Category: Exploring Historic Hudson River Valley

Hopewell Depot Museum 36 Railroad Avenue Hopewell Junction, NY 12533

Hopewell Depot Museum 36 Railroad Avenue Hopewell Junction, NY 12533

Hopewell Depot Museum

36 Railroad Avenue

Hopewell Junction, NY 12533

(845) 226-7003

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Open: Please check website for hours (right now every Saturday 10:00am-2:00pm)

Admission: Free but donations are accepted

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g47922-d13000900-Reviews-Hopewell_Depot-Hopewell_Junction_New_York.html

The Hopewell Depot at 36 Railroad Avenue

The Hopewell Depot and grounds

I visited the Hopewell Depot one weekend and found it to be a very interesting look at the rail service during its development in the Hudson River Valley. The rail service changed the way business was done in the valley for farmers and opened the whole area up for development.

The rival commuter lines than merged together to make a better lines of transportation and bring people not just through the area but to help build the communities and their businesses that they are today. Each section of this small museum tells the story of that development.

The front gallery of the museum

The potbelly stove that warmed riders before their rides.

The community gallery

The front section of the museum which houses the gift shop and welcome area once served as the waiting room for the train station. This had been a smaller line once serving between Poughkeepsie and Connecticut and then later on to the rest of New York State and as a line to transport agricultural products between the Valley and the growing market in New York City.

The tops of telephone poles

The middle section of the museum houses the Train Manager’s office and an office for communication to outside communities. Here the train depot manager would run the day in day out services of the trains and their functions with the bigger lines and the Western Union communications area would service the community with messages and services to the outside.

The Train Station Manager’s office

The Western Union/Communications office

The back section is where you could buy your tickets and converse with other people taking the railroad. Here are displays on the railroad lines, the products that were serviced through the rails like the big Borden Foods display, whose factory was located right next to the train station and had serviced all the dairy farmers in the community bringing fresh milk to New York City and beyond.

The back gallery of the museum

The back gallery

The Train Lamp display

The Borden Milk display in honor of the dairy industry locally owned Borden plant.

The museum also has displays on the workings of the railroads and how they functioned, how the community was formed and grew around the railroads and all sorts of equipment and items that made the operation work. The museum volunteers have done an excellent job telling the story of how Hopewell Junction and the surrounding towns developed and grew.

The Community Development display

The “Working” display of the growth of trains

Outside the building, the museum volunteers are working on renovating a donated caboose that was once used on another line. Here I saw the Train conductors operation area, the sleeping quarters and a small kitchen. I thought that was fascinating because I never knew what this car contained and never knew it was living quarters for the conductor. I can see the potential of kids wanted to climb all over this and want to know what life was like on the trains.

The Caboose on the back of the property

The inside sleeping quarters of the caboose

The overall sleeping area

The kitchen area

History of the Hopewell Depot:

The Hopewell Depot was built in 1873 by a Millbrook-led rail investment group that changed names several times between 1869 and 1873. Originally, the Dutchess & Columbia RR established a north-south short-haul coal route to Connecticut also serving the communities in the center of the country. The Hopewell community grew up around the Depot.

The grounds of the museum

In 1888, after Poughkeepsie’s great railroad bridge (now the “Walkway Over the Hudson) was built, the Dutchess County RR pushed southeastward and arrived in Hopewell Junction in 1892, creating a 4 way hub. In the next decade, the lines through Hopewell became part of the Central New England Railway system. In 1927, they came under full control of the New Haven RR until it failed in 1968. The Poughkeepsie RR Bridge burned in 1974 and the local rail service ended here in 1982.

The Hopewell Depot Mission:

Privately owned and operated since 1996, Hopewell Depot has progressed entirely through the work of volunteers from all walks of life.

The old baggage cart

The Visitor Center offers a variety of information on the local area and items for sale. The interior museum rooms present a host of interactive displays and artifacts about the region and the great era of railroads in general. The grounds contain the Interlocking Signal Tower with a special exhibit loft and public restrooms and the Rudberg Pavilion is open to visitor as a rest area.

Hopewell Depot Museum is on the National Register of Historic Places and is a fully chartered NYS museum. Its mission is to present the complex as a historical and educational experience for the regional community and provide an informative, recreational venue the public can enjoy with pride.

The Depot in the summer months.

