Social History

Dr. Jennifer Lemak
Chief Curator of History jennifer.lemak@nysed.gov
Prior to my current position as the chief curator of history, I served as the senior historian/curator of social history for a decade.
News Articles
From the Collections: Shakers and the New York State Museum
Published January 17, 2024 | Social History
From the Collections: Madam C.J. Walker’s Glossine Hair Paste and Advertisement
Published February 22, 2023 | Social History
Madam C. J. Walker (1867–1919) was a successful entrepreneur, businesswoman, philanthropist, and social and political activist during a time when both African Americans and women were not common in the world of business. In 1906, she started her o...
New Acquisition: Singer Industrial Sewing Machine, ca. 1972
Published September 14, 2022 | Social History
One sewing machine, two stories: Some artifacts in our collection hold the stories of multiple individuals. This ca. 1972 Singer industrial sewing machine, recently donated to the NYSM, belonged to Tsui Ping Chu, an immigrant from Hong Kong. Ch...
New Acquisition: Voter Campaign Poster by Emily Ree
Published February 11, 2021 | Social History
Since 2017, LinkNYC Wi-Fi stations have been used to display the work of local artists on digital billboards across New York City. Hudson Valley comic artist Emily Ree’s work was one of 40 submissions chosen for the “Visualize the Vote” campaign i...
New Acquisition: Harriet Alonso Needlework
Published December 7, 2020 | Social History
Harriet Alonso began working with embroidery in 1974. Influenced by the imagery of political posters, she soon used the medium to express her ideas about the causes she was passionate about, including women’s rights, educational equality, and peac...
New Acquisition: 1947 Tavern Television
Published August 4, 2016 | Social History
The State Museum recently acquired a fully-restored 1947 Tavern Television made by the United States Television Manufacturing Corporation (USTMC). Made in New York City, this unit is believed to be one of only five known sets left in the United St...
Museum Adds 1917 Women's Suffrage Petitions to Collection
Published June 26, 2015 | Social History
The Museum recently acquired a series of 1917 Franklin County women's suffrage petitions from Jean Kubaryk, a teacher at North Warren Central School District. Ms. Kubaryk had been displaying the petitions in her classroom for years, but ...