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|
Proprietors & Adventurers - What People are Saying
Rare documents from New Jersey's colonial past went on display
- 28 September 2005 [© USA Today,
www.usatoday.com] |
Rare peek into past is present for state - 28 September 2005
[© The Star-Ledger, www.nj.com]
|
N.J. displays rare colonial documents it got in auction - 28
September 2005
|
17th century documents on display - 21 September 2005 [©
The Trenton Times, www.nj.com] |
Codey gets look at State's past - 30 August 2005 [© The
Trenton Times, www.nj.com] |
History comes to roost - 31 July 2005 [© The New York Times,
www.nytimes.com] |
Saving pieces of New Jersey history - 25 June 2005 [©
The Star-Ledger, www.nj.com] |
Historical documents worth every penny - 23 June 2005 [©
Home News Tribune, www.thnt.com]
|
New Jersey buys historical documents in auction - 22 June 2005
[© Bloomberg News, www.bloomberg.com]
|
New Jersey snaps history up in papers - 22 June 2005 [© Philly
Inquirer, www.philly.com] |
Jersey outbids rivals for its birth records - 22
June 2005 [© The Star-Ledger, www.nj.com]
|
State buys maps of Colonial past - 22 June 2005
[© Record, www.bergen.com]
|
State acquires documents detailing its early history
- 21 June 2005 [© Newsday, www.newsday.com]
|
Poor Jersey planning a rich bid on some old papers
- 14 June 2005 [© The Star-Ledger, www.nj.com]
|
Jersey hoping to not bid its heritage adieu -
11 June 2005 [© The Star-Ledger, www.nj.com]
|
N.J. officials eye documents detailing state's early
history - 11 June 2005 [© Newsday, www.newsday.com |
State acquires documents detailing its early history
- [© Associated Press, WNEP-TV 16, www.wnep.com]
|
Snider sale of important americana meets high expectations
- [©
The Americana Exchange,
www.americanaexchange.com] |
What
members of the history community are saying... |
Back to Proprietors and Adventurers Main
|
RARE
DOCUMENTS FROM NEW JERSEY'S COLONIAL PAST WENT ON DISPLAY
Wednesday, 28
September 2005
Princeton —
Rare documents from New Jersey's Colonial past went on display at
the Morven Museum and Garden. The state paid more than $547,000
at auction in June to acquire the maps and manuscripts. They include
the first printed map of New Jersey, from 1677, and the first constitution
of East Jersey. The documents were originally owned by Robert Barclay,
the man chosen by New Jersey's proprietors to run the colony from
1682 to 1690.
© USA Today
|
RARE
PEEK INTO PAST IS PRESENT FOR STATE
Codey unveils Colonial-era documents
By Tom Hester
Star-Ledger Staff
Wednesday, 28
September 2005
When
acting Gov. Richard Codey first looked at the collection of 11 rare
Colonial-era maps, manuscripts and books that chronicle New Jersey's
colorful past, he was left with a question: How did Staten Island
get away?
There
it was on a 1681 map of the colony. It seems royal governor Philip
Carteret tried to claim the island, but lost out to New York.
"I
asked an historian why didn't we just invade and take over,"
the governor joked yesterday when the collection was put on display
for the first time.
It
was a day for smiles -- and oohs and aahs -- as the documents and
maps, which detail the earliest days of New Jersey as a British
colony in the 17th and 18th centuries, were put on exhibit at Morven
Museum and Garden in Princeton as state officials, the history community
and excited school children celebrated the state gaining ownership.
Codey's
administration scrambled in June to find the $547,300 needed to
secure possession of the collection at a public auction at Christie's
in New York.
"Democrats
and Republicans said this is a once in a lifetime chance to do the
right thing for the children of New Jersey," Codey said. "We
stepped up and did the right thing."
The
documents had been in the private collection of the descendants
of Robert Barclay, New Jersey's first royal governor, for more than
300 years until they were purchased about 10 years ago by Jay T.
Snider, a wealthy Philadelphia businessman and former president
of hockey's Philadelphia Flyers. Snider, in turn, had them auctioned
by Christie's.
"It
is great, absolutely great that we got them," said Joseph J.
Felcone of Princeton, a prominent rare-book and manuscript dealer
who alerted the state to the auction and did the bidding at Christie's.
"What is important is what would have happened if we had not
gotten them. It would have been just unthinkable if individual collectors
had bought and separated them."
Among
the items included in the collection:
- Barclay's
personal handprinted record book from the period of 1664-88,
which provides the minutes of 41 meetings held in London with
the Lord Proprietors of East Jersey. It also contains, among
other thing, the significant charters and grants by the English
government to New Jersey's earliest settlers, and provides detailed
descriptions of the settlements of Newark, Elizabeth, Woodbridge,
Piscataway and "Bergen," now Jersey City, as well
as the colony's first constitution.
- Barclay's
personal handprinted record book from the period of 1664-88,
which provides the minutes of 41 meetings held in London with
the Lord Proprietors of East Jersey. It also contains, among
other thing, the significant charters and grants by the English
government to New Jersey's earliest settlers, and provides detailed
descriptions of the settlements of Newark, Elizabeth, Woodbridge,
Piscataway and "Bergen," now Jersey City, as well
as the colony's first constitution.
- The first
map of an American town, "a Description of Amboy Point,"
actually Perth Amboy circa 1684.
- A 1697
broadside listing "the Names of All the Adventurers ...
of West Jersey in America," which were actually stockholders
of the Society of Merchants of London, with finance figures
scribbled in the margins.
- A 1684-85
"Map of ye English Empire in ye Continent of America, which
pinpoints "Pafcatoway (Piscataway)" and "Never
Sinck (Navesink)" and "Burning Hole (Barnegat)."
"You
look at the documents that show the first towns of New Jersey and
people of color are mentioned," said David Cowell, a retired
Drew University professor and president of the Advocates for New
Jersey History. "It shows there was not a time when New Jersey
was not multiracial."
Beginning
today through October, copies of the maps and manuscripts will be
displayed at Morven. State archivist Karl J. Niederer said the actual
documents will go unseen for six to nine months while contracted
conservators mend and clean them. The documents will then be available
to the public at the State Archives in Trenton.
Among
those to get a glimpse at the originals yesterday were fourth- and
fifth-graders from Lawrenceville Intermediate School.
"This
is really cool. I do not know how to express it," said Michael
McQuarrie, 10, described by his teacher as a student with a special
interest in New Jersey history. "This is part of history. We
are the first kids ever to see it. It is from the 1600s, pretty
much nobody has seen it in 300 years."
While
looking at the 1681 map that claimed Staten Island belonged to New
Jersey, Niederer was asked the question Codey wanted answered: how
did Carteret lose that piece of land?
"The
colonial governor of New York had more clout at the time,"
he said.