The tiny caboose

Getting to know the museum on YouTube

The Reher Center 99-101 Broadway Kingston, NY 12401

The Reher Center 99-101 Broadway Kingston, NY 12401

The Reher Center

99-101 Broadway

Kingston, NY 12401

(845) 481-3738

Reher Center for Immigrant Culture and History | Kingston NY | Ulster County

Open: Sunday 1:00pm-6:00pm/Monday-Thursday Closed/Friday-Saturday 1:00pm-6:00pm

Admission:

$12.50 Seniors/Students/Children/$17.50 for Adults and Combination tickets

The History of the Reher Center:

(From the museum website)

I recently went to the Roundout section of Kingston to tour the Reher Center and what an interesting tour not just of the exhibit, I recently went to the Roundout section of Kingston to tour the Reher Center and what an interesting tour not just of the exhibit, “Taking Root: Immigrant stories of the Hudson River Valley” but also the historic baking tour. The tour guides really explained how the Reher Bakery, which closed its doors in 1980 was not just a bakery. It was a staple in the community where people got to together not just over bread but community affairs and interaction with other immigrant groups of people.

‘Taking Root: Immigrant stories from the Hudson River Valley’

Our first part of the tour started in the bakery on the first floor of the museum. when Hymie Reher closed the doors of the bakery for good in 1980, he shut the door and created a time capsule that would become the museum. It seemed that the family did not want another business in the space so it just stayed empty all those years. This led to the creation of the museum dedicated to a family whose roots were in Kingston for several generations (it seemed that family members still lived upstairs until the early 2000’s).

The start of the Bakery tour

The tour starts in the front of the bakery where the family would have standing orders ready for customers and this is where the community would come together. Over their orders. Some of the shelves are still stocked with supplies that would have been on the shelves in the 1950’s. The tour guide said that it was not just a bakery but a small grocer as well.

The Grocery display

The Grocery display

The bakery display section

The tour continued in the bakery section where the oven was located and where all the magic took place to produce all the breads, rolls and challah was made. The oven, which is still functional today but can not be used, takes up most of the room. It was a coal and wood burning oven that was used from the turn of the last century until the bakery closed in 1980. The oven was impressive not just for the amount of bread items that needed to be produced each week but the fact that people would come with their food for the sader to cook in the cooling oven.

The oven in the kitchen where the breads and rolls were made

On the other side of the kitchen is the flour bins and the dough mixer where the dough was produced and all the product was portion sized. The storage areas where supplies came in and were held each week to produce what needed to be made for the customers were off to the side. On the tour, you will hear talks from former employees and customers about what life was like in the bakery.

The shared oven where meals were cooked in the cooling oven

The tour would end with a few more conversations with former customers and a quick wrap up in the grocery area. Then each of us got a fresh roll in a bag that was baked by a restaurant in the neighborhood. That was really good. The roll was chewy on the outside and soft on the inside.

The dough mixing machine is to the right and the supply area to the left.

The dough machine

The kitchen storage area

Baking sheets from years and years of making rolls

The last part of the tour was in the new upstairs gallery where the “Taking Root: Immigrant stories of the Hudson River Valley” is on view. This is where immigrants from the United States from the World Wars until today tell their stories in video recording and you can hear how they came to this country. Their lives before they arrived and after they settled in the region. Some of the stories I heard were fascinating.

The timeline of the stories told

The pictures of the immigrant stories told

Pictures and stories from the exhibition

Brief History of the Reher Center:

2002-2007: The idea for the Reher Center was hatched in 2002 when Geoffrey Miller peered into the window of 101 Broadway and observed a time capsule: the space was left untouched since Hymie Reher closed his family’s bakery in the early 1980’s. Geoff describes it as “Falling down a rabbit hole,” as he envisioned preserving and opening the site as a museum. Through a conversation with his friend, Barbara Blas in 2004. Geoff learned that the Rehers and the Blases were long time members of Kingston’s Orthodox synagogue. Agudas Achim and old family friends. Hymie was pleased with Geoff’s vision (Barbara remembers him singing “Happy Days are Here”) and arranged to deed the Reher’s property at 99-101 Broadway to the Jewish Federation of Ulster County.

The front of the bakery

A core committee quickly formed to develop plans to preserve the buildings and expand on Geoff’s initial vision for the site as a museum and cultural center that would honor the Reher family’s legacy and the broader immigrant history of Rondout neighborhood. Its tagline became “Building community by celebrating multiculturalism and our immigrant past.”

