Posts by Ben Himmelfarb

People & Stories Oral History Project: Isabel Villar

People & Stories Oral History Project: Isabel Villar

Isabel Villar, 1948-2023 Isabel Villar, the founding Executive Director of El Centro Hispano in White Plains, died July 12 from ovarian cancer. In 2015, she participated in our library’s People and Stories oral history project. The link to her story is below. Isabel Villar is the Executive Director of El Centro Hispano, an organization that supports the Hispanic Community in White Plains. She is also a longtime resident of White Plains, arriving from Cuba in the late-1960s. In this oral history, Villar describes the experience of being a Hispanic immigrant in White Plains. She tells stories about her first educational
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July 30, 2023 10:30 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Library News, Local History, and Oral History.
Tags: Cuban-American History, El Centro Hispano, Hispanic-American History, Immigration, Isabel Villar, local history, oral history, People & Stories, and white plains history.

People & Stories Oral History Project: Alexis Cole

People & Stories Oral History Project: Alexis Cole

We are thrilled to continue our partnership with ArtsWestchester, The City of White Plains, and the White Plains Business Improvement District on White Plains Jazz Fest 2018! Below is an interview with Alexis Cole from the People & Stories Oral History Project, Jazz Fest edition. Each of the clips we post between now and Jazz Fest will include stories and music from musicians who local roots or connections, but have performed all over the world. Check out the Jazz Fest 2018 webpage for tickets and more information about all the great music happening September 12-16, 2018.   “Award-winning jazz vocalist
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September 10, 2018 6:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Oral History.
Tags: alexis cole, ArtsWestchester, jazz, Jazz Fest, local-history, music, oral history, People & Stories, white plains collection, white plains history, and White Plains Jazz Fest.

People & Stories Oral History Project: Albert Rivera

People & Stories Oral History Project: Albert Rivera

We are thrilled to continue our partnership with ArtsWestchester, The City of White Plains, and the White Plains Business Improvement District on White Plains Jazz Fest 2018! Below is an interview with Albert Rivera from the People & Stories Oral History Project, Jazz Fest edition. Each of the clips we post between now and Jazz Fest will include stories and music from musicians who have local roots or connections, but have performed all over the world. Check out the Jazz Fest 2018 webpage for tickets and more information about all the great music happening September 12-16, 2018.   Albert Rivera’s musical
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September 7, 2018 6:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Oral History.
Tags: albert rivera, jazz, Jazz Fest, local-history, mediterraneo, music, oral history, People & Stories, white plains collection, white plains history, and White Plains Jazz Fest.

People & Stories Oral History Project: Brian Carter

People & Stories Oral History Project: Brian Carter

We are thrilled to continue our partnership with ArtsWestchester, The City of White Plains, and the White Plains Business Improvement District on White Plains Jazz Fest 2018! Below is an interview with Brian Carter from the People & Stories Oral History Project, Jazz Fest edition. Each of the clips we post between now and Jazz Fest will include stories and music from musicians who have local roots or connections, but have performed all over the world. Check out the Jazz Fest 2018 webpage for tickets and more information about all the great music happening September 12-16, 2018.   International professional
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September 4, 2018 6:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Oral History.
Tags: brian carter, jazz, Jazz Fest, local-history, music, new rochelle jazz fest, oral history, People & Stories, white plains collection, white plains history, and White Plains Jazz Fest.

Introducing the New Local History Room!

Introducing the New Local History Room!

The White Plains Public Library has a Local History Room again! We now have a dedicated space for people interested in local history and genealogy to explore the White Plains Collection. We are having an opening event on Thursday, December 7th, from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM. We will open up the new space and highlight two local amateur historians. An exhibit created by Colleen Fay that documents the suffrage movement in Westchester will be on display and we will hear a presentation from Nate Levin about the historical narratives that compete to define the movement. We will have refreshments,
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December 4, 2017 5:55 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Homepage and Local History.
Tags: archives, city directories, local history, local history programming, oral history, People & Stories, suffrage, white plains collection, white plains history, and White Plains History Roundtable.