(Copies
of the documents may be seen at Morven at 55 Stockton St. from 11
a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday-Friday, and from noon to 4 p.m., Saturday
and Sunday through October. The exhibit is free.)
© The Star-Ledger
|
N.J.
DISPLAYS RARE COLONIAL DOCUMENTS IT GOT IN AUCTION
Posted on Wednesday,
28 September 2005
TRENTON
— Recently acquired rare documents from New Jersey's colonial
past were displayed yesterday in Princeton at a ceremony attended
by acting Gov. Richard J. Codey.
The
documents, shown at the Morven Museum and Garden, include the first
printed map of New Jersey, from 1677, and the first constitution
of East Jersey. They were to be returned to the state archives for
conservation work, but facsimiles will be exhibited at Morven through
October.
The
state paid $547,300 in June to acquire the documents, auctioned
off in lots at Christie's in New York. The documents were part of
a collection of 415 early American documents owned by Jay T. Snider,
former president of the Philadelphia Flyers. They were originally
from the collection of Robert Barclay, chosen by New Jersey's proprietors
to run the colony from 1682 to 1690.
|
17th
CENTURY DOCUMENTS ON DISPLAY
Wednesday, 21
September 2005
The rare 17th-century New Jersey documents the state purchased in
June will be unveiled to the public on Tuesday.
The
collection is scheduled to be unveiled at 11:30 a.m. at the Morven
Museum & Garden in Princeton Borough.
Titled
"Proprietors & Adventurers: A Rediscovery of Colonial New
Jersey," the one-day exhibit will feature 11 original manuscripts,
maps and books acquired by the state at a New York auction for about
$547,000.
Replicas of the documents will be displayed at Morven through the
end of October. A display is scheduled to open in the state archives
building off West State Street in Trenton in November.
For
more information, call (609) 633-8334.
©The Trenton
Times
|
CODEY
GETS LOOK AT STATE'S PAST
By Tom Hester Jr.
Staff Writer
Tuesday, 30
August 2005
Delicately,
Joseph Klett opened the book and revealed its venerable contents.
As
he carefully flipped through the pages, a collective but hushed,
"Oh, wow," seemed to emanate from onlookers standing around
acting Gov. Richard J. Codey inside a vault deep in the state archives
building.
What
Klett revealed to Codey were pages of aging paper decorated with
a flowery, long-forsaken writing style that recounted New Jersey's
birth as a colony and its role in America's heritage.
"It's
something we should be very proud of," Codey said.
What
Codey and his staff got to see for the first time yesterday was
the collection of rare 17th century colonial maps and manuscripts
purchased by the state in June for $547,300 at a New York auction.
The
governor made the short trip down West State Street from the State
House to the archives facility yesterday to see what the state got
for its money.
He
was impressed.
"It
was very important for the people and the state of New Jersey to
acquire these documents," Codey said.
Of
particular interest was the record book of one of Codey's indirect
predecessors, East Jersey Gov. Robert Barclay. The book is Barclay's
copy of the minutes of the East Jersey Proprietors from 1664 to
1683. It includes charters, concessions, grants, letters, proclamations
and other documents describing the state's early development as
a British colony.
Barclay
actually never ventured into New Jersey. He served in absentia,
having been named East Jersey governor because he was a prominent
Quaker leader who was able to bring in other land purchasers.
Klett
described the book as the most significant acquisition, noting it
had been in private hands - Barclay's heirs' - for more than three
centuries.
"A
lot of these documents have never been known to historians of the
state of New Jersey before," Klett said.
Codey
marveled at how the book detailed the first state settlements and
noticed a 1680-81 dispute between East Jersey and New York over
ownership of Staten Island.
"We
should have invaded," he quipped.
Barclay's
book contained five early maps that Christie's removed for the auction,
Klett said. The state was able to buy them all, including a map
dated to around 1677 that is considered the first printed New Jersey
map. Its colors still vibrant, the map describes the colony as "New
Jarsey," a spelling Klett said was common for that time.
"Maybe
that was how it was pronounced," Klett said.
The
map depicts Native American villages and pictures of animals, including
something labeled "Waranawankong." Klett said they're
not yet sure what that means.
"We
haven't had a chance to fully study all of these," he said.
The
maps also include an early plan for developing Perth Amboy, which
Codey noted looked quite similar to a modern plan for a condominium
development.
While
he was in the vault, Codey also got to glimpse the state's original
copies of the Bill of Rights and U.S. Constitution.
"They
were thoughtful people back then," Codey said.
Klett
said the state is preparing to display copies of the documents inside
the archives building starting in October, with the original documents
displayed for a day at the Morven museum near downtown Princeton
Borough.
NOTE:
Contact State House bureau chief Tom Hester Jr. at thester@njtimes.com
or at (609) 777-4464.
©The Trenton
Times
|
HISTORY
COMES TO ROOST
by Terry Golway
Sunday, 31
July 2005
[excerpts from
the article]
David
Cowell is eager to catch his first glimpse of a newly discovered
map of New York Harbor, drawn in 1683. The map is part of a collection
of documents from Colonial-era New Jersey that the Codey administration
bought recently for more than $600,000 at an auction in Manhattan.
Mr.
Cowell, a Caldwell resident who heads a group called Advocates for
New Jersey History, said he wanted to see where the 17th-century
mapmaker placed the islands now known as Ellis Island and Liberty
(or, less commonly, Bedloes) Island.
"Who
knows?" he said. "Maybe they'll have to turn the Statue
of Liberty around so that it faces New Jersey."
He
was kidding, of course. But while the old map certainly will not
settle the long-running argument over ownership of the two islands,
its very existence has energized New Jersey's historians, preservationists
and plain old history buffs. They are the volunteers who staff local
county historical societies, who lead efforts to preserve historic
buildings and who have educated themselves in arcane subjects like
New Jersey's old canal system.
For
them, the chance to buy these documents was a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity to place in the public's hands pieces of history from
the earliest days of New Jersey's settlement by Europeans, including
a time when the state was divided into two colonies, East Jersey
and West Jersey. Even as late as the American Revolution, the state
was often referred to as "the Jerseys." (Who would have
guessed that similar language might be employed centuries later
to describe the state's north-south divide?)
When
the state's small but influential history community learned that
a private collector, Jay T. Snider of Bryn Mawr, Pa., intended to
offer the previously unknown documents at an auction at Christie's
last month, they feared the worst. "I was frightened that the
documents would go out of state, and would remain in private hands,"
said Lee Ellen Griffith, the director of the Monmouth County Historical
Association, based in Freehold. "That possibility was very
scary, because if a private collector bought the documents, they
would not be available for research."
