This is the Quadracentennial of Henry Hudson’s arrival on the shores of the America. Henry Hudson has been visiting the Cheney Library. He also went to the Hoosick Falls Central School and participated in a school program about the river named after him. He was well received by the fourth grade students in Katie Brownell’s room. The program was presented by Tang Museum of Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs.
Henry is part of a grant written by UHLS staff and involving 14 of our libraries. Henry’s job is to travel to the libraries, where he is checked out by families and taken to visit local historical sites. The kids fill in Henry’s adventures in his journal and read about his previous exploits in it. In the process they practice reading and writing, acquire some community history and of course connect the library to a fun learning adventure!
Henry is a soft sculpture doll, made by Mary Halliday, a grandmother and dollmaker in Ramona, CA. Grant writer Mary Fellows got to “create” Henry by choosing his height, hair color, eye color and facial hair. Since no one knows what the real Henry Hudson looks like, this Henry is based on the historical portrait of Henry Hudson done 100 years after Henry’s death.
Henry arrived unclothed at Upper Hudson Library System last August, where he sat around enjoying cool breezes and shocking visitors for a few days. Henry is shared with the Albany County Convention & Visitors Bureau, whose staff member Christine Garretson-Persans, an educator at the Visitors Center and a costume designer, clothed Henry in period clothing.
Henry has inspired creation of compatriots; there is now a Samuel De Champlain in Vermont and smaller versions of himself.
Following the grant period, Henry will live at the Albany County Convention & Visitors Bureau.