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New Exhibit!
Tattooed & Tenacious:
Inked Women in California's History
Do you think of tattooed women and female tattoo artists as a recent trend? If so, you'll be surprised to discover the fascinating and largely unknown history of the the foremothers of modern tattooing prior to WWII. The exhibit explores not only Native American women proudly receiving tattoos as an important rite of passage; but also the wealthy elite starting a tattoo craze; and Tattooed Ladies making an independent living preforming in circus sideshows. The exhibit will also feature artwork from local contemporary tattoo artists.
Maud Stevens Wagner, c. 1907
 Courtesy of the Prints & Photographs Division, Library of Congress, LC-USZ6-1545.
Opening 
March 20, 2016
Print of the Month
The Holidays are over and it's time to get back to work. This month's featured print shows a  bustling 1st Street in San Jose, c.1930.

Click here to check out this image and hundreds more available for purchase from our online Zenfolio site

Each photograph you buy supports the History San Jos� Research Library.


Dear Friends,

Happy New Year! 2015 was a fantastic year for History San Jos�. If you haven't already, click here to see our 2015 Program Highlights. I want to thank all the donors, sponsors and volunteers whose generous support of time, talent and treasure made it all possible. Thank you!

I also want to give a special shout-out and thank you to Mayor Liccardo and the City of San Jose for reinvesting in History Park. Dashaway Stables is getting a makeover with a new roof and walls; and the Pacific Hotel now has working heat and air conditioning, and a roof that doesn't leak, all thanks to the Public Works Department.

HSJ President/CEO Alida Bray with a WWII Bomb & Doll House from the collection found while clearing out the North Warehouse.
2016 is starting off with a bang! Staff, along with our community
partners, are working on a number of initiatives to make both History Park and the Peralta Adobe-Fallon House Historic Site more vibrant and interactive. Stay tuned for future announcements,
but right now we are racing to clear the North Warehouse to make way for our newest Affiliate, the Bay Area Glass Institute or BAGI (read more below). You'll be invited to a barn or rather "studio raising" soon. Finally, don't miss our latest partnership with The Tabard Theatre Company for the world premiere of
Swift Justice (read more below).

Until next time, 
 
Alida J. Bray
President & CEO
Bay Area Glass Institute
Coming to History Park!

The Bay Area Glass Institute (BAGI) is relocating to History Park. Nearly a half a million dollars are being actively raised and invested in the North Warehouse behind the Pacific Hotel. The old warehouse is being transformed into a fabulous new publicly accessible gallery and glass-working facility. Scheduled to be open seven days a week, the new space will support artists and students, teaching and learning: fusing, glassblowing and torch-working.

This an exciting addition to History Park, not only because visitors will be able to watch artists working daily, but this partnership will expand educational opportunities for new collaborative programming. 

World Premiere: 
Swift Justice

History San Jos� is The Tabard Theatre Company's non-profit partner for this world premiere. HSJ will receive a portion of the proceeds from the bar throughout the run of the show-so please buy a ticket and drink up! Premiering January 15, 2016 for only 10 performances, get your tickets now and support two great non-profit organizations!  But before you experience the play, you won't want to miss a powerhouse panel discussion surrounding the legalities and ethics of the event, January 9th at 7:00pm. 
 
Swift Justice is a story of
 Missing persons report & photograph of Brooke Hart dated Nov. 14, 1933; badge and handcuffs of Sheriff William J. Emig, who led the investigation into Brooke's disappearance will be on display at the Jan. 9 panel. From the Harry Farrell collection at HSJ.
Murder, Vengeance and Hope. Based on the historical, true-crime book by Harry Farrell, this world premiere play by Tom McEnery focuses on the 1933 kidnap and murder of San Jose native Brooke Hart, heir to the Hart family fortune, and the subsequent mob rule hanging of suspected murderers in St. James' Park. Click Here For Tickets & Details.


