Tag: history

Day Three Hundred and Forty-Two Private Members Nights at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) May 27th, 2025

Day Three Hundred and Forty-Two Private Members Nights at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) May 27th, 2025

Day Three Hundred and Forty-Two Private Members Nights at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) May 27th, 2025

What also is difficult is when two major museums have their Members Night on the same night. I had to do a lot of coordinating to go to both museums. What made it work is that both museums closed at different times with The Met closing at 10:00pm. I timed it perfectly.

Members Night at the MoMA ‘Behind the Flowers’ for the Hilma af Klint exhibition

The theme that evening was based on the Hilma af Klint exhibition

https://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/5779

Going this evening took a lot of planning as I had to teach in the morning and cut the lawn on the afternoon. I was already exhausted by the time I left for the City at 4:00pm. Even on this gloomy afternoon, the weather held and it was a nice evening.

The area around the museum was in full bloom that early evening

The event opened early at the MoMA with their event from 6:00pm-9:00pm and the Met went from 7:00pm-10:00pm so I was able to enjoy both with a lot of walking in between. It was worth it as I was able to see several exhibitions on my bucket list before they closed. With work and finals, it had been tough to visit both of them.

People were enjoying conversation and cocktails when I arrived at the MoMA that evening.

I decided to start my evening at the Sculpture Garden on the first floor. The weather was cloudy but still it was a warm evening. People were conversing near the fountains and listening to music. The lines for the cash bar never let up and they were about thirty deep the whole time.

The Sculpture Garden at the MoMA

While I walked around the gardens and fountains I noticed a lot of the art that they were featuring was really unique, some of which I had not seen before.

The gardens with the poppies in bloom

This beautiful mosaic of a octopus did not have a name

This metal artwork was towards the back of the sculpture garden

The Met at night is quite dazzling

The entrance to The Met in the evening

Looking down Fifth Avenue at night

The entrance in the Rotunda was filled with fresh flowers and members chatting away. I even saw some of the members I had seen at the MoMA earlier.

The floral arrangements were spectacular

The beauty of the Rotunda in the evening

Maybe because these Members Nights were on a Tuesday evening, they both did not seem as crowded as they had been in the past. The museum was crowded but not as crowded as the past two Member’s Nights. I think that I arrived at 8:00pm most people were starting to leave. What was nice was that the MoMA night went until 9:00pm and The Met Night went until 10:00pm so it gave me the time to run through both museums.

I started my tour of The Met in the Greek Galleries looking at the Cycladic Art. I always loved the looks of these works.

https://www.metmuseum.org/departments/greek-and-roman-art

The entrance to the Cycladic Wing

The Cycladic Gallery in the Greek wing

Some of the interesting cases I admired that night

I then did a quick tour of the Roman Galleries which I had not toured in detail since the galleries opened years ago.

https://www.metmuseum.org/departments/greek-and-roman-art

Touring the Roman Galleries

Touring the Roman Gslleries

Touring the Roman Galleries

After the tour of the Roman Galleries, I headed to the Egyptian Galleries, I wanted to explore the galleries and get a drink at the Members Bar.

https://www.metmuseum.org/departments/egyptian-art

I love the Egyptian Galleries. I have been coming here since 1973 and have loved them ever since.

I love the ancient hieroglyphics

For the last two Members Nights, the Members Bar was in the Temple of Dendur. It is always so well lit and the music was wonderful. It is a nice way to end the evening.

The Temple of Dendur lit for the evening

The Temple of Dendur was the perfect place to relax and have a cocktail

The crowds were rather large at the bar that evening

The Passion fruit cocktail was the specialty drink of the evening

It was another wonderful evening at both museums.