Local History: Addicts & Addiction Pt. 3

Local History: Addicts & Addiction Pt. 3

As earlier blog posts showed, public discourse about drugs and addiction changed from focusing on morality and personal responsibility during the 19th century to a focus on culture and racial identity during the early 20th century.  When drugs and addiction are discussed today, we often hear that criminal justice reform and electoral politics are the central issues influencing the course of addiction and the treatment of addicts in our society. The White Plains Collection has many resources you can use to discover what happened during the 1960s as the modern era of “drug culture” developed and what people were thinking
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November 17, 2017 10:47 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Local History.
Tags: addiction, addiction treatment, addicts, alcoholics, alcoholism, cocaine, heroin, local history, mental health, mental illness, narcotics, rockefeller laws, westchester committee on alcoholism, white plains collection, white plains history, and white plains youth bureau.

Local History: Addicts & Addiction Pt. 2

Local History: Addicts & Addiction Pt. 2

Most people are by now familiar with the “Reefer Madness” era of drug policy in the United States. Exemplified by the 1936 propaganda film of the same name and personified by Henry J. Anslinger (who set the tone for most domestic drug policy during his 32 years as head of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics), the “Reefer Madness” era is best known for its racism and over-the-top representations of drug users and addicts. The articles below show that “Reefer Madness” came to White Plains!   Reefer Madness According to the paper, over 100 people were questioned or arrested during raids
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November 6, 2017 5:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Local History.
Tags: addiction, addicts, alcoholics, alcoholism, bloomingdale, bloomingdale asylum, henry j anslinger, local history, mental health, mental illness, reefer madness, westchester committee on alcoholism, white plains collection, and white plains history.

Local History: Addicts & Addiction Pt. 1

Local History: Addicts & Addiction Pt. 1

The past few years, drugs and addiction have been in the headlines. Stories about opiates, the legalization of marijuana, and criminal justice reform have all made drug use and addiction the subject of a national conversation. Just as the civil rights and women's rights movements had historical roots in time periods when those issues were not the focus of public debate, American society has been dealing with addicts and addiction since the 18th century. Here's a look at some resources in the White Plains Collection that you can consult to see how people used to think about these issues. You
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October 30, 2017 11:24 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Local History.
Tags: addiction, addicts, alcoholics, alcoholism, bloomingdale, bloomingdale asylum, keeley institute, local-history, mental health, mental illness, nellie bly, new york presbyterian, white plains collection, and white plains history.

Local History: Rosa Kittrell

Local History: Rosa Kittrell

October 10 has been designated World Mental Health Day by the World Health Organization. In honor of it, here is a story about a White Plains resident whose activism on behalf of people with mental illness had a national impact. Rosa Kittrell worked hard to redefine the way we view and treat the most vulnerable members of society. Through her tireless activism, personal struggles with mental illness, and belief in the power of education, Kittrell developed a motto: “Others, Lord, others.” Like so many black women in America, Kittrell was intersectional in her activism before anyone ever heard of that
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October 10, 2017 11:53 am | by | 1 Comment
Categories: Local History.
Tags: activism, African-American History, Black History, clifford beers, day care, feminism, local history, mental health reform, mental hygiene, mental illness, rosa kittrell, social justice, thomas p brennan, white plains collection, white plains history, and world mental health day.

People & Stories Oral History Project: Jazz Fest 2017 Pt. 5

People & Stories Oral History Project: Jazz Fest 2017 Pt. 5

We are thrilled to continue our partnership with ArtsWestchester, The City of White Plains, and the White Plains Business Improvement District on White Plains Jazz Fest 2017! Below is a clip from the People & Stories Oral History Project, Jazz Fest edition. Each of the clips we post between now and September will include stories and music from musicians who live locally, but have performed all over the world. Tom Van Buren, of ArtsWestchester, co-produced the interviews. Check out the Jazz Fest 2017 webpage for tickets and more information about all the great music happening September 13-17, 2017. Daniel Freiberg
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September 11, 2017 12:30 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Oral History.
Tags: and WPBID., ArtsWestchester, Daniel Freiberg, jazz, Jazz Fest, Jazz Fest 2017, local-history, oral history, People & Stories, westchester history, white plains collection, white plains history, and White Plains Jazz Fest.