In
addition to the map of New York Harbor from 1683, the trove includes
17th-century maps of the colony of New Jersey and of one of its
oldest settlements, Perth Amboy; a collection of manuscripts showing
Colonial-era charters and land grants; an early constitution of
East Jersey; a list of "all adventurers" in West Jersey;
the first published history of the colony, printed in 1765; and
a collection of laws and court cases from the 18th century.
The
documents were purchased with money from the Public Records Preservation
Account, which is under the jurisdiction of the Department of State.
They will be made available for public viewing in September at an
undetermined location in the Trenton-Princeton area.
"It
was great that the state found the money," said Karen Morse,
director of development at the Historical Society of Princeton.
"So much has happened in New Jersey, and here in Princeton.
And if we don't preserve it, who will?"
To
the delight of New Jersey's history community, Acting Gov. Richard
J. Codey described the maps and records as "more than just
a part of a collection" but "a part of our heritage."
Joseph
Klett, the chief archivist at the State Archives in Trenton, said:
"This kind of material does not come up for auction very often.
In fact, this material was not available in any other form or version."
Many
of the documents from the 17th century were prepared for a Colonial-era
governor, Robert Barclay, who ruled the colony of East Jersey from
his native Scotland.
The
documents prepared for Governor Barclay, Mr. Klett said, included
a summary of the development of several towns, including Newark,
Elizabeth, Woodbridge, Piscataway, Bergen, Shrewsbury and Middletown.
"The documents tell Barclay about each one of these towns,
how they were laid out and how they were settled," he said.
The
map of Perth Amboy - or, as it was known at the time, Amboy Point
- is considered significant because "it is the first known
plan for any New Jersey town, and that makes it extremely important
in understanding Perth Amboy and the role it played in the development
of East Jersey," Mr. Klett said.
That
now-revealed part of Perth Amboy's past offers just a glimpse of
the state's local history, many advocates and historians say. Because
so many New Jersey residents were born elsewhere, either in another
country or another state, and because the state is among the nation's
centers of suburban sprawl, local history often suffers from neglect,
which often leads to destruction.
"New
Jersey has always had an undeserved reputation of having a lesser
identity than New York and Philadelphia because of its location
between them," said Ronald Becker, director of special collections
at the Rutgers libraries. "Many who move here are unaware of
our incredible history and all of the achievements and firsts that
occurred here from Colonial times to the present. By saving as much
documentation as we can, we learn about New Jersey's great contributions
to our heritage and how New Jersey and New Jerseyans participated
in all of our nation's events."
"If
you want to be proud of your history, you have to preserve it,"
Mr. Cowell said. "That's particularly important in New Jersey,
because we're divided into a lot of little communities and so many
people are not from here.
"Our
job in the history community is to make people aware of what the
civilized life means. Thank God somebody had the foresight to acquire
those documents. That's a step in the right direction."
© The New
York Times
|
SAVING
PIECES OF JERSEY HISTORY
Saturday, 25
June 2005
The
earliest surviving detailed map of New Jersey — created in
1686 — shows the Watchung and Ramapo mountains but labels
them the "Blue Hills." The Great Falls at what is now
Paterson are on the map, along with the counties Essex, Middlesex,
Monmouth and Bergen. Another map created about the same time depicts
"ye English Empire in ye Continent of America," including
"New Jarsey."
A
broadside of the era gives a "List of the Names of all the
Adventurers in the General Joynt-Stock and Lands of the Society
of Merchants of London, Proprietors of West Jersey in America."
The
maps and broadside are part of a trove of rare 17th- and 18th-century
artifacts that the state bought at auction earlier this week. The
11 items were part of a collection of 346 documents from Colonial
America owned by Jay T. Snider, former president of the Philadelphia
Flyers, and sold by Christie's in Manhattan. New Jersey's representatitves
bid a total of $547,300 to keep the state's history out of collectors'
hands.
Archivists
traditionally aren't an emotional bunch. But Karl J. Niederer was
downright teary-eyed when it was over.
"This
is a great day for New Jersey," the state archives director
said.
Indeed
it was. The documents are a boon for scholars who have never seen
them before and, more importantly, a part of New Jersey's rich history
that now can be viewed by all. The cost, which was paid from a fund
previously created for such purposes, is insignificant in comparison
to the knowledge and delight to be gained from these testaments
to our history.
© The Star-Ledger
|
HISTORICAL
DOCUMENTS WORTH EVERY PENNY
Thursday, 23
June 2005
In
a more perfect world, Jay T. Snider, the former president of the
Philadelphia Flyers, who hardly seems to be hurting for money, might
simply have donated some of the valuable documents in his possession
to the state of New Jersey. After all, the documents in question,
which include the earliest known map of New Jersey and a map of
what would become Perth Amboy, are of profound interest to New Jersey
historians, most of whom practice their profession right here.
Others
who might desire the documents are collectors, particularly map
collectors. But in spite of the disdain with which New Jersey is
viewed in much of the rest of the world, was there ever any doubt
that the documents would somehow find the most loving and secure
home within these crowded but historic borders? Evidently not.
Yesterday,
New Jersey officials took possession of the documents at an auction
at Christie's in New York. The price tag was a hefty $547,300, but
the purchase was worth every penny.
"More
than just a part of a collection, these records are part of our
heritage. They are a vital and invaluable resource that will provide
new insight and understanding of our past as colony, state and nation,"
said acting Gov. Richard J. Codey.
Snider
apparently doesn't share the sense of history and public good that
moves state officials or, for that matter, Kathy and David Turnbull.
Two weeks ago, the Virginia couple donated Woodrow Wilson papers
they had found in their house nearly two decades ago to the Wilson
presidential library in Staunton, Va. Snider, instead, sent his
Colonial records off to the auction block for sale to the highest
bidder.
The
state must be congratulated for its readiness to be among those
willing to plunk down top dollar for the one-of-a-kind records of
its past. The documents were part of a collection of 415 early American
documents. They were originally from the collection of Robert Barclay,
chosen by New Jersey's proprietors to run the colony from 1682 to
1690. The documents will be preserved at the New Jersey State Archives,
where they will be available for viewing and research by the public.
Of
course, more than 300 years after the documents were created, the
state is in dire fiscal straits; still, it would have been a sad
day if an entire state was outbid by a single history buff.
© The Home
News Tribune
|
NEW
JERSEY BUYS HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS IN AUCTION
by Dan Hart
June 22 (Bloomberg) — New Jersey said it paid $547,300 for
11 historical documents auctioned by Christie's International Plc,
including the first map of the state from 1677.
The
funding came from a dedicated public records preservation account,
Acting Governor Richard Codey said in a statement. Christie's said
in a statement that it sold a total of 125 lots for $6.32 million
at yesterday's auction in New York.
The
documents and items came from the collection of Jay Snider, former
president of the National Hockey League's Philadelphia Flyers. He
auctioned 346 manuscripts, first-edition books, maps of New Jersey,
presidential letters and other items from early U.S. history.
