Botha, Brenda. “Black and White United States Map With Abbreviations.” Epidop.com, May 1, 2017. http://epidop.com/maps/black-and-white-in-united-states-map-with-abbreviations.html.
Introduction
New York, one of the original thirteen colonies, joined the Union on July 26, 1788 as the 11th state.[1] It’s nicknamed the Empire State, and its motto is “Excelsior (Ever Upwards).”[2] The flag, containing the state seal and motto, is pictured below.
Campbell, Alan K., and Paul Joseph Scudiere. “New York.” Encyclopedia Britannica, February 15, 2017. https://www.britannica.com/place/New-York-state.
Representations of the state as an individual entity are subordinated to its importance on the national level, since of all images the Statue of Liberty is perhaps the most iconic and pervasive symbol of America as the “Land of the Free.” It embodies New York City as the entrance to America and its hopes and dreams, and can never be forgotten in the national consciousness. Therefore, the state is central to ideas of American nationalism; the chosen artifacts reflect this, as well as the state’s overall sense of richness.
New York State License Plate
Empire Gold Plate, April 1, 2010. https://dmv.ny.gov/vehicle-registration/information-about-empire-gold-plates.
The Empire Gold is the regular plate issued for New York. It became the standard on April 1, 2010, before which Empire Blue & White plates had been circulated.[3] The background of the plate is gold with a blue banner containing the state’s name as well as numbers, lettering, and the state’s outline in blue. Personalized vanity plates use the same background, although some special picture plates can also be personalized.[4] The state also issues other categories of license plates; picture and professional plates say “New York” in the blue banner with a picture or logo next to the plate number. Other custom plates issued include the “I Love NY Adventure” plates, Counties & Regions of NYS, sports, military and veterans, alumni, and others.
The New York plates associate a variety of imagery with the state. While the standard plates all picture the state’s outline and nickname in a color typically associated with wealth, among custom plates the images vary. The wide variety of custom plates allows New York citizens to personalize their association with the state, from purchasing a plate labeling their profession, an organization with which they’re affiliated, or their hobbies. In this way, citizens of New York can showcase rich variety of the state’s population.
Greetings from New York Postage Stamps
Busch, Lonnie. Greetings from America: New York Postage Stamp. Postage Stamp, April 4, 2002. Greetings From America. http://www.theus50.com/newyork/stamp.php.
The Greetings from New York stamp features three of the state’s best-known attractions: the Statue of Liberty, Manhattan skyline, and Niagara Falls.[5] In the aftermath of 9/11, New York’s depiction may have been the most paramount in the Greetings from America series. Picturing the Statue of Liberty, iconic of both the nation and the state, was unquestionable and uncontroversial. Likewise, including Niagara Falls, a powerful and consistent natural wonder, bolsters the image of the state. However, debate arose around the Manhattan skyline. Since the stamp had been designed before 2001, the Twin Towers were featured. The artists and USPS debated about whether to leave them as a tribute to the tragedy, but eventually decided to remove them.[6]
Overall, the visual imagery included on the stamp represents New York as a strong central element in the United State’s geographical imagination. The three major components of the stamp represent not just aspects of New York, but beacons of American identity throughout the nation.
New York Commemorative 50 States Quarter
US Mint. New York State Quarter. Coin, 2001. http://www.theus50.com/New York/quarter.php.
Since New York entered the Union as the 11th state, its quarter was the 11th to be released in the 50 State Quarters program, and the first released in 2001.[7] In the span of its 10-week minting, over 1 billion coins were produced.[8] Additionally, the New York coin was one of the top five revenue-generating quarters in the program.[9]
Images on the coin include a textured outline of the state with tracings of the Hudson River and Erie Canal, the Statue of Liberty, eleven stars, and the inscription “Gateway to Freedom.”[10] Originally, the waterways hadn’t been included on the coin and were added by the governor’s suggestion “to pay tribute to their importance in the state’s development.”[11] The public voted on five final designs, and the “Gateway to Freedom” design gained 76% of the vote, beating out designs of Henry Hudson and his ship, the Battle of Saratoga, New York Federal Building, and Statue of Liberty.[12] The then-governor selected the final design, which was approved by the Treasury.[13]
The coin’s launch ceremony was held at the New York State Museum in Albany on January 8 and coincided with the opening of the Gateway to Freedom Exhibit. The exhibit demonstrated the design’s selection process and portrayed the five finalists.[14] Present at the event were U.S. Treasurer Mary Ellen Withrow, Mint Director Jay Johnson, Governor George Pataki, and many attendees.[15] Accordingly, the ceremony highlighted that the quarter “pays tribute to New York’s rich and influential history” and “celebrates [the state] as an entry point for millions of immigrants.”[16] Schoolchildren who attended received a free quarter for their own collections, adding to the “coin collecting craze sweeping the nation.” The Mint at the time reported 114 million American households were collecting the quarters.[17]
During the launch, Director Johnson said, “I am pleased that the 50 State Quarters Program has allowed us to capture and honor this important symbol in our Nation’s history. This design celebrates New York’s historic importance for those courageous people who came to America seeking the opportunities of a free society.”[18]
The shining representation of America was shaken by the events of September later that year. After 9/11, the quarter “took on a larger symbolic significance” and spurred many more people to collect it “as an accidental, yet poignant numismatic memorial to the death and destruction that befell Lower Manhattan on September 11.”[19]
The coin and its images remain representative of the core spirit of America as the land of opportunity and freedom. The symbols, especially the Statue of Liberty, already had solid nationalistic sentiments tied to them. Rather than losing faith in the symbols after the attacks on 9/11, the flaggings associated with New York strengthened and became even more ubiquitous as a show of solidarity in the nation.
