THE American Irish Historical Society in New York has been showcasing the depth of Irish influence in the United States, with materials in its care stretching back more than 400 years.
Mark Lindenburg, who has worked at AIHS for just over a year, said the society is crucial in preserving stories that go far beyond the usual narratives of Irish migration.
Originally from Seattle, Lindenburg said his interest in Irish history grew through his ancestry and his love for the country. “I studied Irish literature in undergrad and graduate school,” he said.
“When I saw an Irish heritage archive in New York, I thought it would be the perfect place to work.”
Based in a historic home on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, the Society houses a vast collection despite its relatively small size.
"We are a smaller sort of institution, so I am primarily an archivist, but I do curate exhibits as well,” Lindenburg said.
A bust of Charles O'Connor (Photo by the American Irish Historical Society)Founded in 1897, the organisation has spent more than a century building its collection.
Today, it holds around 40,000 volumes spanning literature, history, politics, poetry and the arts, alongside paintings, sculptures and personal correspondence.
“To give you an idea of the size, it is a five-storey building, and three storeys are dedicated to archival storage,” Lindenburg said.
Among the most unusual objects is a fragment of timber believed to be from a ship of the Spanish Armada.
“This is from when the Spanish tried to conquer England and tried to escape through the Irish coast, thinking it would be a simple calm feature, but anyone who knows Irish weather knows that is not the case,” he said.
“They crashed and the armada was destroyed.”
The collection also includes a first edition of the Irish-language Bible translated by William Bedell. Completed in 1642, it was not published until 1682.
The Bedell Bible (Photo by the American Irish Historical Society)For Lindenburg, one of the most important items currently on display relates to a defining moment in Irish history.
“One of my favourite materials that we have is the first print edition of the proclamation of the provisional government,” he said, referring to the Easter Rising.
“That’s something on display in our exhibit, and it’s very special for our guests to see.”
Exhibitions at the Society are drawn entirely from its own holdings. “All of our exhibits at the moment are made from our own materials,” he said, noting that space constraints mean displays are largely confined to one floor of the building.
The current exhibition also ties into the 250-year anniversary of the United States, exploring the role Irish immigrants played in the country’s early development, mainly in Philadelphia, Boston and New York.
“We were founded because we wanted to share more on the experience of immigration beyond the famine,” he said.
“There is, of course, a huge amount of necessary focus on that famine period of immigration, but that being said, there were Irish immigrants who came to the States before, and of course, people who continued to come afterwards.”
A letter, photograph and signature of Charles Stewart Parnell (Photo by the American Irish Historical Society)“Our archive has changed a lot over the years, and we have records of our acquisitions, but it is primarily through materials being donated,” he said.
Looking ahead, Lindenburg is preparing a new phase of exhibitions that will shift focus towards more recent history.
“We started our exhibits in chronological order, so next on our docket we are looking to highlight figures from the 20th century,” he said.
Among those set to be featured are important Irish Americans such as Grace Kelly, Oscar winner and Princess of Monaco.
“That’s something that I’m really looking forward to as we get into the modern history of Irish America,” he added.
As the society approaches nearly 130 years in operation, its mission remains the same: to document, preserve and share the experiences of the Irish in America, past and present.
Handmade needlework tapestry by Charlotte Nestor Shiels (Photo by the American Irish Historical Society)Everything from irishpost.com and the print edition is available on the Irish Post App — plus more! Download it for Android or Apple IOS devices today