Other
items bought by the state include a minute book of the Lords Proprieters
of East Jersey from 1664 through 1683 from Proprietary Governor
Robert Barclay; an untitled manuscript map of New York Harbor from
1683, a survey of Perth Amboy; a map including the colony of New
Jersey entitled ``A Map of ye English Empire''; and a map entitled
``East Jersey'' from 1686.
"These
records are a part of our heritage,'' Codey said in the statement.
"Securing these documents is an investment not only in our
history, but more importantly in our future.''
The
documents will be preserved and made accessible to the public for
research and exhibition at the New Jersey State Archives in Trenton,
Codey said.
© Bloomberg
News
|
N.J.
SNAPS HISTORY UP IN PAPERS
Pays $656,760 for part of a stunning collection.
by Mitch Lipka
Inquirer Staff Writer
Wednesday, 22
June 2005
New
Jersey seized its chance to acquire some of the earliest known records
of its beginnings yesterday in one of the most significant sales
of historical American documents in years.
Jay
Snider, a Bryn Mawr business man and former Flyers president, put
up for auction 346 manuscripts, orginal maps, first-edition books,
and letters that historians salivated over. The auction generated
more than $6.3 million.
Of
that, $656,760 came from the State of New Jersey, which pounced
on 11 items regarded as unique documents from its earleist period
under British control.
"This
is the only collection of this size and historical importance that
I have ever seen come up at auction at one time," Karl Niederer,
director of the state Divistion of Archives and Records Management,
said after leaving the auction at Christie's in New York.
"What
the Dead Sea Scrolls are to biblical scholarship, these are to the
State of New Jersey," he said.
Among
the items the state acquired was the first known map of New Jersey,
from 1686.
It
was among five items separated from the "Manuscript Minute
book of the Lords Proprietors of East Jersey," Niederer said.
The state acquired the book, which includes documentation of the
earliest government in the state, and all the maps that had been
separated.
The
price for that group of materials: $493,200, including Christie's
20 percent markup.
Other
items the state acquired include:
"A
Bill in the Chancery of New-Jersey" from 1747, described as
an extensive collection related to an important land controversy
($114,000).
A
1697 record of investors in the new colony ($26,000).
The
1732 compilation of "The Acts of the General Assembly of the
Province of New-Jersey" ($10,800).
"The
Grants, Concessions and Original Constitutions of the Province of
New-Jersey" from 1758 ($4, 560).
The
First published history of New Jersey, "The History of the
Colony of Nova-Caesaria, or New-Jersey," from 1765 ($7,800).
"Today,
an important part of New Jersey's history is coming back to the
state where it belongs," acting Gov. Richard J. Codey said.
"more than just a part of a collection, these records are a
part of our heritage."
Niederer,
who was giddy over the acquisitions, said scholars had not studied
those records.
"None
of this material has ever been seen by the public," he said.
"This is really a great day, a day of good news for the people
of New Jersey."
The
state used money from its Public Records Preservation Account, composed
of fees collected by county clerks, Department of Staet spokeswoman
Regina Wilder said. It also received a $15,000 donation from the
planned New Jersey Hall of Fame.
Niederer,
who noted that the State Archives typically spent less than $10,000
a year on acquisitions, said the materials would be examined to
see whether any needed perservation. Then as many as possible will
be made available on the archives' Web site
(archives.nj.gov) and for viewing at the State Archives in
Trenton.
The
archivist said he had collaborated with colleagues at the New Jersey
Historical Society and Rutgers University to ensure that they did
not compete with one another and to try to ensure that the materials
would be brought into the public domain.
"You
just don't see these things come on the market," Niederer said.
Snider,
47, has been collecting for more than 25 years and recently decided
to focus his holdings on Benjamin Franklin and the history of Philadelphia.
The size and quality of his collection was known to some local historians
but not to a broader audience until the items were offered for auction
at Christie's.
TOP
AUCTION ITEMS
Bryn
Mawr business man Jay Snider's breaking up of his AMerican hsitroy
collection brought in more than $6.3 million at auction yesterday.
Here are the priciest items (bidders' names were not provided):
$374,000
for color plates of Yellowstone National Park (1876)
$307,200
for James Otto Lewis' "Aboriginal Port Folio" of hand-colored
lithographs (1836-38)
$216,000
for John Adams' "Thoughts on Government: Applicable to the
Present State of the American Colonies (1776)
$168,000
for Henry Lewis' "Das illustrirte Mississippithal," color
plates of the Mississippi region (1854-58)
$156,000
for the "History of the Expedition Under the Command of Captians
Lewis and Clark" (1814)
$156,000
for Capt. John Smith's The Generall Historie of Virginia, New-England...
(1627)
$156,000
for the History of the Indian Tribes of North America (1842-44)
$156,000
for a volume of nine Revolutionary and early federal pamphlets,
including Thomas Paine's "Common Sense"
SOURCE:
Christie's New York
ONLINE
EXTRA
Access
Christie's catalog of Jay T. Snider Collection of Historical Americana
via http://go.philly.com/njhistory
© The Philadelphia
Inquirer
|
JERSEY OUTBIDS RIVALS FOR ITS BIRTH RECORDS
Archivist scores a coup at Christie's
BY TOM HESTER
Star-Ledger Staff
Wednesday, 22
June 2005
Outbidding
stiff competition, the state government spent $656,760 yesterday
to obtain 11 rare documents, maps and books from the 17th and 18th
centuries, material that the state's director of archives described
as "the Dead Sea Scrolls of the settlement of New Jersey."
The
documents, including records of the English colonial charters establishing
what would become the Garden State, were sold at auction by Christie's
in New York and will join the collection of the state archives in
Trenton.
"These
items have been in private hands for over 300 years," Karl
J. Niederer, the state archivist, said following the auction. "In
all that time, no scholar -- certainly not an American scholar --
has seen these documents. All of these documents, whether imprints
(maps) or manuscripts, will be unique in the state archives."
Half the seats in the brightly lit, hushed auction room were filled
with about 35 bidders and spectators as the New Jersey documents
went on the block. Seated beside Niederer was Joseph J. Felcone
of Princeton, a prominent rare-book and manuscript dealer serving
as the state's agent for the auction.
With
slight waves of his bidding paddle and nods of his head, Felcone
coolly outbid what he estimated were six other serious bidders --
all unidentified, some phoning in their offers -- while Niederer
kept track on a folded sheet of paper.
Veteran
auctioneer Francis Wahlgren sold the documents at a rate of almost
one per minute as a tote board behind him flashed the bids and tallied
the final total in dollars, euros, yen, British pounds and Swiss
francs. Eleven Christie's staffers handled telephone bids along
the side of the room.
When
it was over, the normally reserved Niederer briefly teared up. "This
is a great day for New Jersey," he said.
