Schedule Updates: Heraldry Talks in New York City

Schedule Updates as of 1 February 2014:

Hello, friends. Here are some items for your calendar. Hope you can join us soon! The following events are free, open to the public, and start at 6 p.m. at the NYG&B, 36 West 44th Street 7th Floor New York, NY. If you would like to be added to the G&B email list, post your email on a private message here and I will confirm receipt.

Monday, March 3, 2014...
6 p.m.
Maria Dering will present a talk on Heraldic Engravings on Colonial American Silver.
In the American colonies, silver was not only a sign of wealth, it WAS wealth. Many prominent families hired silversmiths to create elegant items engraved with coats of arms and suggestions of them. In this illustrated talk, Maria will show and discuss extant examples of the work of French Huguenot, Dutch, and other silversmiths. The talk will end with an intriguing mystery yet to be solved. Refreshments will follow. Maria is a member of the NYG&B Committee on Heraldry.

Monday, April 7, 2014
6 p.m.
The NYG&B and the College of Arms Foundation (US) welcome Mrs. Elizabeth Roads, the Lyon Clerk and Snawdoun Herald of the Court of the Lord Lyon (the Scottish College of Arms). On April 6 (the day before her talk), she will present a devizal of arms to Brick Presbyterian Church, Manhattan. A reception and refreshments will be part of the evening's festivities on April 7.

CHANGE OF DATE:
From Tuesday, April 8, 2014 TO Tuesday, April 22, 2014:
6 p.m.
"The Vocabulary of Heraldry for Beginners," by Paul Campbell.
This informative talk will be of interest to those new to heraldry and will provide a refreshing review for all. Refreshments to follow. Paul is a member of the NYG&B Committee on Heraldry and a member of the Board of Directors of the College of Arms Foundation (US).

Sept 17: The History and Evolution of South African Heraldry

The College of Arms Foundation and The Committee on Heraldry of The New York Genealogical & Biographical Society are pleased to invite you to a presentation by

Andrew Cusack on The History and Evolution of South African Heraldry

Tuesday, 17 September 2013
6:00 p.m.
at the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society
36 West 44th Street, 7th Floor
New York, NY 10036

Please email rsvp@coaf.us to reserve. This event is free and open to the public. A reception follows the talk. 

Mr. Cusack's talk will be centered on South African arms incorporating the "three annulets or" of the arms of Jan van Rienbeeck, the putative founding father of South Africa.   This will be the first time we have featured South African heraldry.   

Mr. Cusack is a native New Yorker and a graduate of the University of St. Andrew's, Scotland.  He now lives and works in London.  He is a blogger, writer, historian and vexillophile as well as a heraldist.  His observations, experiences and meditations can be read at www.andrewcusack.com.

Heraldry Talks for 2013-14 in New York City

The complete program schedule for heraldry talks at the NY Genealogical & Biographical Society follows. Any changes and updates will be posted here.  You can also find us on Facebook at New York City Heraldry.  (Like the page and get all the updates as posted.)

All events are free, open to the public, and start at 6 p.m. at the NY G&B Society, 36 West 44th Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY.  A reception follows each talk.  If you would like to be added to the heraldry email list, send your address to me at mariadering@earthlink.net.  Your name will not be shared with any other lists.

Arms of the Republic of South Africa

For the rest of 2013, the schedule is:   

Tuesday 17 September 2013:  Andrew Cusack on South African heraldry.

Tuesday 15 October 2013:  Presentation by Sir Henry Bedingfeld, Norroy and Ulster King of Arms. Sir Henry will be presented with the Medal for Heraldic Achievement.

Monday 4 November 2013:  Lecture by Prof. D'Arcy Boulton of  the University of Notre Dame on French medieval heraldry.

Wednesday 13 November 2013:  George Cannizzaro and Chuck Mugno from the Institute of Heraldry. George will talk about church heraldry; Chuck will update us on new developments at the Institute.

The schedule for 2014 is:
Tuesday 14 January 2014: "Heraldry and Wine, Part II," with/by Paul Campbell and John Shannon

Monday 3 March 2014: "Heraldic Engraving on Colonial Silver," by Maria Dering.

