November 30, 2025

As the holidays draw near, we are excited to head to the New York City Bar Association for the 23rd annual Bard Birthday Breakfast Benefit. The event’s namesake, Albert Sprague Bard, contributed decades of civic service to New York State, culminating in the 1956 Bard Act which paved the way for New York City’s own Landmarks Law in 1965. Since 2015, the Archive Project has presented its Preservation Award honoring outstanding contributions to the documentation, preservation, and celebration of the history of preservation in New York City at the Bard Breakfast.

This year we are thrilled to honor Rosemary S. Vietor for her stewardship of the Bowne House, the oldest residence in Queens and an internationally significant site in the history of religious freedom. In addition to the preservation of this circa 1661 house, Rosemary’s inspired and dedicated leadership of the Bowne House Historical Society has led to the digitization and public accessibility of 350 years of archival materials connected with this New York City landmark and the families who lived there for generations. The New York Preservation Archive Project supported some of this work in 2022 with a grant from its Shelby White & Leon Levy Archival Assistance Initiative.

Rosemary S. Vietor, Vice President of the Bowne House Historical Society, has served on numerous boards, including the Colonial Dames of America, New York Committee of the Garden Club of America, and New York State Archives Partnership Trust. Prior to retirement, she was a Vice President at J.P. Morgan. In 2025, her article “One House, One Family, Three Centuries of American History” appeared in Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel’s book Beyond Architecture: The New New York in celebration of the 60th anniversary of New York City’s Landmarks Law.

The Bard Breakfast will also feature a talk from Loretta Howard about researching place-based stories of pioneering women artists in New York City. Loretta Howard is the co-founder and Executive Director of On This Spot NYC: Stories of Pioneering Women Artists, a nonprofit she launched with producer and collector Tony Ganz. Through short-form archival documentaries, the project recenters women artists. Now in its third year, On This Spot NYC has produced over 50 videos. On This Spot NYC has been recognized with a New York Foundation for the Arts award and is featured on the Bloomberg Connects platform.

Please join us on December 9th to be inspired by Loretta Howard and honor the archival work of our Preservation Award recipient Rosemary Vietor. §

This article was printed in the Archive Project’s Fall 2025 newsletter.