Old Spring Valley Burial Ground Viola Way Paramus, NJ 07652

Old Spring Valley Burial Ground Viola Way Paramus, NJ 07652

Old Spring Valley Burial Ground

Viola Way

Paramus, NJ 07652

(201) 265-2100 (Borough of Paramus, NJ)

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=8345

https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/1608044/spring-valley-cemetery

https://www.interment.net/data/us/nj/bergen/springvalley/index.htm

Open: From Dawn until Dusk

Admission: Free; please do not walk on other people’s property

My review on TripAdvisor:

The historical marker that leads you to had path to the cemetery

History of the Cemetery:

(From the Historic Marker sign)

The historic cemetery directly in the rear of the Behnke farm contains the graves of descendants of early settlers in this area including a least two local farmer-militiamen of the American Revolution, Jacobus Brouwer and Henry Banta, as well as the grave of Cornelius Demarest, who served in the 22nd regiment of the Union Army during the Civil War (From Paramus Rotary sign).

The only way into this tiny cemetery is through z path located on Viola Road

The historic little cemetery is rich in history of the first families of Bergen County including Revolutionary War and Civil War veterans

The cemetery is the resting place of members of the Banta, Bogert, Terhune, Van Saun, Demarest, Kipp and Voorhis families

The Van Saun family graves

The Bogart family graves

The graves of the Van Saun family

The graves of the Kipp family

The graves of the Demarest family and of Cornelius Demarest of Civil War fame

Elizabeth Demarest, wife of Cornelius grave

These graves I could not figure out who they were

The graves of the Banta family

The graves of the Voorhis family

The grave of Sara Huyler, wife of John Van Saun

The graves were so covered in mold that I could not see who these people were

There is a quiet elegance to these historical cemeteries. Their well known family members relics of a past that now forgets them.

Who is buried here:

(From an survey done by George Budke in 1916)