2008-2016: Geoff led the all-volunteer Reher Center Committee to restore the storefront and raise $750,000 in funding to stabilize the property under the guidance of preservation architect Marilyn Kaplan. Working with a variety of local organizations and partners, the Reher Center also spearheaded a series of popular programs including an annual Kingston Multicultural Festival, Deli Dinner and Immigrant Gifts to America series.

2016-2018: The Reher Center Committee expanded its Steering Committee and hired its first professional staff to leverage a range of new expertise and develop an interpretive plan for the site. In 2017, Sarah Litvin, Interpretive Planner, and Samantha Gomez-Ferrer, archivist, were hired to inventory, catalog, preserve, research, and digitize the Reher Center’s collection and expand it through conducting oral histories.

The outside displays of the Reher Center

In 2018, thanks to a generous matching donation from the Norman I. Krug family and our committed funders, the Reher Center was able to hire our first Director, Sarah Litvin, to open the site for public programming during summer, 2018. From May to August, the Reher Center was abuzz of activity as we created a new window display featuring historic photos from our collection; created a gallery and mounted our first exhibit, “The Story Continues” and shared the site and our vision for its future on Preview Tours of our historic bakery. Our July 7th “Open House” marked the first time the Reher Center was open for regular on-site programs.

The “Big Night” event in 2025:

In February 2025, I was invited to a very successful special event sponsored by both the Kingston Film Foundation and the Reher Center, a screening of the film, ‘Big Night’ and a sampling of Italian food. Needless to say the event far exceeded what the planners thought and they were completely full and sold out by 6:00pm. The organizer said they were turning people away. They had never seen anything like this. When you mix free Italian food, free wine and an excellent movie, you have a recipe for an excellent event. It was so much fun.

The organizer from the Kingston Film Foundation was explaining the success of the evening to the crowd

The event was funded by the Ulster County Italian American Foundation

I am convinced that it was the food that brought the people in coupled with a very popular film. The caterer who was there that night from Mass Midtown made two versions of the Tripoli, the noodle and meat dish in the film. Trust me when I say, the lines never stopped for that.

The two versions of the Timpano, the Vegetarian and the Meat versions, which were delicious was donated by Masa Midtown in Kingston, NY and the wines were donated by Kingston Wine Company.

Masa Midtown

https://www.masamidtown.com/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Profile/R4960NKjustinw/mediabatch/13365543?m=19905

Trust me they were very generous with the slices of Timpano

God, it was delicious

The screening room was beyond packed that evening. Put free Italian food and a popular film in front of people and you will get a crowd

This very popular event people in the area will be talking about for a long time. This is what gets you a lot of attention. It really was an excellent event and I had a lot of fun that night. I love the movie ‘Big Night’.

The Timpano in the “Big Night”

The Trailer for the “Big Night”:

The evening was night of good food, wonderful conversation and an excellent movie.

FASNY Museum of Firefighting 117 Harry Howard Avenue Hudson, NY 12534

FASNY Museum of Firefighting 117 Harry Howard Avenue Hudson, NY 12534

FASNY Museum of Firefighting

117 Harry Howard Avenue

Hudson, NY 12534

(518) 822-1875/1-877-347-3687

FASNY Museum of Firefighting
Admission: Adults (18 and above) $12.00/Children under 18 $8.00/FASNY Members Free

Open: Sunday 10:00am-4:30pm/Monday & Tuesday Closed/Wednesday-Saturday 10:00am-4:30pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g47931-d263732-Reviews-FASNY_Museum_of_Firefighting-Hudson_New_York.html

The FASNY Museum of Firefighting at 117 Harry Howard Avenue

The FASNY Museum of Fire Fighting is America’s interactive museum of firefighting. It is also the home of the premiere collection of American firefighting objects in the world.

When I visited the museum recently, I found that the museum is not just a treasure trove of information and artifacts but an extensive study on modern firefighting from its creation in the time of the Romans and Greeks, the beginnings of the fire service in America lead by people like Peter Stuyvesant and Benjamin Franklin. These men brought their ideas and innovations by working alongside people doing the work and the modernization of equipment that makes the modern firefighter both safer and smarter.

The progression of the equipment and the way it is used has not changed much but the way we use it, and its design has changed from the days of the bucket brigades to the horse drawn carriages to the modern automobile. The job has not changed as we put the fire out and try to save lives and property.

There is so much to see and do at the museum and for a firefighter, a very humbling experience in that we continue to learn on the job and learn the changes in the fire service around us. This is one of the most extensive museums of firefighting that I have ever seen. The exhibitions are very detailed and easy to follow with lots of interesting artifacts. It is a perfect place for a family to visit.

