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This online exhibition was first published in 2008 by Cornell University Library’s Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections. It accompanied and featured content from a physical exhibition of rare materials displayed in Cornell University’s Carl A. Kroch Library from June 5, 2008 to January 16, 2009. Cornell University Library archived the original version of the online exhibition in 2024 to preserve its earlier design. This version maintains access to the original images and text within an updated website.
An Exhibition Celebrating the Wine and Grape Archive at Cornell University Library
Cornell University Library celebrates the 10th anniversary of its Eastern Wine and Grape Archive (EWGA) with an exhibition devoted to the story of wine making. Formed in 1998 as a cooperative venture between Cornell University Library’s Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, and the Frank A. Lee Library at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station (NYSAES) in Geneva, New York, the archive was established to preserve the records of grape growers, wine makers, and associated industry participants. The number of wineries in the United States has doubled during the past eight years, and wine is now produced in all 50 states. Cornell University has made a commitment to preserving the history of American viticulture to ensure that current and future generations of students, scholars, industry members, and anyone with a passion for wine will be able to study the growth and development of America’s grape and wine industries.
Although the archive encompasses materials documenting the history of the wine and grape industries throughout the Eastern United States, early collecting initiatives have focused on documenting the history of wine and grape production in the Finger Lakes, with records spanning from the 1830s to the present day.
“Song of the Vine: A History of Wine” offers an overview of the art and science of wine making through rare books, photographs, documents, and artifacts. Archival materials document the history of wine in the Finger Lakes region, the development of the wine industry on the East Coast, and the role of Cornell University’s Experiment Station in Geneva, N.Y. as a world leader in the fields of viticulture and enology. Cornell University is currently the only institution with an ongoing defined program to document the history of the production and consumption of wine in the United States.