The annual "Researching New York: Perspectives on Empire State History" conferences -- the 2006 panel sessions take place Nov. 16 and 17 --  spotlight "exploration of all aspects of NYS' rich and diverse history." 

In keeping with that concept and in salute to this week's conference, the web site of the New York Correction History Society (NYCHS) unveils a new presentation entitled "NYCHS browses New York State's Archives, Museum,  Library correction history photos on-line."  The URL is 
http://www.correctionhistory.org/html/chronicl/nysarchivesbrowse/nysarchivesbrowse1.html

This latest NYCHS web site presentation consists of four pages featuring sepia facsimiles of larger original photo images, mostly grayscale, found in "The Digital Collections" of the NYS Archives, Museum, and Library that is hosted on the NYS Archives website. 

Among the 24 sepia facsimiles in the NYCHS presentation are images of Rikers, Hart and the Brother Islands, the Tombs, Sing Sing, the Electric Chair, Dannemora, Auburn Prison, Elmira Reformatory, the Women's House of Refuge at Albion, the House of Refuge for JDs in Monroe County, the Institute for Defective Delinquents at Napanoch, the Johnstown Jail, and Major Andre's Prison.

Main texts providing institutional histories of Sing Sing, Dannemora, Auburn, Elmira, and Albion are excerpted from the NYS Archives on-line "Guide to the Records of the Department of Correctional Services." The main text providing institutional history on the Western House of Refuge for JDs in Monroe County is excerpted from a Rochester Images page on the website of the Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County.

Each of the 24 sepia facsimiles links to its respective larger original in "The Digital Collections" on the NYS Archives site. The main text history excerpts also link back to their respective on-line sources. In addition, at the bottom of each of the presentation's four pages is a table of links to other web pages on our NYCHS site providing more images and information on those institutions.

This NYCHS presentation is intended as an introduction to the treasures to be found among the on-line archival sources used and cited in it. Viewers are encouraged to use links provided to access those sources. In total, more than 75 links are offered to help and promote "Researching New York" history.

Besides the direct URL provided above, the presentation can be accessed from the NYCHS home page -- www.correctionhistory.org -- via a red-letter link line "NYCHS browses NYS' Archives, Museum,  Library correction history photos on-line."  The link line appears at the bottom of a top-of-the-page box promoting Jonathan Nash's reporting his research on NYS/NYC's Newgate prison Nov. 16 to Researching NY 2006 conference participants.

Tom McCarthy
NY Correction History Society (NYCHS)
general secretary/webmaster
www.correctionhistory.org 
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