??, B. P., d. 1780
Ackerman, Margaret, b. 10 Feb 1764, d. 6 Sep 1805, birth year may be 1767*
Banta, Abram C., b. 6 Nov 1852, d. 16 Nov 1886
Banta, Agness (Van Saun), d. 21 Dec 1862, age: 78y 4m 15d, w/o Cornelius H. Banta*
Banta, Benjamin Duryea, d. 3 Oct 1856, age: 5y 8m 19d, s/o Henry & Anna Maria Banta
Banta, Catharine (Terhune), b. 6 Aug 1823, d. 27 Jun 1890, w/o Cornelius H. Banta
Banta, Charles Augustus, d. 7 Oct 1861, age: 3m 20d, s/o Henry & Anna Maria Banta
Banta, Cornelius H., b. 13 Mar 1819, d. 18 Nov 1904
Banta, Cornelius H., d. 17 Aug 1854, age: 84y 5m 9d*
Banta, Elizabeth (Lake), d. 4 Sep 1817, age: 67y 8m 18d, w/o Henry Banta
Banta, Garret Hopper, d. 14 Feb 1850, age: 7m, s/o Henry & Anna Maria Banta*
Banta, Henry C., d. 13 Sep 1821, age: 22y 8m*
Banta, Henry H., d. 29 Feb 1864, age: 69y 10m 16d
Banta, Henry, b. 15 Sep 1796, d. 31 May 1798, age: 1y 8m 15d*
Banta, Henry, d. 12 Aug 1817, age: 66y 1m 18d, h/o Elizabeth Lake, Veteran of the Revolutionary War
Banta, Jane, d. 12 Jun 1875, age: 97y 2m 16d, w/o John H. Banta
Banta, John H., d. 29 Jun 1855, age: 83y 6m 7d
Banta, Lavina (Zabriskie), d. 16 Jan 1862, age: 70y 4m 12d, w/o Henry H. Banta*
Banta, Lavinah Sobriskie, d. 7 Feb 1850, age: 3y 11m 10d, d/o Henry & Anna Maria Banta*
Banta, Lidia (Van Saun), d. 22 Feb 1804, age: 32y 5m, w/o Cornelius Banta*
Banta, Sarah, d. 8 Aug 1845, age: 2y 6m 24d, d/o Cornelius H. & Catharine Banta*
Bartholf, Maria, d. 18 Feb 1870, age: 70y 5m 9d*
Begart, Rebecca, d. 12 Dec 1807, age: 1y 11m 6d, d/o Samuel & Ettie Begart
Bertholff, John, d. 8 Apr 1852, age: 86y 9m 15d*
Bogert, Albert I., d. 22 Sep 1861, age: 84y 10m 3d*
Bogert, Jacob A., d. 10 Dec 1866, age: 76y 8m 19d*
Bogert, Jane (Kipp), d. 3 Jun 1853, age: 74y 3m 7d, w/o Albert I. Bogert*
Bogert, John A., b. 26 Mar 1748, d. 25 Oct 1823, age: 74y 6m 30d*
Bogert, Rachel (Van Saun), b. 15 Feb 1798, d. 1 Sep 1846, age: 48y 6m 16d, w/o Jacob A. Bogert*
Bogert, Samuel A., d. 24 Jul 1867, age: 61y 8m 23d
Bogert, Samuel I., b. 31 Mar 1778, d. 13 Apr 1830
Brouwer, Yacob, d. 26 Aug 1784, age: 58y, Veteran of the Revolutionary War*
Cundlah, C. A., b. 14 Apr 1828, d. Jan ?, age: ??
Debaun, Effie (Demarest), d. 13 Dec 1862, age: 75y 8m 7d, w/o Peter C. Debaun, formerly wife of Samuel I. Bogert*
Demarest, Aaron, d. 14 Mar 1838, age: 57y 6m 18d*
Demarest, Christina (Bogert), d. 5 Dec 1868, age: 82y 5m 12d, w/o Aaron Demarest
Demarest, Cornelius A., d. 27 May 1883, age: 66y 8m 5d, Civil War Veteran
Demarest, Eliza (Banta), d. 6 Jan 1883, age: 65y 8m, w/o Cornelius A. Demarest
Demarest, Elizabeth, b. 16 Jul 1792, d. 23 Mar 1869 *
Demarest, Nicholas, b. 3 May 1759, d. 6 Feb 1811, age: 51y 9m 3d
Kipp, Albert, d. 28 Jan 1852, age: 66y 7m 18d*
Kipp, Araminta, d. 30 Dec 1853, age: 15y 4m 25d*
Kipp, James Bogert, d. 25 Sep 1848, age: 21y 10m 1d*
Kipp, John, d. 28 Feb 1862, age: 50y 19d
Kipp, Rachel, d. 21 Jul 1854, age: 63y 10m 23d, w/o Albert Kipp*
Kipp, William B., d. 21 Apr 1856, age: 65y 4m 11d
Van Arsdale, James, d. 21 Apr 1855, age: 51y 5m 5d, Deacon*
Van Saun, David, d. 8 Mar 1825, age: 56y 5m 3d*
Van Saun, Isaac L., b. 1 Nov 1778, d. 24 Apr 1850, age: 71y 1m 23d
Van Saun, Isaac, b. 17 Mar 1749, d. 9 May 1832, age: 83y 1m 22d
Van Saun, Jane (Ackerman), b. 4 Apr 1754, d. 6 Oct 1822, age: 68y 6m 2d, w/o Isaac Van Saun
Van Saun, Jane (Demarest), d. 9 May 1870, age: 57y 5m 9d, w/o Lucas I. Van Saun*
Van Saun, John C., d. 1 Mar 1849, age: 74y 7m 4d*
Van Saun, Kastyne, b. 1 Jul 178?, d. 5 Feb 1791*
Van Saun, Leah (Brower), d. 5 Jun 1859, age: 93y, w/o David Van Saun*
Van Saun, Lucas I., d. 31 Oct 1848, age: 34y 4m 15d
Van Saun, Margaret, d. 5 Sep 1832, age: 23y 11m 15d, w/o Albert Z. Van Saun*
Van Saun, Maria, b. 13 Jul 1829, d. 6 Apr 1836, d/o Albert & Margaret Van Saun*
Van Saun, Rachel, b. 5 Dec 1821, d. 28 Jun 1839, age: 17y 6m 23d
Van Saun, Sarah (Huyler), d. 20 Feb 1854, age: 76y 10m 17d, w/o John C. Van Saun*
Van Voorhis, Jane, d. 19 Aug 1805, age: 1y 8m 2d, d/o Hendrick & Wantea Van Voorhis*
Voorhis, Albert I., d. 20 Nov 1879, age: 73y 10m 20d
Voorhis, John L., b. 26 Apr 1791, d. 22 Feb 1849, age: 57y 9m 26d
Voorhis, Lucas J., d. 4 May 1855, age: 30y 8m 25d
Westervelt, Jane (Ackerman), b. 29 Jul 1769, d. 2 Jul 1851, age: 81y 11m 3d, w/o Henry Westervelt
Wortendyke, Cornelius, d. 12 Feb 1843, age: 3y 10m 12d, s/o Cornelius & Lydia Wortendyke*