Tuesday 8 April 2014: "The Vocabulary of Heraldry for Beginners," by Paul Campbell.

Monday 12 May 2014: "Armorial Assumptions," by Guy Selvester.

The Book of Gladness/Le Livre de Leesce

 Something tells me that the medievalists among us might be interested in this new book, due for a November release. (Ignore that anachronistic gown!) My good friend Linda Burke -- a superb scholar and my very first buddy in graduate school -- did the annotated translation. The book is available on Amazon.com.

Ars longa vita brevis ... or, How long was I going to wait to post this?

Finally ... here is a photo of the original seal of the City of New York (1686).  Note that the date is 1664, not the date (1625) on the seal currently in use.  The motto reads "Sigilium Civitatis Novi Eboraci," or "Seal (of the) City (of) New York, with Eborum the Latin name for "York."

Photo of seal on a 1926 statue in Central Park, erected by Military Order of Foreign Wars.

Why the change to 1625?  The story goes that Paul O'Dwyer, a fiery member of the NYC Board of Estimate and candidate for U.S. Senate, had no love for the English.  (1664 marked the transition from Dutch to English rule of Manhattan.)  So, O'Dwyer used his influence to get the date changed on the city's seal in the 1970s, and there the Dutch-friendly date 1625 remains to this day.  Ya gotta have clout!

Details on Fall Events 2013

Hello again, everyone.  Here are more details on the fall 2013 events that are co-sponsored by COAF (US) and NY G&B Committee on Heraldry (see previous post):

All events start at 6 p.m. and include light refreshments. Admission is free; events held at the G&B, 36 West 44th Street, Room 711, Manhattan.  If you'd like more information, please post a comment below and I promise to answer you in a timely way.

Talks on Heraldry Fall 2013 - NYC

Hello, everyone!  Glad to be back posting here.  It's certainly been awhile!

Here is a quick rundown of talks to be held this fall at the NY Genealogical and Biographical Society, co-sponsored by the G&B and the College of Arms Foundation (US).  More details to follow.  

 

The Heraldry Committee of the G&B will meet during August to plan more events for 2014, so check back soon.

 

In the meantime, mark your calendars for ...

September 17 - Talk on South African heraldry by Andrew Cusack.

October 15 - Talk by Sir Henry Bedingfeld, Norroy & Ulster King of Arms, reflecting on his career and designs he has created.  At this event, Henry will be presented with the G&B's Medal for Heraldic Achievement.

November 13 - Talk by George Cannizaro, with Chuck Mugno, of the Institute of Heraldry.  George will speak on Catholic or church heraldry.

Argh!

It's been ages since I've posted here!  Sorry, sorry, sorry, friends of NYC Heraldry.  I promise you some exciting new posts in 2013!  Too many blogs, too little time, but I will be back very soon.  Meanwhile, enjoy the going out of 2012 and the coming in of the new year.

Yours in heraldry,
Maria

Sept. 24: The Heraldry of American Presidents

Don't forget to join us for this great presentation!  Your invitation follows right here:

The College of Arms Foundation, Inc.,

&

The Committee on Heraldry of

The New York Genealogical & Biographical Society

Invite You to

The Inaugural Fall Heraldry Presentation by

Joseph McMillan

on

The Heraldry of American Presidents

This will cover both hereditary arms of early US presidents and also granted arms to recent ones.  

Mr. McMillan is President of the American Heraldry Society (www.americanheraldry.org). 

A career civil servant with over 28 years of service in the Department of Defense, he is a

senior research fellow at the Institute for National Strategic Studies.

Monday 24 September 2012 at 6 PM

36 West 44^th Street – Seventh Floor

New York, NY   10036

RSVP to john.shannon@coaf.us

Complimentary Admission

Blogs and More Blogs!

Thanks to David Appleton for sending along a great list of blogs that might of interest to my readers.  You'll see this blog listed under "Personal Heraldic Blogs."  Thank you, David!

