Art, books from 1600s changing hands
The preservation group Historic Huguenot Street has been granted state approval to take over dozens of 17thcentury prints and books from the private not-forprofit group Huguenot Heritage Inc.
The transfer generally involves items that date to the 1600s, through some are from even earlier, and reflect the culture from the founding of New Paltz, as well as other communities where Huguenots settled.
“It’s kind of a big thing,” Historic Huguenot Street Executive Director Liselle LaFrance said of the acquisition. “... This new collection really opens up opportunities for us.”
Historic Huguenot Street curator and archival director Josephine Bloodgood said the collection being acquired from Huguenot Heritage includes 52 art prints and six rare books.
The print collection includes works by artists and designers with Huguenot ancestry such as Abraham Bosse (1604-1676) and Daniel Marot (1661-1752). Nearly half of the prints are impressions of works by Frans Hogenberg (15351590).
The books that are changing hands include a bound compilation of 17thcentury published edicts and declarations of various French kings.
“The prints...will be stored in our collection vaults,” Bloodgood said. “The prints are unframed, so they don’t take up a huge amount of space. We hope to have everything matted and do an exhibition probably in late 2018 or 2019.”
Huguenot Heritage was founded by John P. ‘Jack’ Strang, a descendant of Huguenot refugees who in 1687 settled in what is today New Rochelle, according to Historic Huguenot Street.
“Jack led a life dedicated to the arts and to preserving the heritage and accomplishments of the Huguenots in the United States and abroad,” Historic Huguenot Street said in a press release announcing the transfer of the books and prints. “In founding Huguenot Heritage, Strang set out to research, preserve and share the unique contributions of Huguenot descendants across a wide spectrum of disciplines.”
Huguenot Heritage Chairman Kevin Tierney said that following Strang’s death in 2012, it became apparent that access to the records needed to be improved. When his group began dissolution efforts, it reviewed options for the materials.
“After looking at several options, HHS (Historic Huguenot Street) became the logical choice for several reasons,” Tierney said. “It is the only remaining museum preserving an early 18th-century Huguenot village in America ... and HHS employs an enthusiastic and enterprising staff .... ”
Historic Huguenot Street is a National Historic Landmark District that includes 30 buildings across 10 acres in New Paltz.