NC ~Free Family Fun Before, During & After the Holidays
A familiar question often rings out after days of togetherness at the holidays What can we do for fun? And, after holiday bills, many are looking for something free to do as a family. Here are some suggestions from the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources to Make History This Holiday.Family History
Use holiday time together to record family stories, recipes and other memories, as well as plan for summer family reunions. If there is a veteran in the family, the State Archives has a list of questions that can help the guide the interview. For more info rmation, contact Military Archivist Sion Harrington at (919) 807-7314, or Sion.Harrington@ncdcr.gov. The Government & Heritage Library at the State Library of North Carolina has an extensive Genealogy Collection. The collection contains family histories, published abstracts, periodicals, county histories and reference materials, as well as census records, an assortment of electronic databases, and vast microfilm collections. The collection is located in Archives & History/State Library building at 109 East Jones St. , in downtown Raleigh . For info rmation, call (919) 807-7430.
History Happens Here
The Museum of History in Raleigh, along with the Museum of the Albemarle in Eliza beth City, the Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex in Fayetteville, the Mountain Gateway Museum and Heritage Center in Old Fort, the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort and Southport, and the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum on Hatteras Island, encourages visitors to discover the past; to reflect on their own lives and their place in history; and to preserve state, regional, and local history for future generations. There is no admission charge to the state history museums.
The N.C. Museum of History, in downtown Raleigh , will continue its exhibit Discover the Real George Washington: New Views From Mount Vernon, which is part of a three-year national tour. Approximately 100 objects associated with Washington are featured in this exhibition on view through Jan. 21, 2011. The N.C. Museum of History is the only venue in the Southeast on the exhibitions tour. For ticket info rmation for this special exhibit, go to www.ncmuseumofhistory.org.
The Art of Having Fun
The N.C. Museum of Art in Raleigh has beautiful new gallery space for its permanent collection, and recently reopened the East Building as the site of its changing exhibits. On display through early 2011 are five exhibits. American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell, is a ticketed exhibition, but the others Bob Trotman: Inverted Utopias, Fins and Feathers: Original Childrens Book Illustrations from The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Binh Danh: In the Eclipse of Angkor, and John James Audubons The Birds of America are free. The Museum also boasts a 164-acre park that consists of woodlands, open areas and streams filled with trails and monumental works of environmental art. The combination of an important art museum and a large natural area offers a rare opportunity to explore art and ecology together.
The Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA) in Winston-Salem , an affiliate of the N.C. Museum of Art, is hosting the free exhibition North Carolina New Contemporary, which looks at a genre that fuses seemingly disparate elements of history painting and collage with graffiti, video gaming, folk, anime, advertising and film.
N.C. Arts Council
The N.C. Arts Council is showcasing another edition of Artful Holidays with exciting ways to celebrate, as well as suggestions for authentic gifts. For more info rmation about using the arts to help craft a wonderful holiday, or for suggestions about how to include the arts in everyday living, go to http://ncartseveryday.org.
N.C. Symphony
The North Carolina Symphony offers a number of Holiday Pops concerts across the state over the month of December, culminating with a New Years Eve extravaganza in Meymandi Hall in downtown Raleigh . For ticket info rmation, go to www.ncsymphony.org.
Historic Sites
North Carolina s 27 state historic sites open the door to the exciting and fun history of our state and nation. There is a North Carolina Historic Site within an easy drive of every North Carolinian. Visitor centers with exhibits and multimedia presentations can be found at most sites, as well as picnic facilities. Most tours and many special programs are free. Visit www.nchistoricsites.org.
Historical Publications
From popular paperback books about the Wright Brothers, legends, lighthouses, pirates, highway historical markers and the Civil War to resources for historical and genealogical researchers, the Historical Publications Section of the Office of Archives and History offers more than 160 titles that reflect the rich variety of Tar Heel history. The section has high research and editor ial standards for the books, articles, maps and other materials that it publishes.
The Historical Publications Shop is having a holiday sale. More than 100 titles are discounted between 10% and 75%. Holiday sale prices are valid only for purchases made through the online Historical Publications Shop. The 2010 holiday sale ends on Dec. 31; the deadline for delivery of holiday gift orders is 5 p.m. EST on Thursday, Dec. 16.
On-Line Collections
The Department of Cultural Resources has a number of on-line collections that showcase the history and culture of North Carolina . Unique and valuable holdings of the State Library of North Carolina and State Archives are easily accessible at the North Carolina Digital Repository. Highlights include:
Views from Variety Vacationland:
One of the most popular iconographic collections at the North Carolina State Archives is the series of photos and negatives produced between 1929 and 1970 by the states Conservation and Development Department, Travel and Tourism Division. Photographers working for or contracting with Travel and Tourism documented interesting events, pe opl e, cities, towns, industries and agriculture across the state.
An Era of Progress and Promise, 1863-1910
Compiled by W. N. Hartshorn, this book celebrates the “religious, moral, and educational development of the American Negro since his emancipation.” Written in 1910, Progress provides a comprehensive portrait of early African American schools, colleges and churches, as well as biographies of African-American educators, ministers and influential businessmen.
N.C. Census Data: 1960-1980
This joint project with the State Data Center (SDC) makes many of their 1960s, 1970s and 1980s census profiles full-text searchable. The profiles contain county and state statistics and hand-colored maps related to labor, population, housing and economic conditions.
N.C. Family Records Online
Family contains family history materials from the State Library and North Carolina State Archives spanning the early 1700s to the mid-1900s. The collection includes more than 200 Bible records (birth, marriage and death info rmation recorded in family Bibles) and a six-volume index of marriage and death announcements from North Carolina news papers.
N.C. Government Web Site Archives
A joint project of the State Library and State Archives, Web Archives enables users to view North Carolina state agency Web sites from the Fall of 2005, and from April 2006 forward. It enables free and open access to this info rmation long after the sites have changed on the live Web.
N.C. Historic Health Collections
Eugenics, Malaria and Influenza are three topics covered in the State Librarys historic health collections. Resources include North Carolina Eugenics Commission proceedings, malaria statistics and related documents from colonial days to present, and flu-related data from the 1918 and 1919 epidemic.
N.C. MOSAIC
This project brings together in one location links to important collections of government info rmation, including maps, publications, records and historical documents that are held by academic institutions or government agencies throughout North Carolina .
North Carolina Awards
Part of the State Publications Collection, the North Carolina Awards project provides access to programs from the official North Carolina Awards ceremonies. Biographical info rmation and a photo are included about each recipient from 1964 to the present. Awards are granted annually in the categories of Fine Arts, Literature, Public Service and Science.
Transforming the Tar Heel State : The Legacy of N.C. Public Libraries
A statewide digital collaborative project celebrating North Carolina public libraries, Transforming provides online access to historical photographs, postcards, reports, dedications, and other unique materials. Browse more than 800 unique items; search for materials by county, contributing libraries, original document date or topic; and read a brief history of North Carolina ‘s public libraries.
The N.C. Department of Cultural Resources is the state agency with the mission to enrich lives and communities, and the vision to harness the states cultural resources to build North Carolina s social, cultural and economic future. Information is available 24/7 at www.ncculture.com.
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