French Burying Ground Patrolman Ray Woods Drive New Milford, NJ 07646

French Burying Ground Patrolman Ray Woods Drive New Milford, NJ 07646

French Burying Ground

Patrolman Ray Woods Drive

New Milford, NJ 07646

https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/1652365/french-burying-ground

https://www.nj.gov/dca/njht/funded/sitedetails/FrenchHuguenotCemeteryandHuguenotChurch.shtml

https://patch.com/new-jersey/newmilford-nj/the-french-burying-ground

Open: Dawn to Dusk

Admission: Free, the gates are open across from the baseball field.

My review on TripAdvisor:

The sign for the French Burying Ground

The historic marker in the front of the cemetery

The French Burying Ground

The French Ground is a small historic cemetery once sat next to the French Church and the David Demarest House, that has since been moved to the Bergen County Historical Society site.

The Demarest House at the Bergen County Historical Society

The graves of members of the Bogert, Demarest and Christi families

The History of the French Burying Ground:

(from the New Jersey Historic Trust)

Thought to be oldest cemetery in Bergen County, the French Huguenot-Demarest Cemetery was established in 1677 as the final resting place for prominent French Huguenot and Dutch settlers in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. David Demarest purchased approximately 2,000 acres of land along the east bank of the Hackensack River from Native Americans in 1677 to establish a colony of French-Huguenots.

The cemetery is all that remains of the original French-Huguenot colony and has more than four dozen descendants of Demarest family buried on site. The Borough of New Milford acquired the property in 2018 and has been working closely with the New Milford Historic Preservation Commission to plan for its restoration and future interpretation.  

The French Burying site sign

The cemetery (technically a graveyard since there was a church once here) is the final resting place of many of Bergen Counties Revolutionary War veterans as well as many prominent families including the Demarest, the Bogert and the Christie families. These were some of the founding families of Bergen County.

The graves of the prominent Bogert and Van Saun families

The cemetery has a quiet elegance about it with the many different styles of tombstones and the sheer history of these families and their contributions to the creation of our country.

The historical marker notes the cemetery was first used in 1677 after an agreement with the Native Americans

The back part of the cemetery

Members of the Bogert family

Members of the prominent Bogert family

Members of the prominent Demarest family with Revolutionary War veteran Reverend John Demarest

Members of the prominent Demarest family

The historic marker of the original church site

There are many of the veterans of the Revolutionary War buried at the site some of which survived the battles and went on to have productive lives in their communities.

Veteran John Van Norden

Veteran Uzal Meeker

Veteran John Demarest

Veteran Cornelius Bogert

Veteran Willimpie Bogart Demarest

The grave of Patriot Abraham Demarest

This cemetery, like the rest of the small cemeteries and graveyards that dot Bergen County show the history and significance of these families contributions of the residents of early Bergen County and how they shaped the founding of this country.

