Fashion is not just the clothing shown on runways, featured in magazines, and worn by celebrities. How we dress ourselves every day can follow, or flout, the spoken and unspoken rules of society. Fashion is an important component in understanding how people express freedom and restraint, especially in cases of strict regulations and deliberate rebellions. If we look beyond the styles of mainstream America and towards alternative spiritual communities, both historically notable ones such as the Shakers and the Oneida Community, and more contemporary communities, a richer history of how clothing communicates cultural values emerge. This virtual program celebrates the opening of our new exhibition, "Redesigning Fashion: Transgression and Identity in Women's Historic Dress." To register, please visit www.schenectadyhistorical.org/programs. Sarah Byrd is a fashion historian, archivist, & educator. She received her BA from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and MA in Fashion and Textile Studies from the Fashion Institute of Technology. Sarah currently teaches at the Fashion Institute of Technology and New York University.

The word Muh-he-con-ni-tuk means ‘river that ebb and flow, constantly in motion.” Such could also be said about the Mohicans themselves, especially in the 1600s. In this multi-media presentation, Evan Pritchard will take us inside the “floating castles” of the three Mohican clan chiefs, Aepjin, Unawat, and Monnemin, of “Mohican Proper.” (Though these fortified cities or “castles” didn’t actually float in the air, they were so mobile that in today’s volunteering language, they might be called “floaters.”) We will explore their influence over the various “nine nations” of the Mohican confederacy, also rather mobile, each honoring three clans; bear, turtle and wolf. From there, we will follow archaeological footprints back to 900 CE, to the upper Delaware River valley, and then to the Schoharie Valley of 1300 CE to trace the eastward contraction of the Mohicans, and the origins of their wandering ways. Discussion to follow. Evan Pritchard is the founder and director of the Center for Algonquin Culture, and a former Professor of Native American history at Marist College. His published books include "Native New Yorkers," and "Henry Hudson and the Algonquins of New York: European Discovery, Native American Prophecy." Since 1990, his work helping Algonquin elders and bringing their message to the media has helped thousands of people gain a better understanding of this great civilization and its teachings. He lectures frequently around the United States, sharing storytelling, traditional and contemporary songs, and bi-lingual poetry.

Free, pre-registration required We'll hear from Drs. Strosberg about their new book, that chronicles the story of infectious diseases and their control in Schenectady, beginning when Schenectady was on America's early frontier. The lessons learned and applied became commonplace and were relevant to the general maturation and development of 'public health' - as measures to protect life, and eventually as a collection of critical disciplines largely responsible for dramatically raising average life expectancy. They began this treatise before the onset of Covid-19; and illustrate how we have had to learn some of the basic lessons of disease control all over again. Martin A. Strosberg, M.P.H., Ph.D., is Professor Emeritus at Union College and also at Clarkson University where he taught and published in the fields of healthcare policy and bioethics. He is the former director of the Union College and the Union Graduate College MBA Program in Healthcare Management. For many years he has chaired the Schenectady County Public Health Advisory Board. James M. Strosberg, M.D., practiced rheumatology at Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital for 34 years. He is a past Chief of Medicine at Ellis Hospital and past President of the Schenectady County Medical Society where he also served as its historian. He was Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine (Rheumatology) at Albany Medical College. He is a member of the Medical Reserve Corp of the Schenectady County Public Health Services.

May 29 at 11am @ Mabee Farm | $25 Spring has sprung! And that means lots of bird activity in our gardens. We will make and decorate our own birdhouses out of dried gourds grown at Mabee Farm. Pre-registration required at www.schenectadyhistorical.org/programs.