A ladder truck from the early 20th Century

Ladder Truck from Rye, NY that was part of the Bush family history.

The massive museum has over 60 fire engines on exhibit, as well as numerous examples of firefighting gear, equipment and art depicting the heroic history of firefighting in America.

Early 20th Century Steam Engine

The main equipment room with all sorts of trucks and engines spanning over 100 years

Activities for families include the popular bucket brigade activity, the amazing Jr. Firefighter Challenge course, the incredible first responder virtual ride to the fire experience and the Cabot/McCadam Fire Safety Discovery Room (FASNY Website).

Turn of the Century Bucket Truck

Whether you are a family, a firefighter, an apparatus buff or a student of history, you will be amazed at the depth and variety of the Museum’s vast collection.

Turn of the Century hose beds.

An early steam engine

The 9/11 Exhibit: Remembering the 20th Anniversary:

In partnership with the New York State Museum in Albany, the FASNY Museum of Firefighting is honored to present the exhibit: Touchstone: Remembering the 20th Anniversary of 9-11. The majority of the objects in this exhibit are on loan from the NY State Museum. They were found during the recovery efforts that took place at Fresh Kills Landfill on Staten Island, when hundreds of NYPD and FBI forensic experts sifted through the debris from the World Trade Center tragedy site, between September 2001 and July 2002 (FASNY website).

The 20th Anniversary of 9/11 on September 11th, 2021

We encourage visitors to compare how they feel today, 20 years after this touchstone moment in our nation’s history, to how they felt on September 11, 2001. We also invite the visitor to remember that not every action taken after 9-11 was heroic.

After 9-11, there were many cases of violence against those who were, or who were perceived to be, Muslims, Sikhs or persons of Arab or South-Asian descent. Through an interactive, we ask visitors to consider this racism and why it occurred (FASNY Museum Website).

The 20th Anniversary of 9/11 on September 11th, 2021

The 9/11 Exhibit will be very emotional for any firefighter and their family whether they experienced it or not. It could be the twist equipment, the pictures depicting that morning and the rescue plans and the artifacts that were used during that time, take your time to really study and appreciate the heroism of that morning.

Then, Now & Always: Firefighting from the Cradle of Rome Through the 1900s

Trace the evolution and development of firefighting from its ancient origins to the modern era of mechanization.

The Dutch Bucket Brigade system of early America

This informative and fascinating exhibit uses objects in the Museum’s collection as historical touchstones. Complemented by interpretive graphic panels and object cards, the exhibit chronicles the progression of organized firefighting and its social and technological implications. Here, you will discover some of the oldest and rarest objects in the Museum’s collection. Adjacent to the exhibit cases are the Museum’s earliest examples of fire apparatus dating as far back as 1731 (FASNY website).

The change of equipment in the early 1900’s to the modern era

Before radio communication became available, we sounded the trumpets.

The museum showed the progression of firefighting and how many aspects of it have changed over the years and how it modernized old ideas. The concept of ‘putting water on the fire’ has progressed in knowing why we should do it, when we should do it and what the effects of it will be when we do it. The equipment being used was the latest technology of the that time.

Forged by Fire: The Life and Legacy of Harry Howard

Who was Harry Howard and why do we consider him the GOAT? This exhibit explores Chief Howard’s life and many accomplishments and explains why we are still talking about him today, 200 years after his birth! (FASNY website).

The “Forged by Fire” exhibition on Harry Howard

Harry Howard was one of the most celebrated firemen of the 19th century.  He rose from very humble beginnings to Chief Engineer of the Volunteer Fire Department.  His association with the fire department began while a young teen, as a runner for the Peterson Engine Company No.15, located on Christie Street.  In 1841 he became a full-fledged member of the company. Later, in 1850, Howard joined Atlantic Hose 14.  The following year he was elected Assistant Engineer.  He reached the top in 1857 serving as Chief Engineer for three years, with a salary of five thousand dollars a year.  Chief Engineer was the highest rank in the NYC’s Volunteer Department in 1857 with many of the same duties as today’s Fire Commissioner.  The Chief and his 18 assistants were elected by ballet by the members of the department (NYFD.com website). 

At the time of Howard’s leadership this comprised of about 4000 men.  One of his major acts as Chief was to establish bunk rooms in all the firehouses in the city.  Chief engineer Harry Howard suffered an attack of paralysis on a way to a fire in July 1857.  The attack left him permanently disabled and somewhat embittered.  It was officially deemed the consequence of severe fire duty.  After his retirement from the Volunteer Fire Department, he held an office in the Department of Public Works (NYFD.com website).