"I
did not get much sleep last night," he added. "These records
are not only interesting to scholars at the university level, but
they are also for the general public interested in the history of
New Jersey."
Niederer
said he expects to bring the documents to Trenton within 30 days
of when the money changes hands. Eventually, he said, the documents
will be available for the public and researchers to view, and images
of each page and map will be posted on the archive's Web site.
"Today
an important part of New Jersey's history is coming back to the
state where it belongs," said acting Gov. Richard Codey, who
despite the state's fiscal crisis gave the go-ahead to spend up
to $1 million for the material. "Securing these documents is
an investment not only in our history but, more importantly, in
our future."
The documents were part of a collection of 346 rare Colonial and
early American books, maps and papers Christie's auctioned on behalf
of Jay T. Snider, a wealthy Philadelphia businessman and former
president of hockey's Philadelphia Flyers.
Chris
Coover of Montclair, a Christie's senior vice president, said the
auction netted Snider $6.32 million. The highest amount paid for
a single item was $374,000 for an 1876 first edition of a book,
"The Yellowstone National Park and the Mountain Regions of
Idaho, Nevada, Colorado and Utah," which depicts landscapes
of the West. Snider did not attend the event.
Niederer
arrived at Christie's on 49th Street with authority to spend as
much as $1 million from a little-used $39 million public records
preservation fund. Overall, the state would bid $547,300 for the
11 documents, with Christie's getting a 20 percent seller's fee
of $109,460.
"These
items are considerably more valuable than what we paid for them.
They really need to be in the state of New Jersey," said Felcone,
who has represented wealthy buyers at Christie's auctions for 33
years. "It is so remarkable to have 17th-century material appear
on the market. It is really quite extraordinary. We may not see
something like this again for many years -- maybe never."
The
prime item sought by the state was the personal handprinted book
of Royal Gov. Robert Barclay from the period of 1664-88 that provides
the minutes of the 41 meetings in London of the Lord Proprietors
of East Jersey. The book includes, among other things, the significant
charters and grants by the English government to New Jersey's earliest
settlers, and it gives detailed descriptions of the settlements
of Newark, Elizabeth, Woodbridge, Piscataway and "Bergen,"
now Jersey City.
The
bidding on that book began at $55,000. Felcone -- "the person
on the aisle," as the auctioneer called him -- traded bids
with competitors 13 times before making the winning offer of $120,000.
Later,
Felcone traded bids with rivals 23 times, starting at $20,000, before
offering $95,000 to secure a Colonial government document printed
in 1747 and enclosed in a green Morocco gilt slipcase. It contains
two maps that include New Jersey and nine copies of three New York
newspapers from 1745 to 1747.
Felcone
also traded bids that began at $28,000 with competitors 18 times
before making the final offer of $90,000 for a colorful 1683 map
of "Manhattan and its surroundings," which shows New York
Harbor and nearby New Jersey.
The
other documents, including the first printed map of New Jersey from
1677, were purchased at prices ranging from $3,800 to $75,000. Felcone,
who alerted Niederer about the rare New Jersey documents, received
$1,000 to bid for the state.
Coover,
who has taken part in Christie's auctions for 25 years, described
this one as especially competitive, especially for the New Jersey
documents. "We are supposed to be objective," he said,
"but I think it is marvelous the material will be going to
the state archives."
"The
state had to enter the competition against private dealers and collectors
who also coveted those maps," Coover added. "There was
a determined private collector on the phone and a couple of people
in the room as well. This was one of those situations where one
make-or-break opportunity is all you get."
© The Star
Ledger
|
STATE
BUYS MAPS OF COLONIAL PAST
Wednesday,
22 June 2005
TRENTON —
The state paid $547,300 on Tuesday to acquire 11 rare documents
from New Jersey’s Colonial past.
The documents,
auctioned at Christie’s in New York, included the first printed
map of New Jersey, from 1677, and the first constitution of East
Jersey. They were purchased with funds from a public records preservation
account.
The documents
were part of a collection owned by Jay T. Snider, former president
of the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team. They were originally from
the collection of Robert Barclay, chosen by New Jersey’s proprietors
to run the colony from 1682 to 1690.
The documents
will be preserved at the New Jersey State Archives and made accessible
to the public for research and exhibition.
© Record
|
STATE
ACQUIRES DOCUMENTS DETAILING ITS EARLY HISTORY
Tuesday, 21
June 2005
TRENTON,
N.J. — The state paid $547,300 Tuesday to acquire 11 rare
documents from New Jersey's Colonial past.
The
documents, auctioned at Christie's in New York, included the first
printed map of New Jersey, from 1677, and the first constitution
of East Jersey.
"More
than just a part of a collection, these records are part of our
heritage. They are vital and invaluable resource that will provide
new insight and understanding of our past as colony, state and nation,"
acting Gov. Richard J. Codey said in a news release describing the
purchase.
The
documents were part of a collection of 415 early American documents
owned by Jay T. Snider, former president of the Philadelphia Flyers
hockey team. They were originally from the collection of Robert
Barclay, chosen by New Jersey's proprietors to run the colony from
1682 to 1690.
News
of the Christie's auction earlier this month led historic preservation
advocates to urge the state to bid on the documents. The money was
drawn from a public records preservation account.
In
addition to the first map and the East Jersey constitution, the
documents include:
- A
1683 map of what later became Perth Amboy, at the time known as
"Amboy Point," which is believed to be the first map of
an American town.
- Minutes
of 41 meetings in London from 1664 to 1683 that include early charters
and grants from Sir George Carteret, Duke of York.
The
documents will be preserved at the New Jersey State Archives and
made accessible to the public for research and exhibition.
© Newsday
|
POOR
JERSEY PLANNING A RICH BID ON SOME OLD PAPERS
Despite tight budget, state wants in on $375,000 auction
of rare artifacts
BY TOM HESTER
Star-Ledger Staff
Tuesday, 14
June 2005
The Codey administration has decided to compete for an unexpected
bounty of 17th century New Jersey documents and maps that will be
auctioned at Christie’s in New York later this month, state
Treasurer John McCormac said yesterday.
All
officials have to do now is find the $375,000 needed to get in on
the bidding for the documents, which historians say give a rare
glimpse into life in early colonial New Jersey.
“It
looks like we are going to do everything we can to buy them,”
McCormac said yesterday.
State
archivists are anxious to get hold of the 11 yellowed artifacts,
including a thick book that contains the first constitution of the
colony of East Jersey and details its settlement from 1682 to 1684.
There also are five rare maps, including the first printed map of
New Jersey from 1677, and a 1683 map of the planned layout of “Amboy
Point,” which would become Perth Amboy, the capital of East
Jersey. It is described as the first map of an American town.