People & Stories Oral History Project: Jazz Fest 2017 Pt. 4

People & Stories Oral History Project: Jazz Fest 2017 Pt. 4

We are thrilled to continue our partnership with ArtsWestchester, The City of White Plains, and the White Plains Business Improvement District on White Plains Jazz Fest 2017! Below is a clip from the People & Stories Oral History Project, Jazz Fest edition. Each of the clips we post between now and September will include stories and music from musicians who live locally, but have performed all over the world. Tom Van Buren, of ArtsWestchester, co-produced the interviews. Check out the Jazz Fest 2017 webpage for tickets and more information about all the great music happening September 13-17, 2017.   Pete
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September 5, 2017 9:56 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Oral History.
Tags: ArtsWestchester, jazz, Jazz Fest, Jazz Fest 2017, local history, oral history, People & Stories, Pete Malinverni, westchester history, white plains collection, white plains history, White Plains Jazz Fest, and WPBID.

People & Stories Oral History Project: Jazz Fest 2017 Pt. 3

People & Stories Oral History Project: Jazz Fest 2017 Pt. 3

We are thrilled to continue our partnership with ArtsWestchester, The City of White Plains, and the White Plains Business Improvement District on White Plains Jazz Fest 2017! Below is a clip from the People & Stories Oral History Project, Jazz Fest edition. Each of the clips we post between now and September will include stories and music from musicians who live locally, but have performed all over the world. Tom Van Buren, of ArtsWestchester, co-produced the interviews. Check out the Jazz Fest 2017 webpage for tickets and more information about all the great music happening September 13-17, 2017.   Ray
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August 29, 2017 5:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Oral History.
Tags: ArtsWestchester, jazz, Jazz Fest, Jazz Fest 2017, local history, oral history, People & Stories, Ray Blue, westchester history, white plains collection, white plains history, White Plains Jazz Fest, and WPBID.

People & Stories Oral History Project: Jazz Fest 2017 Pt. 2

People & Stories Oral History Project: Jazz Fest 2017 Pt. 2

We are thrilled to continue our partnership with ArtsWestchester, The City of White Plains, and the White Plains Business Improvement District on White Plains Jazz Fest 2017! Below is a clip from the People & Stories Oral History Project, Jazz Fest edition. Each of the clips we post between now and September will include stories and music from musicians who live locally, but have performed all over the world. Tom Van Buren, of ArtsWestchester, co-produced the interviews. Check out the Jazz Fest 2017 webpage for tickets and more information about all the great music happening September 13-17, 2017.    
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August 22, 2017 5:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Oral History.
Tags: ArtsWestchester, Jake Robinson, jazz, Jazz Fest, Jazz Fest 2017, local-history, oral history, People & Stories, westchester history, white plains collection, white plains history, White Plains Jazz Fest, and WPBID.

People & Stories Oral History Project: Jazz Fest 2017 Pt. 1

People & Stories Oral History Project: Jazz Fest 2017 Pt. 1

We are thrilled to continue our partnership with ArtsWestchester, The City of White Plains, and the White Plains Business Improvement District on White Plains Jazz Fest 2017! Below is a clip from the People & Stories Oral History Project, Jazz Fest edition. Each of the clips we post between now and September will include stories and music from musicians who live locally, but have performed all over the world. Tom Van Buren, of ArtsWestchester, co-produced the interviews. Check out the Jazz Fest 2017 webpage for tickets and more information about all the great music happening September 13-17, 2017.    
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August 15, 2017 9:48 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Local History and Oral History.
Tags: ArtsWestchester, Glenda Davenport, jazz, Jazz Fest, local-history, music, oral history, People & Stories, white plains collection, white plains history, White Plains Jazz Fest, and WPBID.

