his paintings of local landscapes was featured in the Friends of Historic Kingston Gallery. The exhibit featured some of Tubby’s finest landscapes that depict scenes of Kingston, Esopus and the Rondout Creek, and included streets, churches and buildings that can still be seen today.
2007: Mom and Pop Stores of Kingston, NY
The exhibit featured a collection of photographs of “Mom and Pop” stores which served the community through the mid twentieth century.
2006: Kingston’s Greatest Generation
This exhibit honored the men and women from Kingston who served during WW II. The exhibit featured photographs and film footage of local troops departing for World War II and the scrapbooks by Anna Norton Dederick (1887-1972) who clipped more than 5,000 photos and articles of Kingston’s military service from 1940-45 from the Kingston Daily Freeman. The scrapbooks were given to FHK Archives and are preserved on microfilm. A digital copy is available at New York Heritage/SENYLRC.
2005: Julia McEntee Dillon: A Retrospective
The retrospective featured more than 20 works from museums and private collections by Kingston artist Julia Dillon (1834-1918). Dillon who studied painting in Paris in the mid 19th century was noted for her floral paintings and was a principal of the McEntee and Dillon Rondout Ironworks. She wrote a book, Old Gardens of Kingston, published in 1915.