Video tour of the Cemetery:

Indian River Life Saving Station Museum 25039 Coastal Highway Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971

Indian River Life Saving Station Museum 25039 Coastal Highway Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971

Indian River Life Saving Museum

25039 Coastal Highway

Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971

(302) 227-6991

https://www.destateparks.com/park/indian-river-life-saving-station/

https://visitsoutherndelaware.com/listing/indian-river-life-saving-station-museum

Open: Sunday 9:00am-3:00pm/ Monday-Saturday 9:00am-4:00pm (Schedule is flexible with the seasons)

Admission: $4.00

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g34048-d208535-Reviews-Indian_River_Life_Saving_Station_Museum_at_Delaware_Seashore_State_Park-Rehoboth_Be.html

The front of the Indian River Life Saving Museum at 25039 Coastal Highway

History of the Indian River Life Saving Station:

(From the Delaware State Park website)

The original Indian River Life-Saving Station was built in 1876 for use by the United States Lifesaving Service, a government organization created to respond to the alarming number of shipwrecks along the coastlines of the United States and the precursor to today’s U. S. Coast Guard. The Life Saving Station today is a maritime museum that honors these courageous sailors and the rich history of their deeds. Listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, it is a must visit piece of Delaware history.

The front of the historical sign describing the park

The recent History of the Museum:

(From the Delaware State Park website)

The building was first located 400 feet closer to the shore, but a sand dune began to form around it almost as soon as it was finished. It was moved to its present location in 1877, and today has been meticulously restored to its 1905 appearance, complete with diamond-shaped trim. The museum is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The entrance of the museum

The Screening Room in the Visitors Center where you learn about the Life Saving Center

I started my tour of the Indian River Life Saving Museum at the Visitors Center with a quick video of the history of the building and the men who lived and worked here. The organization was the precursor to the modern Coast Guard. What I thought was interesting is that the way of rescuing people has not changed that much since the 1800’s. It has modernized with equipment and knowledge but the process is still similar to what it was then.

The Screening Room lined with historical pictures

The Screening Room lined with pictures of the history of the area

You can take two audio tours as you start to tour the station building just by calling into your phone, one of the exterior and one of the interior, room by room. Each room and many objects have a number assigned to them and you can listen to a description of the subject matter.

The Rescue Saving Station from the exterior. The building has a Queen Ann design.

The first room you enter is the kitchen area where all meals were prepared and the men ate their meals. These men could not leave the facility because of the hours and type of work required, supplies were brought in and stored in this area.

The old ice box where foods were stored

The pantry area where all the dry goods were stored

For recreation, the men read, entertained themselves with music and conversation. This room was used for recreation purposes and some down time for the staff.

The first floor downstairs room was used for entertainment and recreation during the downtimes

Old equipment and relics on display in the main room

Old equipment used at the station house

Methods of tying ropes and nautical rescues illustrated

Portrait of one of the old station masters

The main room held all the rescue equipment used to save both people and property. This included all the boats, ropes, pulleys and buckets for rescue.

The main rescue boat and paddles

The rescue boat used by the station to save people and cargo

Ropes and wenches to save and pull in damaged vessels

The bucket rescue method

The second floor contained the living quarters. Since the Team worked in shifts, pretty much no one left the building except for small breaks. The men slept in shifts with one man working night duty in four hour intervals to watch the shore for wrecks.

The living quarters for the station master

The small office in the room

The men slept on one room with the window facing the sea in a dorm like setting. The room was equipped with natural light and a view of the sea to watch over the coastline.

The bedroom of the men on duty

The bedroom

Separate room for private time

The locker storage area where each man’s personal items

The stairs leading to the portico for lookout duties

The grounds of the Rescue Saving complex and its location near the beach.

The tour was a lot of fun and gives you a glance of the heroism and isolated life of these men must have been back then. Today there are things like rotations and vacations, opinions that some of the men back then did not seem to have. Still these brave, well trained men kept the beaches and the oceans safe for many seafarers.