Blogs of Heraldry Societies

Heraldry Society of Scotland: http://heraldrysocietyofscotland.blogspot.com/

Onward: The Heraldry Society of New Zealand: http://nzheraldry.wordpress.com/

Royal Heraldry Society of Canada: http://canadian-heraldry.blogspot.com/

Personal Heraldic Blogs

Armorial des Rues de Paris: http://armorialparis.blogspot.com/

Arte Heraldico: http://arteheraldico.blogspot.com/

Blasons et Armoiries: http://blasons-armoiries.blogspot.com/

Blog de Heráldica: http://blogdeheraldica.blogspot.com/

Cheshire Heraldry Web Journal: http://cheshire-heraldry.org.uk/weblog/

Dibujo Heráldico: http://dibujoheraldico.blogspot.com/

Georgian Heraldy: http://georgianheraldry.blogspot.com/

Herald Dick Magazine: http://herald-dick-magazine.blogspot.com/

Heráldica: http://heraldicahispanica.blogspot.com/

Heráldica Canaria: http://heraldicacanaria.blogspot.com/

Heráldica Catalana: http://heraldicacatalana.blogspot.com/

Heráldica en la Argentina: http://heraldicaargentina.blogspot.com/

Héraldique européenne... le blog: http://www.heraldique.org/

Heraldistas: http://heraldistas.blogspot.com/

Heraldry: Musings on an esoteric topic: http://blog.appletonstudios.com/

Heraldry On-Line: http://heraldryonline.wordpress.com/

IDTG: http://www.idtg.org/

La langue du blason: http://lalanguedublason.blogspot.com/

Maine Heraldry: http://maineheraldry.blogspot.com/

México Heráldico: http://mexicoheraldico.blogspot.com/

NYC [New York City] Heraldry: http://nyc-heraldry.blogspot.com/

Omnia Heraldica: http://omniaheraldica.blogspot.com/

Tiempos de Historia: Historia, Nobleza y Heráldica: http://www.tiemposdehistoria.com/

Tout sur l'héraldique: dessin de blasons et d'armoiries: http://toutsurlheraldique.blogspot.com/

David Appleton's Blog

I thought our readers might be interested in this blog by David Appleton:  http://blog.appletonstudios.com/

David has kindly linked to my blog -- a nice surprise!  Thank you, David.

Readers, if you know of a worthwhile blog on heraldry, please send me the link.  Though the focus of my blog is on heraldry in/around New York City, I'm always glad to learn of other interesting resources.

Lots and Lots of Letters ... and Heraldry

This afternoon, I received a very interesting email from Jon von Briesen of New Jersey.  Earlier this summer, as he went into the James A. Farley Post Office on Eighth Avenue, Manhattan (or, as I know it, the main post office), Jon took pictures of the ceiling medallions.

He reports, "In June, I was in the city to catch a train. I had some bill payments that needed to be mailed in a hurry. I took the opportunity to post them at the central post office, across from Penn Station/ Madison Square Garden. Recessed medallions on the ceiling each held arms of some nation. The display is pretty eurocentric. As far as I can see, the heraldry is correct. France might have gotten some more pictorial treatment --- fasces, perhaps."

Readers:  Would you like to help identify the shields captioned with numbers only?

Here are Jon's photos.  Perhaps next time you're in the neighborhood, you'll stop and look up!  Many thanks for getting in touch, Jon!  Please send us more heraldic photos from your travels in and out of town.

Belgium

Netherlands

Italy

Republic of France

Great Britain

United States of America

German Empire

Russian Empire

Spain

Austro-Hungarian Empire

#11:  Medallions in Context

Date Change: The Heraldry of American Presidents

Arms of President Chester A. Arthur

Please note an important change.

The date of this talk, originally September 17, has been moved to September 24.  You won't want to miss this informative, interesting evening.

Time:  6 p.m., followed by refreshments

Place:  The New York Genealogical & Biographical Society offices, 36 West 44th Street, Room 711, Manhattan.

Cost:  Free; open to the public.

This talk is sponsored by the College of Arms Foundation in partnership with the Committee on Heraldry of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society.

Reservations are suggested: email john.shannon@coaf.us or post a comment here with your name and contact information.

Here are the details.  Hope to see you there!

