Fenimore Art Museum

Department: Research Library
5798 NY-80
Cooperstown, New York 13326
Phone: 607-547-1470
Fax: 607-547-1405
Geolocation:

Fenimore Art Museum

About

The Fenimore Art Museum, located in Cooperstown, New York, has several collections in New York Heritage, including electronic finding aids for its noteworthy manuscript collections. Formerly the New York State Historical Association, NYSHA was founded in 1899 by New Yorkers who were interested in promoting greater knowledge of the early history of the state. They hoped to encourage original research, to educate general audiences by means of lectures and publications, to mark places of historic interest with tablets or signs, and to start a library and museum to hold manuscripts, paintings, and objects associated with the history of the state. Since its founding, the Research Library’s collections have grown to include more than 95,000 volumes specializing in 19th century American and New York State history and culture, American art history, and Native American art.

Fenimore Art Museum is a member of the South Central Regional Library Council.

Collections

Belva Lockwood Manuscript Collection

Roughly 500 manuscript pages of Lockwood’s various lectures, including some from the time of her campaign for president.

Hamilton-Burr Duel Collection

Correspondence between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr and their seconds before the historic duel in 1804, plus correspondence and eye-witness statements made after the duel, in 1805.

a boy near a lake with plants

Photographs relating to a family farm in New Kingston, New York, showing family, neighbors, and the surrounding Catskill landscape. Of special interest are the everyday objects which Fay's eye and camera transform into unique images.

John J. Burger Railroad Collection

The John J. Burger Railroad Collection consists of extensive research material related to the Southern New York Electric Railway and other New York State railroads.

Murder Pamphlet Collection

Pamphlets from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, documenting salacious murders from around the country. This collection is of the covers only.

Octagon Houses Collection

Contains selected images of photographs in the Octagon Houses Collection.

Otsego Lake Historical Collection

Primary sources relating to the historical significance of Otsego Lake in Cooperstown, NY.

Three women and a man pose in a field during the bean harvesting at Hanson Farms, 1943

The photographic work of Washington G. Smith (1828-1893) and Arthur J. Telfer (1859-1954) documents life in Otsego County, New York, for almost a century.