I cannot begin to explain how innovative Chief Engineer Howard was in the fire service. Bringing about many safety measures, analyzing the fire service the way he did and work to better the lives of firefighters not just in New York but set a standard in the industry. He brought his experience that he learned on the job and worked to better it so that other firefighters could learn to be better at their jobs.

Ready, Willing & Able: FASNY’s First 150 Years

Did you know that over 90% of all firefighters in New York State are VOLUNTEERS! Did you know that FASNY (the Firefighters Association of New York State) has been the leading voice for volunteer firefighters for over 150 years? Discover more facts about FASNY and the brave firefighters who protect our communities in this fascinating exhibit (FASNY website).

Firefighting in the modern age

The Firefighting Patch Wall display

The experience of exploring this museum is a must for any firefighter or firefighting family.

The Donald & Barbara Tober Exhibit Room/Conrad N. Hilton Library-The Culinary Institute of America Campus 1946 Campus Drive Hyde Park, NY 12538

The Donald & Barbara Tober Exhibit Room/Conrad N. Hilton Library-The Culinary Institute of America Campus 1946 Campus Drive Hyde Park, NY 12538

The Donald & Barbara Tober Exhibition Room/Conrad N. Hilton Library-The Culinary Institute of America Campus

1946 Campus Drive

Hyde Park, NY 12538

(845) 452-9600

https://library.culinary.edu/ciaexhibits

Open: When the library is open. Please check the website.

Admission: Free

The Donald & Barbara Tober Exhibit Room plaque inside the Conrad N. Hilton Library hallway

The Donald and Barbara Tober Exhibit Room is on the main floor of the Conrad N. Hilton Library. The exhibit room is open to the CIA community and to the public. The exhibition room has ongoing displays of culinary themed exhibits that cover topics involving the culinary world and food service. This is run by both the college and by students. It is not quite a museum but more of a display room of artifacts that are held by the Conrad N. Hilton Library and its archives.

The Hallway exhibition

The Hallway exhibition

The two display cases are in the main entrance of the Conrad N. Hilton Library and hold more of the exhibition. These are displays of industry pamphlets and flyers plus menus and equipment.

The library exhibition of China pieces

The Menu Collection:

The Tober Room Exhibition space

The CIA’s menu collection began in the small library at the New Haven campus and was used as a reference tool by the culinary students.  By 1978, then in Hyde Park, the library had amassed a file of over 3,000 menus which were openly available to students and used regularly in their studies.  These menus still remain in the collection and are known as the “Original CIA Menu Collection.” They provided the foundation for the growing menu collection that was later added to by many prominent menu collectors and friends of the CIA.

Seth Bradford and Edward S. Dewey Menu Collection

Roland Chenus Menu Collection

Craig Claiborne Menu Collection

Roy Andries de Groot Menu Collection

This collection of nearly 800 menus, acquired by the CIA in 1984, were collected by the culinary writer and critic, Baron Roy Andries de Groot (1910-1983), during the course of editing his column, “A Moveable Feast,” for Esquire Magazine. The menus date primarily from the 1960s and 1970s and are from major U.S. cities (many from New York City), as well as Canada, France, Belgium, Spain, Puerto Rico, Hong Kong, and Thailand. Some menus include supplemental materials, as well as annotations by de Groot or his staff noting the date of visit, names of other guests, the chef’s name, and his evaluations and/or ratings.

Herbert Ernest Menu Collection

In 1987, Herbert Ernest donated to the CIA over 300 menus collected by his father, Semy Ernest. The menus date from 1889-1977 and include menus from restaurants and clubs in New York City, Boston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, and San Francisco; international menus from France and Germany; and several menus from on board the Santa Magdalena ocean liner. This collection is rich in pre-1920 menus.

Greenebaum Menu Collection

The Greenebaum Menu Collection was donated to the CIA by Henry Greenebaum in 1989.  Greenebaum’s father, Michael H. Greenebaum, started the collection and it was continued by his two sons, Henry and Richard. It includes menus from 1905-1988, many international and many from railroads and ships.  Several menus are signed by the chef or proprietor.

Auguste Guyet Menu Collection

Donated to the CIA in 1989, this personal menu collection from Chef Auguste Guyet includes over 200 menus, mostly from France. The earliest are a Restaurant Julien special event menu and a Waldorf-Astoria wine list for the 27th annual banquet of the Hotel Association of New York City, both from 1906.

