Women’s History Institute Fellowship Expands

Historic Hudson Valley recently announced the newest group of scholars participating in the Women’s History Institute (WHI) Summer Fellowship program.

Thanks to the generous support of one of our Women’s History Institute Founding Committee members, we are pleased to expand this year’s program to include three Fellows: Mindy Chase, who will examine Historic Hudson Valley’s collection of friendship quilts; Juniper (June) Lambertson, who will explore the lives of widows in 18th-century Westchester County; and Zahra Virani, whose work will focus on how women and girls in the 19th century preserved memory and history through scrapbooks and friendship albums. They will use our extensive library and collections to further their scholarly work while enhancing our mission to illuminate the contributions of women who called this area home.

“The projects of the 2026 Women’s History Institute Summer Fellows represent the full breadth of our archives and collections,” said Dr. Elizabeth Bradley, Vice President of Programs & Engagement. “This year, we widened the scope of the fellowship to include objects from our extensive collection of decorative art, textiles, paintings, and furniture. As a result, our Women’s History Institute Fellowship Review Committee had a stellar pool of applicants to choose from.”

Throughout the summer, the Fellows will split their time between Historic Hudson Valley ‘s Regional History Center, examining primary documents and reference works from our Library and Archives, and taking behind-the-scenes tours of important historic sites. Their investigations will be guided by Historic Hudson Valley’s longtime Research Librarian, Catalina Hannan, and Archives and Collections Manager Caitlin Monaco.

The Fellows’ scholarship will not only help build their careers but also provide new discoveries and broader content for Historic Hudson Valley’s site interpretation, educational programs, exhibitions, and public events. Now in its ninth year, the Women’s History Institute fosters a deeper understanding of the women who shaped the culture and chronicle of the area, including the diverse women who lived and worked on our sites, and offers a contemporary audience the resources necessary to take inspiration from their history.

Click here to meet this year’s fellows and learn more about their upcoming research.