Local History: School’s Out, Pt. 2

Local History: School’s Out, Pt. 2

The late 1960s was a time of increasing consciousness about racial issues in the United States. The mainstream civil rights movement won victories in 1964 and 1965 with large pieces of Federal legislation like the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act. By 1968, however, because of issues like Vietnam, economic injustice, the conditions of urban life, and the nature of black identity some people questioned how much progress had really been made. The civil rights movement itself was fractured. Some advocated equality and integration within the framework of American society. Others, generally younger activists, promoted black power or
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July 28, 2017 4:59 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Local History.
Tags: African-American History, Black History, boycotts, civil rights, local history, race relations, racial balance plan, Reporter Dispatch, school, strikes, students, white plains collection, White Plains High School, and white plains history.

Local History: School’s Out, Pt. 1

Local History: School’s Out, Pt. 1

The late 1960s was a time of increasing consciousness about racial issues in the United States. The mainstream civil rights movement won victories in 1964 and 1965 with large pieces of Federal legislation like the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act. By 1968, however, because of issues like Vietnam, economic injustice, the conditions of urban life, and the nature of black identity some people questioned how much progress had really been made. The civil rights movement itself was fractured. Some advocated equality and integration within the framework of American society. Others, generally younger activists, promoted black power or
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July 21, 2017 5:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Local History.
Tags: African-American History, Black History, boycotts, civil rights, local-history, race relations, racial balance plan, Reporter Dispatch, school, strikes, students, teachers, white plains collection, White Plains High School, and white plains history.

Local History: Bakers & Barbers

Local History: Bakers & Barbers

Two significant strikes affected daily life in White Plains during the 1950s. In July 1951, “a possible but not acute shortage of bread supplies” was predicted by the Reporter DIspatch due to the strike of thousands of AFL International Brotherhood of Teamsters truck drivers against 16 large companies. Those companies produced 80% of the pre-wrapped bread loaves in the New York metropolitan area. The shortage that developed over the course of the nine-day strike caused one reporter in White Plains to be reminded of “scenes of wartime shortages.” The strike began because the companies refused the union's demand for a
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July 7, 2017 10:21 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Local History.
Tags: AFL, bakeries, barbers, barbershops, bread, food, groceries, international brotherhood of teamsters, journeymen, labor disputes, labor unions, local-history, markets, shortages, strikes, supermarkets, white plains collection, and white plains history.

Local History: The Hudson River

Local History: The Hudson River

The Hudson River shapes nearly every area of our lives in some way: from topography, patterns of human settlement, and military decisions to energy production, human health, commerce, and culture. This summer, impress your fellow travelers with some knowledge about the Hudson Valley and the Hudson River gained from the White Plains Collection. Below is a bibliography of historical and contemporary titles from many different genres and eras.   Histories: Narrative, Revolutionary, and Social The Hudson from the Wilderness to the Sea by Benson J. Lossing (1866): A wonderful, illustration-rich vintage title donated by former White Plains librarian Clara F.
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June 22, 2017 5:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Local History.
Tags: american history, architecture, art history, ecology, environmentalism, historic houses, historic sites, hudson river, hudson river valley, hudson valley, local history, nature, recreation, Revolutionary War, rivers, tourism, travel writing, white plains collection, and white plains history.

Local History: Murals

Local History: Murals

As the renovations continue and you rediscover the main floor of our library, we hope you look up–you'll see three unique murals. Hung high over the east wing (sit back in one of our new lounge chairs!) are murals by two artists who called White Plains home: Edmund F. Ward and Stanley P. Klimley. That's Klimley on the left standing in front of his mural when it was still in the lobby of the White Plains Hotel (image courtesy of the Westchester County Historical Society). Check out information on the artists and their works below!   White Plains resident and
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June 12, 2017 3:42 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Local History.
Tags: american history, art and artists, battle of white plains, dorothy klimley, edmund f ward, edmund franklin ward, historical murals, local-history, murals, Revolutionary War, rip van winkle, stanley p klimley, the legend of sleepy hollow, washington irving, white plains collection, and white plains history.