The
unexpected need for $375,000 comes at time when the Codey administration
has proposed a budget that would cut spending as well as property
tax rebates. McCormac said officials are looking at the possibility
of tapping a $39 million public records preservation fund controlled
by the Treasury Department rather than the Secretary of State’s
office, which oversees the Division of Archives and records management.
“We
apparently have decided to try to get this done but we are not sure
we legally can participate in an auction so we may try to contact
the owner and make an offer prior to the auction,” McCormac
said. “The lawyers are checking it.”
But
Bendetta Rous, a Christie’s spokeswoman, said yesterday that
once the auction house details the items for sale through its Web
site and catalogs and alerts collectors worldwide, private sales
on the side are no longer possible. She said written bids may already
be in the process of being submitted.
“One
of the advantages of an auction is that you reach many more people,”
she said. “You give an opportunity to other collectors whether
it is an institute or private collectors to add to their collections.”
As many as 350 people are expected for the auction on June 21.
Wealthy
businessman Jay T. Snider, the former president of the Philadelphia
Flyers hockey team, said Friday he wants his 415-piece collection
of Colonial and early American documents to be auctioned publicly.
Snider said he favors selling to private collectors because he believes
they make a better effort to preserve documents and artifacts than
government or public institutions.
Snider’s
collection is expected to realize between $5 million to $6 million
when sold. Besides submitting bids via Christie’s Web site
(www.Christie’s.com),
telephone bids are accepted on the day of the auction.
One
item, a book written in 1634 by legendary English Captain John Smith,
is the first to tell of his capture by Chief Powhatan and his rescue
through the intercession of the chief’s daughter, Pocahontas.
Another is an 1814 book by Lewis and Clark that recounts their 1804-06
expedition to the Pacific Coast.
© The Star-Ledger
|
JERSEY
HOPING TO NOT BID ITS HERITAGE ADIEU
BY TOM HESTER
Star-Ledger Staff
Saturday, 11
June 2005
A
trove of documents considered to be the Holy Grail of early New
Jersey history will be auctioned at Christie’s later this
month and state archivists are trying to scrape together a pot of
money in hopes of snapping them up.
The
yellowed artifacts give a rare glimpse into life in early Colonial
New Jersey, and had been in the private collection of the descendants
of New Jersey’s first royal governor for more than 300 years.
They include what is considered the first map of any American town,
the first constitution of East Jersey and a book detailing the Garden
State’s first settlers.
The
state has determined it wants 11 of these documents, which will
be sold at New York’s famous auction house on June 21 by the
former president of the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team.
“These
documents are vital,” said retired Drew University professor
David A. Cowell of Caldwell, president of the Advocates for New
Jersey History. “This gives a better history of what was going
on in the 17th century than anything we’ve got. It fills in
all the gaps of the early settlers, who the families were, and where
they came from.”
Karl
J. Niederer, director of the state Division of Archives and Records
Management, spent yesterday looking for a way to raise the $375,000
archivists believe is needed to bid on the 11 items.
“The
auction starts at 10 a.m. By 10:15 this material will be gone,”
said Joseph J. Felcone of Princeton, New Jersey’s pre-eminent
rare book and manuscript dealer who told state archivists about
the auction. “It would be unfortunate if the state did not
attempt to buy them.”
The
Archives Division spends less than $10,000 each year on new documents.
The best potential funding source, according to history activists,
is a $39 million public records preservation fund controlled by
the state Treasury Department.
Spokespeople
for acting Gov. Richard Codey and Secretary of State Regena Thomas
said yesterday no decision would be made until next week on whether
the state would bid for the documents and how the money would be
raised if they decided to go for it.
“We
have been able to authenticate that they (the documents) are what
they are claimed to be,” Niederer said, “and from my
experience as a historian and archivist, they are genuine articles
and historically valuable.”
The
items eyed by the state include:
-
A manuscript with the official minutes of 41 meetings in London
of the Lord Proprietors of East Jersey, William Penn’s other
‘Holy Experiment (New Jersey)’ from 1682 to 1684. It
includes the first constitution of East Jersey, early charters and
grants from Sir George Carteret, the Duke of York, and “proclamation
and documents concerning all aspects of the governance, survey and
settlement of the new colony and its relations with other colonies.”
It is expected to sell for $100,000 to $150,000.
- A
1683 map of the planned layout of “Amboy Point,” which
would become Perth Amboy, the capital of East Jersey. It is described
as the first map of an American town and valued at $20,000.
- The
first printed map of New Jersey from 1677, a map of “ye English
Empire in ye Continent of America…” from 1684-85 that
includes New Jersey and the Northeast; a map of “East Jersey,”
the northern half of the state, from 1686; and a map of New York
Harbor, Staten Island and northeast New Jersey from 1684. Altogether,
the maps are valued at $145,000.
- A
book, “The history of the Colony of Nova Caesaria or New Jersey,
an Account of its First Settlement,” written in 1765 and valued
at $3,000. There is also a broadside of the names of “the
Adventurers…of West Jersey in America,” printed in 1697
and valued at $12,000.
The
documents were originally from the collection of Robert Barclay,
New Jersey’s first royal governor from 1682-88, according
to Chris Coover of Montclair, the Christie’s specialist in
charge of the auction. He said the manuscript and maps that interest
the state “are in impeccable condition. You do not find 17th
century maps of the colonies on the market.”
The
manuscript and maps are part of a collection of 415 colonial and
early American documents being sold by Jay T. Snider, a wealthy
businessman and former president of the Philadelphia Flyers. He
said the collection is valued at $5 million to $10 million. Collectors
from around the world have been alerted to the auction.
“There
is no question this is a rarity that one is unlikely to see again,”
Snider said yesterday. “The maps in particular will be hotly
contested. The map market is very hot. There are people who only
collect maps and you very rarely find 17th century American maps.”
Snider
wished New Jersey state government well in any effort to obtain
the documents, but said he would give the state no special deals.
“Frankly,”
he said, “private collectors do more to preserve manuscripts
than public institutions.”
© The Star-Ledger
|
N.J.
OFFICIALS EYE DOCUMENTS DETAILING STATE'S EARLY HISTORY
Saturday, 11 June 2005
TRENTON,
N.J.— Historians and state officials want to make sure a group
of documents that offers a unique glimpse into New Jersey’s
early Colonial history is housed in the state.
The
11 documents are part of a collection scheduled to be auctioned
at Christie’s in New York on June 21. Among them are the first
printed map of New Jersey, from 1677, and the first constitution
of East Jersey.
“These
documents are vital,” David A. Cowell, a retired Drew University
professor and president of the Advocates for New Jersey History,
told The Star-Ledger of Newark. “This gives a better history
of what was going on in the 17th century than anything we’ve
got.”
The
collection of 415 early American documents is owned by Jay T. Snider,
former president of the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team. They were
originally from the collection of Robert Barclay, chosen by New
Jersey’s proprietors to run the colony from 1682 to 1690.