Bruce P. Jeffer Menu Collection

Bruce P. Jeffer donated his collection of 2,500 menus to the CIA in 2013. Jeffer, a California lawyer and wine connoisseur, began collecting menus during his travels as a child. The menus date from 1950s-1990s. Much of the collection is international menus from over 70 countries on 6 continents. A selection of these were featured in an exhibit in the Conrad N. Hilton Library in August 2013.

George Lang Menu Collection

George Lang, restaurateur and author, donated his personal collection of over 3,000 menus to the CIA in 1989. Many of these menus are international, including often under-represented countries such as Australia, Cuba, Hong Kong, Hungary and the Philippines. Although most menus date from 1950s-1970s, the earliest two menus are from Hotel Knickerbocker in New York City, 1907.

Vinnie Oakes Menu Collection

In 2000, Vinne Oakes donated his collection of over 200 menus to the CIA. The collection is strong in menus from restaurants in Nevada, as well as ship menus from the 1960s.

John Edward Oxley Menu Collection

Chapman S. Root Menu Collection

The Chapman S. Root Menu Collection of nearly 10,000 menus was donated by The Root Company in 2000. The largest collection recieved so far, it includes menus from almost every state (strongest in California, Florida and Nevada), and several foreign countries. The bulk of the menus date from 1960s-1980s, although the earliest are from 1878. Over 3,000 U.S. Railroad menus are an important highlight of the collection.

Chapman S. Root’s grandfather, Chapman J. Root, designed the classic green, ridged Coca-Cola bottle in 1915. At his grandfather’s death in 1945, Chapman S. Root inherited Associated Coca-Cola Bottling Plants, Inc. He traveled a great deal, mostly by car or train, and amassed an enormous menu collection. Friends, knowing of his interest, also contributed to his collection.

Jacob Rosenthal Menu Collection

Jacob Rosenthal, former president of the Culinary Institute of America, donated nearly 500 menus to the CIA menu collection. The bulk of these menus are from food and wine societies in the 1960s-1970s, including Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, Confrerie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs, and the International Food & Wine Society.  Also of note are several international menus from the 1930s-1950s.

Smiley Family Menu Collection

The Smiley Family Menu Collection was donated to the CIA in 1982 and 1993, a gift of Mohonk Mountain House. (The Smiley family are the founders and proprieters of the Mohonk Mountain House in upstate New York.) Three generations of Smileys traveled the world, by land and by sea, and collected menus along the way. This collection is rich in pre-1920 menus; menus from historically world-renowned resorts including Laurel-in-the-Pines (Lakewood, N.J.), Haverford Court (Pennsylvania) and Hotel Colonial and Royal Vicotoria Hotel (Nassau, Bahamas); beautifully-illustrated ship menus; and a selection of early menus from Mohonk Mountain House.

Lois Westfall Menu Collection

The display case in the main library showcases the collection of China and Silverware and decorative objects that are in the collection.

The Tober Room exhibition on “Fat” at the Conrad N. Hilton Library on the CIA campus

The exhibition that they were showing when I came up to visit was “Clarifying Butter: A Cultural History of Fat”. There were a lot of recipes, objects and equipment to make butter, understand the use of fats in cooking, recipes, menus and corporate information.

The description of the exhibition:

FAT. The very word, fat, conjures images of unctuous oils, crispy fried foods and flavorsome pools of golden richness (indeed, medieval European foods that were described as “rich” meant both fatty and foods of the privileged). Conversely, the idea of fat can also make people frown with scorn, concerned over blocked arteries or a perceived moral laxity of a diner.

Fat. as an substance found in animals and oil, as a plant based ingredient, appear across time and place and reveal cultural attitudes and historical changes. At a culinary school, we use fats and oils daily and as eaters, they literally become part of us. While ubiquitous they are never without deep meaning. This exhibit explores but some of the aspects of a food group that is simultaneously present and polarizing.

Both the two display cases and the middle display case were set with all sorts of information through the ages of the subject of fat, fried foods and items used to produce and make them.

The Display Cases in the Tober Room

The Display Cases in the Tober Room

The exhibitions here are very detailed and display over a hundred years of culinary arts research. The displays are revolving every quarter. The room is off to the right of the entrance to the library and is open for free to the public. It is a wonderful way to learn the aspects of food than in one of the best culinary libraries in the world.

A close up shot of the display case.