• The Mayor

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    Carl Johnson

    Now that Albany is burning through mayors (we’re now on our fourth since 1941!), Hoxsie thought we’d look back at Albany government the way it used to be done, with a description of the mayor’s job in 1884, a mere 130 years ago: “The Mayor’s bureau consists of the Mayor and two clerks. “The…

  • The Living Skeleton

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    Carl Johnson

    The Albany Hand-book in 1884 contained an interesting entry on Calvin Edson, “the walking skeleton,” who “came to Albany in April, 1830, exhibited himself at the Museum, and gave levees at the Medical College. He was then forty-two years old, five feet two inches high, and weighed but sixty pounds. Subsequently he went upon…

  • The mysterious Anneke Jans

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    Carl Johnson

    Since first posting this, I’ve written considerably more on Anneke Jans. The Albany Hand-book from 1884 saw fit to include an entry on one of the city’s most enigmatic early figures, Anneke Jans: “Anneke Jans, whose estate has been the subject of so much solicitation, resided cor. State and James Sts., present site of…

  • On this day in 1885

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    Carl Johnson

    Not big on reporting what happened on this day in other years, but every now and then it’s fun. So this is what was reported in the Troy Local Budget (sometimes called the Northern Budget) on January 25, 1885, in the “Local Brevities” column. Ice for all. To-day’s length 9 h, 53 m. The…

  • Blasie’s Imperial Porcelain Baths

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    Carl Johnson

    In 1884, Blasie’s Imperial Porcelain Baths were, we are told, the only establishment in Albany where porcelain bath tubs were in use. If the most fastidious did, in fact, concede that for beauty, comfort and cleanliness these baths had no equal, it’s then a fair assumption that patrons visited them prior to the application…

  • The Christmas windows of the stationery trade

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    Carl Johnson

    More from Albany correspondent “Chic’s” regular letter to The American Stationer magazine, an 1889 celebration of personal printing in the capital city, which we started yesterday: In my last Albany letter I failed to mention H.A. Goffe, for which I hasten to apologize. As Mr. Goffe makes a big push on engraving I can…

  • The State of Stationery, 1889

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    Carl Johnson

    Last week we mentioned S.R. Gray, noted printer and stationer. He was notable, sure, but in his day (specifically, in 1889), Albany was crawling with stationers. Witness this, the start of a  rather lengthy account from a “regular correspondent” known only as “Chic,” posted November 15, 1889, to The American Stationer magazine. I was…

  • S.R. Gray, Publisher, Bookseller, Stationer

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    Carl Johnson

    “The Albany Hand-book: A Stranger’s Guide and Resident’s Manual,” published in 1884, describes the establishment of S.R. Gray, Publisher, Bookseller, Stationer and Blank Book Maker: “Gray’s Book Store, on State st. (Nos. 42 and 44). Almost opposite the new Custom House and Post-office stands the four-story granite building owned by S. R. Gray, and…

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