Family donates artifacts to historical society
Lawrence the Indian is well known to many county residents, and a statue of him stands proudly in Schenectady’s Stockade, but now residents can also see an 18th century painting of the man behind the name.
The Schenectady County Historical Society received a donation from the direct descendents of Laurens Claese Van Der Volgen’s family, better known as Lawrence the Indian, and on Friday, July 9, the new collection was displayed at the Faces of Schenectady exhibit in the society’s museum.
`We’re delighted that they decided they wanted that painting back here in town where it originated,` said Ona Curran, main curator of the project. `They contacted us, and we are so grateful for that ` so often these paintings are given to institutions far away, far from their origin.`
The exhibit, which will be open for six months, is a rare opportunity for the public to see a large collection of portraits and artifacts from Schenectady’s history. Some of the paintings are on loan from institutions and museums and will only be in Schenectady for the duration of the exhibit.
`Often what you see, unfortunately, with these paintings is that after they go out of the family, sometimes they’re bought by private collections and they’re slowly lost,` said Kathryn Weller, co-curator. `This is one of the few paintings of a Schenectady resident during the first half of the 18th century that we have here were it belongs ` where it was originally from.`
Mary and Ronald Chatfield, who do not live in the area, were the descendents of the Van Der Volgen family, which possessed the collection and decided to donate it to the society for preservation and display. For nearly 300 years, the family heirlooms were passed down and never lost or sold.
`These things had been in the family for hundreds of years,` said Mary Chatfield. `I was so afraid something would happen to them ` robbery, a fire, whatever ` and I felt that they needed to come back where they belong.`
Laurens acted as an interpreter between the Colonial government and the Native Americans during the 18th century. During the Schenectady Massacre he was captured by Native Americans and brought back to Canada. For 10 years he lived with the Native Americans before returning to Schenectady.
`He is a hugely important person in Schenectady politics during that time period,` said Weller.
Nobody at the society had ever heard about the painting before Mary contacted the society to arrange a donation. Another rare item in the collection is a prayer book from 1715, which is believed to still be in the original bindings and Laurens’ personal copy.
The prayer book is one of only seven left in existence, and the books are in Mohawk language because Laurens translated them from English language versions. This only adds to the already impressive collection of local artifacts.
`It is so rare to have a collection that is so complete,` said Weller.
Chatfield said the painting of Laurens would probably have been hung in a tavern originally, and she also had a tale to go along with it.
`The old Native Americans would come in, probably after his death, and kneel down in front of his portrait and cry because they loved him,` she said.
Residents can enjoy the painting and the rest of the exhibition through Nov. 1 at the Historical Society’s museum at 32 Washington Ave., Schenectady. For information, call 374-0263.
`It is not likely to happen in the near future that all these paintings will be together again,` said Curran.“