*HSJ Members, receive a discount for the opening weekend shows. Tickets are limited, call 408.679.2330.
Collections Corner

History San Jos� Awarded NEH Grant

We are excited to announce that History San Jos� was recently
awarded the National Endowment for the Humanities' Preservation Assistance Grant. The grant is part of an effort by the NEH to help digitize historical materials and support public programs on pressing contemporary challenges. Find out how we will be putting that grant to use in our latest blog post.

Museum Mysteries - What is that?!

As we move the last of the artifact collections from the old North Warehouse to HSJ Collection Center, we are finding some bizarre and mysterious objects. We know what somethings are, but some others have us scratching our heads! This piece below was a particularly strange find:




Can you guess what this object is or what it was used for? Email your responses to [email protected], and one lucky person with the correct response will win a special prize courtesy of History San Jose!  We'll post the winner and answer in next month's newsletter.

Catch it Before It's Gone: 
Slugs, Dingbats, & Tramp Printers!
Printing in Santa Clara Valley Exhibit
CLOSING SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2016. 

Time is running out to see our original exhibit Slug, Dingbats, & Tramp Printers! Printing Valley in Santa Clara ValleyCome and discover the amazing local stories and people who helped revolutionize printing as we know it! For more information about this exhibit click here .

Upcoming Events
Finding Justice: A San Jose Scandal Explored
Saturday, January 9
7:00pm - 8:00pm
Theatre on San Pedro Square 
 Tickets $9/person

Join moderator Barbara Marshman of the San Jose Mercury News as she leads a discussion about the ethics and scandal surrounding the murder of San Josean Brooke Hart --the subject of the The Tabard Theatre Company's new play, Swift Justice. Panelists will include Jude Paul Bernal, Judge Jonathan Karesh, District Attorney of Santa Clara County Jeff Rosen and former Mayor and playwright Tom McEnery. You won't want to miss this fascinating discussion! Click here for tickets

The African American Heritage House's 
Black History Month Celebration 
Saturday, February 13
1:00pm - 4:00pm 
Empire Fire House, History Park

Celebrate Black History Month with the African American Heritage House in History Park's Empire Firehouse and enjoy some fantastic spoken word and poetry slam performances.



Tet Festival
Saturday,  February 20 
& Sunday, February 21
10:00am - 3:00pm
History Park
Day Pass Online/Pre-order $7,
Day Pass at the Door $10.

Tet is the largest and grandest Vietnamese holiday, celebrating the fortunes of a wonderful
upcoming new year. Organized by Vietnamese Voluntary Foundation, this two day festival will include performances by local artists, Vietnamese food, and much more. Click Here for Tickets & Details.


The Chinese Historical and Cultural Project's 
Lunar New Year Celebration 
Sunday, March 6
12:00pm - 3:00pm 
History Park

Photo courtesy of Karl Mondon
Help us ring in the
Year of the Monkey with the Chinese Historical and Cultural Project's (CHCP) Lunar New Year Celebration. Join in this lively celebration with traditional lion dancing, exciting cultural
performances, hands-on children's activities, and be in a parade around the park plaza!


Tattooed & Tenacious
HSJ Members & VIP Opening Reception
Sunday, March 20
11:00am - 12:00pm
Leonard & David McKay Gallery, History Park
 
Photo courtesy of Spider Webb.

Be the first to see our brand
new exhibit,
Tattooed & Tenacious:
Inked Women in California's History. Enjoy a tour of the exhibit with curator Amy Cohen and discover this hidden corner of California history.

 



SAVE THE DATE:
History San Jose Spring Tea
Saturday, April 2
Seatings at 11:00am & 2:00pm
Renzel Room, Pacific Hotel, History Park
$50 per person/$45 for HSJ Members

Thaw out from the winter at our 1st Annual Spring Tea. Enjoy a traditional tea and sweets, featuring exclusive blends from Satori Tea.

For tickets contact 
Juanita Lara at [email protected],
 or 408.918.1045.



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