Snider
said the entire collection is worth between $5 million and $10 million.
“The
maps in particular will be very hotly contested,” he said.
“The map market is very hot. There are people who only collect
maps and you very rarely find 17th century American maps.”
Whether
or not the state bids on the artifacts will depend on how much money
it can raise. Karl J. Niederer, director of the Division of Archives
and Records Management, said it would take $375,000 to bid in the
11 items.
The
money could come from a $39 million public preservation fund that
is controlled by the state Treasury Department. Through spokespeople,
acting Gov. Richard J. Codey and Secretary of State Regena Thomas
said a decision will be made next week on how money would be raised
for a potential bid.
In
addition to the first map and constitution of New Jersey, other
documents include:
- A
1683 map of what later became Perth Amboy, at the time known as
“Amboy Point,” that is believed to be the first map
of an American town. It is valued at $20,000.
- Minutes
of 41 meetings in London that include early charters and grants
from Sir George Carteret, Duke of York. These are expected to fetch
$100,000 to $150,000.
- Maps
of “East Jersey,” the northern half of the state and
New York Harbor, Staten Island and northeast New Jersey. Along with
the first printed map from 1677, they are valued at $145,000.
Information
from: The Star-Ledger, http://www.nj.com/starledger
© Newsday Inc.
|
STATE
ACQUIRES DOCUMENTS DETAILING ITS EARLY HISTORY
TRENTON, N.J.
— New Jersey is buying back a bit of its past.
The state paid almost 550-thousand today for eleven rare documents
from New Jersey's Colonial past.
The documents
were auctioned at Christie's in New York.
Some of the
documents the state purchased include the first printed map of New
Jersey from 1677 and the first constitution of East Jersey.
The documents
will be preserved at the New Jersey State Archives and the public
will be allowed to use them for research or see them in exhibits.
© The Associated
Press, WNEP-TV 16
|
SNIDER
SALE OF IMPORTANT AMERICANA MEETS HIGH EXPECTATIONS
by Bruce McKinney
Perhaps
what will be best remembered from this sale are the 11 lots that
Joe Felcone purchased on behalf of the New Jersey State Archives
for $656,760 including premium. Six of these items were purchased
in 1996 as one lot: a manuscript minute book of the Lord Proprietors
of East Jersey, 1664-1683 with a group of hand drawn maps, reputedly
purchased by Donald Heald in London for 45,000 pounds. Mr. Snider
purchased it in 1998 and later removed the maps and offered the
book and maps in this sale individually. The New Jersey State Archives
aggressively pursued each related lot, won them all and now has
every piece and the option to reassemble them. In this sale the
book and 5 map lots brought $493,200 including vigorish. These fragile,
rare and exceptionally important items will now permanently reside
in the state whose motto is "liberty and prosperity."
©Americana
Exchange
|
WHAT
MEMBERS OF THE HISTORY COMMUNITY ARE SAYING...
Congratulations
on this historic acquisition and thanks for the kind words. Richard
P. McCormick (the elder) is quite anxious to see the proprietor’s
minutes and happy that they’ll be available soon.
Ronald L. Becker
Rutgers Special Collections and University Archives
I just
wanted to add my voice to the congratulations and celebration of
our victory in the State obtaining the material at the Christie’s
auction!
On a personal
note, I would like to thank Senator Bob Smith for acting on my email
and to Acting Governor Codey for his support in making it happen.
There was a message from him on my answering machine when I came
home today which I appreciated.
Maybe there
can be a special exhibition of these materials in Trenton? I know
that I would love to see them and I’m sure everyone else on
here would as well!
Gordon Bond
Piscataway, NJ
Our congratulations
for your diligence and skill that resulted in all the those valuable
items of New Jersey being part of our State's archives.
Future generations
will thank you for your foresight in securing them at auction. it
was certainly money well spent!
Gerald J. Caprio
Verona History Society
Congratulations
for a job well done.
It is time to
express our sincerest thanks to all the assemblymen and senators,
the Secretary of State and the Governor for their decisive action
on behalf of the community. Let them know we care, we appreciate
and we remember them.
David Cowell
Advocates for New Jersey History
[Kudos
on] securing the precious lot of New Jersey-related documents at
the recent Christie's Auction for the State Archives. This calls
for much rejoicing! Congratulations also go to the State of New
Jersey for their vision in seeing the historical value of these
materials.
Alan Delozier
Seton Hall University
Congratulations
on buying the documents at auction! I am so pleased that these important
items are now owned by the State and will be available to the public
for research. Reading the newspapers, I was worried that the State
would not be able to purchase [them]. Great leadership for making
this happen. A great group of items that are now where they belong.
I worked at
the N.J. State Library in the eighties and just wanted to congratulate
[the Archives] and the State.
Robert Drescher
Lambertville, NJ
Coverage
of the Snider sale is beginning to appear in the journals of the
rare books world, and I'm happy to report that comments on the State
Archives' acquisition of the New Jersey material have been universally
favorable. Interestingly, so far they all emphasize the fact that
Christie's offered the minute book and the five individual maps
as six separate lots, thereby creating the potential to separate
forever a unique historical record that had remained intact for
over 300 years. This of course is a major reason we were determined
to get everything.
Joseph J. Felcone
Princeton, NJ
(Note: Mr. Felcone acted as agent for the State of New Jersey at
the Christie's auction.)
Congratulations
on the auction purchases!
Rodney P. Frelinghuysen
Eleventh District, New Jersey
House of Representatives
Washington, DC
Congratulations
to Governor Codey, the legislature, Karl Niederer, and all concerned
for the successful acquisition of some of NJ’s founding documents.
Constance Greiff
Princeton, NJ
What great
news that the state has stepped up and purchased eleven documents
on New Jersey’s colonial history at auction. It reassures
the commitment that history IS important.
Jack Harpster
Las Vegas, NV
"I've
been following this closely, and it's great to see that the key
items will be in good hands. Congrats!"
Patricia Law
Hatcher
American Society of Genealogists
Way to
go, Governor Codey and historians!
Kathy Heim
Point Pleasant Historical Society
Congratulations
on all those winning bids for the documents at Christies yesterday!
WOW! What an
accomplishment.
I know it is
a lot for this state’s budget at the moment, but these are
things that will benefit scholars and future generations! A wonderful
investment in the future. I am sure all this PR has put the State
Archives on the map and you will have many more public visitors.
That is a good thing too!
Interesting
many of my so-called “non-history” friends are excited,
too. Several people called me yesterday to express excitement. I
hope the Colonial Dames can come to see all these . . . when they
are put on display. Please keep me posted!
I think you
should go on a speaking tour to tell the folks far away from Trenton
how their tax-payer dollars were spent.
Well done!