September 24, 2012
Presenter: Joseph McMillan
Topic: The heraldry of American Presidents.
Details: This talk will cover both hereditary arms of early US presidents and also more recent granted arms. Mr. McMillan is a governor-at-large of the American College of Heraldry. A career civil servant with over 28 years of service in the Department of Defense, he is a senior research fellow at the Institute for National Strategic Studies.

Are You Armigerous?

Join us on Monday, April 16, 2012, to learn how you can acquire English or Scottish arms (or maybe both??). The College of Arms Foundation and New York Genealogical and Biographical Society invite you to join us for an interesting, informative talk on

How to Acquire English and Scottish Arms
16 April 2012
6 p.m.
NY G&B Society, 36 West 44th Street, Suite 711. Manhattan
Admission is free and open to the public. Perhaps a wee dram of something after the talk ...

Presenters: John Shannon and Paul Campbell
Both speakers are armigers. John Shannon is the chairman of the committee as well as the president of the College of Arms Foundation and acquired arms from the College of Arms in London.

Paul Campbell, a member of the Heraldry Society of Scotland, acquired arms for his father from the Court of Lord Lyon in Edinburgh, and is an expert on Campbell arms, or which there are many variants. Just learned that Paul will bring a full-sized color reproduction of his father's grant! Pictured: Letters Patent, John McConville Shannon.

RSVP advised: heraldry@nygbs.org or rsvp@coaf.us

Hope to see you there!

What's a Galero?

Find out this Monday when ...

Heraldic designer and noted ecclesiastical heraldist Fr. Guy Selvester speaks on “The Use of the Miter and the Galero in Ecclesiastical Heraldry” this Monday, March 12, at 6 p.m. Reception follows with refreshments at the New York Genealogical & Biographical Society, 36 West 44th Street, Room 711, Manhattan.

All are welcome! No charge, but reservations required: email rsvp@coaf.us See you there!

Great Talk Coming Up - March 12

Hope to see you at this new talk:









Monday, 12 March 2012
6 p.m.
New York Genealogical & Biographical Society, 36 West 44th Street, Room 711, Manhattan
Admission is free.
Presenter: The Rev. Guy W. Selvester, an expert on church heraldry and a member of the Committee on Heraldry
Topic: "The Use of the Miter versus the Galero in Ecclesiastical Heraldry."

Details: Fr. Selvester is a Governor-at-Large of the American Heraldry Society, as well as a fine heraldic designer and artist and a member of the Committee on Heraldry. He recently gave the Mark Elvins Lecture on Church Heraldry at the Heraldry Society in London. Pictured: Arms Surmounted by Galero.

Space is limited, so please respond to John Shannon at john.shannon@coaf.us at your earliest convenience.

Guide to Dutch Lineage Research

Hello, everyone! Many of you might have Dutch ancestors who have coats of arms. Perhaps you'd like to know more about those families or are just curious about searching for ancestors in New Netherland. The Society of Daughters of Holland Dames has just published my guide to Dutch research -- and you can purchase a copy for just $10.00 plus postage, here: http://www.hollanddames.org/images/docs/hollanddamesgifts.pdf
















Scroll down the page to read about the guide; the order form is at the bottom. Clip, enclose your check, and mail. I hope this is helpful to you.

Alta Studia Heraldica

Hello, everyone. Duane Galles, a heraldist friend from the Midwest, pointed me to the journal Alta Studia Heraldica here: http://ash.heraldry.ca. This is published by the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada, at www.heraldry.ca. The site is content rich; have a look and happy reading!

Stone Carving, Old School

Hello, everyone. I thought this was interesting, and heraldry-related. See photos of the Cathedral below, from April 2011. More to come!

http://www.westsiderag.com/2012/01/04/upper-west-side-stone-carver-chisels-away-at-st-john-the-unfinished

An Invitation ...

Please join the New York City Heraldry Facebook page for quick updates on activities, new photos, and heraldry news. The Wall is open to all group members, and I hope you'll post your heraldry news there, as well as your comments here. I'll continue to alert FB members to new posts here, too.

Thank you for your interest. It's exciting to read your comments and greet new blog followers!