Preserving Family History: the Heritage of an Albany County Family October 26, 2006

Families preserve their history by saving documents and possessions from previous generations. What inspires a family to preserve these mementos from the past, and what are the types of objects that families tend to keep? The Tompkins family from Coeyman's Hollow, Albany County gathered a large collection through eight generations, spanning over 250 years. Beginning with the possessions of Andries Ten Eyck, who settled in southern Albany County in 1749, the collection grew as it descended through the Ten Eycks and Vanderzees to the Tompkins family. The Tompkins family cared for the collection and added to it for several more generations before donating it to the New York State Museum. The exhibition includes heirlooms spanning two centuries, including furniture, silver, glass, portraits, and textiles.