Nassau County Historical Society

Here is the video of the presentation from the last Nassau County Historical Society virtual program: Isle of Shells: An Illustrated History of Long Island Beaches by Kristen J. Nyitray For centuries, Long Island’s beaches have provided sustenance, relaxation, and inspiration. Long Island’s history is uniquely intertwined with its beaches including its sandy Atlantic Ocean surf beaches, calm bayfront beaches, and rugged North Shore Long Island Sound beaches. First inhabit...ed by Indigenous peoples, the area was called Sewanhacky ("Isle of Shells") in reverence to the offerings received where the water met the land. Kristen J. Nyitray will discuss her book Long Island Beaches through a curated selection of manuscripts, postcards, photographs, and maps that illustrate the history and diversity of Nassau and Suffolk Counties’ shores. Kristen J. Nyitray is Associate Librarian at Stony Brook University where she is Director of Special Collections and University Archives, and University Archivist. Her publications include the books Long Island Beaches (Arcadia, 2019) and Stony Brook: State University of New York (Arcadia, 2002). She has provided commentary in several film and television projects including the documentary Greetings from Fire Island, the television series Secrets of the Arsenal, and News 12’s Long Island’s Hidden Past. A Certified Archivist (C.A.) and Digital Archives Specialist (DAS), she holds degrees from Stony Brook University and Queens College, and is a recipient of the State University of New York’s Chancellor’s and President’s awards for Excellence in Librarianship.

In case you missed this webinar earlier this month, it is now available for viewing.