Betsy Holdsworth
Harding Township, NJ
Great news
about your coup of the Snider collection! I can only imagine what
you had to go through to pull this off.
It’s a
great victory and sets a good precedent for the future.
Many thanks
for all your efforts. I look forward to working with the collection.
John W. Konvalinka
Genealogical Society of New Jersey
I saw the
small article in the Trenton Times this morning about the State
Archives’ success at the Christie’s auction. You are
to be commended for being able to find the resources and convince
the state government to invest in New Jersey’s history. I
am very pleased for you and my state, and I hope you will enjoy
the satisfaction of a job truly well-done.
Daniel J. Linke
Princeton University
A North
Jersey friend just sent me the article from The Star-Ledger of June
22 about [the State Archives] big coup. Congratulations on getting
the state to cough up money for history; that's amazing! Must have
been fun to sit with the big boys and bid real money at Christie's.
Robert Lupp
Tucson, Arizona
These are
important documents that now will be available for use by scholars
. . . .
Maxine N. Lurie
History Department
Seton Hall University
Please
accept my congratulations on the successful bids for the New Jersey
documents auctioned by Christie’s. How exciting to have these
important records of our history returning to our state. I look
forward to seeing them if they are placed on exhibition. Thank you
for your contributions to preserving our heritage.
Ann Maher
Long Branch, NJ
I congratulate
[the State Archives] on arranging the acquisition of the outstanding
collection of maps and documents. Frankly, I was astonished that
state money was available for the purchase. Whoever enlisted Gov[ernor]
Codey in the project deserves our gratitude.
I am especially
interested in the minutes of the meetings of the East Jersey Proprietors
in England. We have always known of the existence of the group,
but now we may learn about their precise activities. Obviously,
this "new" material ties in with your recent acquisition
of the East Jersey Board's papers.
Richard P. McCormick
Bridgewater
Job well
done. Glad you succeeded in the purchase of historical documents
for the state of New Jersey. They give further proof of the importance
of our state in the history of the United States of America.
Ann Marie Miller
ArtPride New Jersey
As a resident
of a state blessed with more history than any other, I believe it
is most appropriate that all 11 of the rare and important 17th-
and 18th-century New Jersey documents, maps and books sold at Christies
this past week will now be owned by the state and housed in the
State Archives in Trenton. Aptly describing the material as "the
Dead Sea Scrolls of the settlement of New Jersey," Karl Niederer,
director of the State Archives, deserves our thanks for his perserverance
in acquiring the documents. And we also should be grateful to acting
Gov. Richard Cody for authorizing the financial support for the
purchase from a public records preservation fund.
Now researchers
and members of the public will be able to see and examine documents
that have been in private hands until this time. Charters, grants
and other detailed materials related to the settlement of our major
cities will now be available for scholars and the public. This is
truly a time to celebrate New Jersey history!
Barbara Mitnick
Morristown, NJ
As seen in the
Star-Ledger on June 26, 2005
Congratulations
to Karl and everyone involved!
Bonnie-Lynn
Nadzeika
Morris County Historical Society
Congratulations
on this fabulous acquisition. Congratulations, too, on getting the
state to provide you with the resources to be able to compete and
succeed at the auction. My hat is off to you.
Sharon Naeole
New Jersey Heritage Press
Congratulations
and sincere thanks to . . . the Star-Ledger and every one who had
a hand in swinging this transaction. Generations of New Jerseyans
will be appreciative even if they don’t know who had to do
what to get them. Must have been a tense time.
Huzzah!
Rich Patterson
Old Barracks Museum
Congratulations
on your winning bids of the 17th and 18th century documents. As
a representative of the Potter families who helped settled Elizabeth,
Newark, Woodbridge, and Piscataway in the 17th century, I am thrilled
at the possibility of obtaining new information on my ancestors.
These documents will surely add invaluable information to what I
believe is an outstanding genealogy department. I and many Potter,
researchers cannot wait to view this information on-line or have
access to it in a manner prescribed by the archives.
Ronald B. Potter
Hillsborough, NJ
Congratulations!
It is a truly worthy way to spend public money. Thanks for all the
effort and determination that went into getting those documents
where they really belong.
Mary Prendergast
Harding Township, NJ
I just
wanted to . . . congratulate [the State Archives]. I was so excited
to see that you were successful at the Christie's auction, and [the
Archives] were able to get those documents, and at such a good price!
I'm very excited! I'm thrilled, thrilled, thrilled, and I know you
must be, too. So again, congratulations. It is indeed a great day
for New Jersey.
Julie Ellen
Prusinowski
New Jersey State Council on the Arts
I was delighted
to learn that New Jersey was the successful bidder on the historic
documents auctioned at Christie’s this week. Thank you and
all your colleagues in the legislature and state government for
making this happen!
As a New Jersey
historian, I look forward to getting a closer look at these documents
and thinking about what they tell us about our state’s origins.
It is wonderful to be a citizen of a state that takes its history
seriously!
With continuing
thanks,
Karen Reeds
Curator, “A State of Health: New Jersey’s Medical Heritage
"All
of your hard work has certainly paid off. Congratulations for a
job well done."
Joseph F. Seliga
Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War
This morning’s
news was just what we hoped it would be. Congratulations! A wonderful
victory for N.J. history.
Stephanie Stevens
Readington Township, NJ
Congrats
to the proud new owner! There is no better place for these docs
to be. When can we come get a look?
Tim Stollery
New Jersey Network
My heart
felt congratulations to [the] N.J. Division of Archives and Records
Management for your outstanding leadership and role in convincing
state leaders to put up the money for the acquisition of those invaluable
N.J. historical documents up for auction at Christie’s!
Ethel Washington
Union County Cultural and Heritage Commission
I just
finished reading the story in the Philadelphia Inquirer about .
. . [the State Archives'] wonderful acquisition, and it just made
me feel so good and so proud, and I wanted to thank you, because
what you have done will be important to the state and its people
for a long time to come. And I hope you can promote it, and get
a lot of people to be as appreciative and as enthusiastic as I am
about the acquisition. Thanks a lot!
Shirley Wenzel
Pennington, NJ
I tried
to imagine the privilege of access to those pamphlets, maps, and
records, much less ownership, and mourned their dispersal to the
highest bidders and subsequent re-immersion into private collections.
How nice to hear of a real-life happy ending. Congratulations to
the State of New Jersey on your acquisitions. Well done. This timely
response from state officials should help counter “the disdain
with which New Jersey is viewed in much of the rest of the world”
(editorial, Home News Tribune, East Brunswick).
As an ex-pat[riot],
I’ve long cited the “Garden State” label and asserted
its validity, even while driving past Newark’s smoldering
garbage dumps in the sixties. It may be just my perspective, but
from Texas, New Jersey looks great.
M. C. Cheston
Wilheit
College Station, Texas
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