Internet Popularity
One article names the Empire State Building as a must-see for its “iconic views of New York.” [20] However, four of the five internet articles under analysis feature the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island as the main attraction of the state, again highlighting it as an important symbol of American culture.[21]
Singh, Lisa. “50 States, 50 Landmarks.” Travelchannel.com. Accessed May 8, 2017. http://www.travelchannel.com/destinations/us/photos/50-states-50-landmarks.
Discussion
Overall, representations of New York feature its grandeur and unique position as not only one of the first states, but one of those most central to American identity. Although some artifacts attempt to differentiate or supplement the national view from the state’s symbolism, overall its connection to the national consciousness is maximized to the extent that it cannot be overlooked or forgotten. New York is undeniably associated with the Statue of Liberty through its continual presence in visualizations of American identity, demonstrating it as the most recognizable and meaningful landmark of the state in America’s geographical imagination.
[1] Alan K. Campbell and Paul Joseph Scudiere, “New York,” Encyclopedia Britannica, February 15, 2017, https://www.britannica.com/place/New-York-state.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Luke Potoski, “Information about Empire Gold Plates,” Text, New York State DMV, (January 13, 2014), https://dmv.ny.gov/vehicle-registration/information-about-empire-gold-plates.
[4] Pam Barnhart, “Learn about Personalized Plates,” Text, New York State DMV, (October 26, 2013), https://dmv.ny.gov/learn-about-personalized-plates.
[5] George Amick, “Inside Story of 34¢ Greetings from America Stamps” (Unicover, 2002), http://www.unicover.com/OPUBCCM7.HTM#sect6.
[6] Ibid.
[7] US Mint, New York State Quarter, Coin, 2001, http://www.theus50.com/New York/quarter.php.
[8] US Mint, “50 State Quarters Report,” 23, accessed February 16, 2017, https://www.usmint.gov/downloads/mint_programs/50sqReport.pdf. Exact number: 1,275,040,000
[9] Ibid., 12.
[10] US Mint, New York State Quarter.
[11] US Mint, “Empire State New York Quarter,” January 8, 2001, https://www.usmint.gov/news/press-releases/20010108-the-empire-state-shines-with-new-york-quarter.
[12] CoinWeek IQ, “United States 2001 New York 50 State Quarter,” CoinWeek, August 29, 2016, http://www.coinweek.com/coins/coin-profiles/us-coins-coin-profiles/united-states-2001-new-york-50-state-quarter/.
[13] US Mint, “Empire State New York Quarter.”
[14] US Mint, “50 State Quarters Report,” 17.
[15] US Mint, “Empire State New York Quarter.”
[16] Ibid.; Hannah Keyser, “How Each State Decided What to Put on Its Commemorative Quarter,” Mental Floss, August 28, 2016, http://mentalfloss.com/article/56815/stories-behind-all-50-state-quarters.
[17] US Mint, “Empire State New York Quarter.”
[18] Ibid.
[19] CoinWeek IQ, “United States 2001 New York 50 State Quarter.”
[20] Sarah Schmalbruch and Sophie-Claire Hoeller, “The Most Iconic Landmark in Every State,” Business Insider, September 28, 2015, http://www.businessinsider.com/most-iconic-landmark-in-every-state-2015-9.
[21] Kori Hill, “50 State Road Trip: Iconic Landmarks Around the USA,” USAtoday.com, June 16, 2016, https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/experience/america/2016/06/16/50-state-road-trip-iconic-landmarks-around-usa/85940778/; Felicity Long, “50 States, 50 Landmarks,” Parents, October 6, 2005, http://www.parents.com/fun/vacation/us-destinations/50-states-50-landmarks/; Lisa Singh, “50 States, 50 Landmarks,” Travelchannel.com, accessed May 8, 2017, http://www.travelchannel.com/destinations/us/photos/50-states-50-landmarks; Matt Meltzer, “The Best Tourist Attraction in Every State,” Thrillist, May 30, 2015, https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/grand-canyon-disney-world-wrigley-field-and-the-best-attractions-to-see-in-the-usa.
Portfolio & Projects 