New Collection Items
Highlighting New Collection Items
There have been many new additions to the Hart Cluett Museum’s permanent collection. Learn more about some of the items highlighted below!
Cemetery Records
In December of 2021, the Hart Cluett Museum acquired records from the City of Troy including directories, atlases and other records relating to the Old and New Mount Ida Cemetery, such as ledgers, internment record books, and more.
These materials are available for research and offers a glimpse of Troy history that has yet to be represented in our permanent collection prior to their arrival.
Hair Sculpture
As the first object of 2022 to be acquired, the Worthington Hair Wreath came with little provenance beyond its connection to the Worthington family of Wynantskill and its probable creation date of 1860.
The Beers Atlas of 1877 shows the homes of Lynus Worthington (1809-1882) and several Barringers next to each other along what is now West Sand Lake Road - the wreath coming from the Worthington family home located on the same road.
Lynus Worthington and his second wife Hannah Coonrad (1819-1895) moved from Grafton to Wynantskill between 1865-1870. Lynus had ad a first wife, Betsey Burdick (1808-1837) but she died before the advent of hair jewelry., so it can easily be assumed that Hannah was the maker of this wreath.
Lynus and Hannah’s son Albert (1847-1930) was married to Sarah Barringer (1853-1931). She was the daughter of William Barringer (1811 - 1891) and Mariah Ostrander (1816-1898). Either Mariah or Sarah could have also been the maker. Of course, other daughters of any of the families cold have been the makers of the wreath as well.
While we may never know the creator of this piece, it is rather illuminative of farm life in Rensselaer County and additionally provides us with an exemplarily display of Victorian era traditions - revealing how certain art forms went beyond the City. Wreaths, such as this one, were memorial art pieces and often included the hair from several family members.
Genealogical research conducted by volunteer and HCM Trustee, Christina S. Kelly