Rochester History releases spring edition packed with fresh digital content and newly uncovered historical insights

Rochester, New York – The latest issue of Rochester History has officially launched, continuing the journal’s impressive revival and renewed relevance in the digital era. With roots dating back over eight decades, this historic publication has found new life through a growing partnership between the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and the Rochester Public Library, combining traditional archival work with modern publishing methods and outreach.

The spring 2025 issue, which dropped on April 15, is the latest product of a wide-ranging collaboration aimed at preserving and sharing local history in fresh and engaging ways. What began as a modest historical record-keeping effort in 1939 by then-Rochester City Historian Blake McKelvey has now become a dynamic, award-winning journal with a modern audience and digital presence.

“Preserving and expanding the knowledge of local history was Rochester City Historian Blake McKelvey’s goal in founding Rochester History in 1939, and that continues to be our mission today,” said Tamar Carroll, professor and chair of RIT’s department of history and a member of the journal’s editorial board.

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Since its 2023 redesign, Rochester History has attracted national recognition, most notably earning a prestigious PROSE award—Professional and Scholarly Excellence—from the Association of American Publishers. The journal was named “Best New Journal in Humanities and Social Sciences,” an impressive accolade for a publication that originally began over 86 years ago.

The success is driven not only by its content but also by its evolution. With the involvement of RIT Press and Mason Digital, the journal is now available in both print and digital formats, offering new access points for a wider audience. RIT has also secured several grants to help fund these enhancements. The J.M. McDonald Foundation provided $5,000, and the Rochester Area Community Foundation’s Historic Preservation Fund awarded $20,000. These funds have gone toward digitization efforts and a marketing push to increase readership.

“Our goal is to have enough subscribers to make the journal break even with the costs of producing it,” Carroll explained.

The spring issue, edited by Rochester City Historian Christine Ridarsky and RIT history professor Rebecca Edwards, features a range of compelling content. One standout piece by Edwards dives into the little-known life of a Black deaf man in 19th-century New York, using his story to explore broader aspects of the deaf community’s presence and challenges in that era. It is a historical account rooted in both fact and reflection.

“It’s a reminder of the persistent discrimination that deaf/hard-of-hearing and disabled people have faced throughout history and the importance of public services for people with disabilities, educational opportunities, and efforts to combat stigma,” Carroll said. “And that is just as relevant today as it was in the 19th century.”

Supporting that feature is a creative digital story map, produced by Will Rooney, a senior at RIT majoring in history. Rooney also conducted a podcast interview with Edwards, bringing an added layer of multimedia storytelling to the journal’s offerings.

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Rooney reflected on the impact the experience has had on his understanding of academic work. “It has really lifted the curtain and allowed me to see how academic writing gets published and the work that it takes to create a piece of professional history writing,” he said.

The spring edition also includes an essay examining the limitations of writing historical narratives when public records are sparse, as well as a feature on a rare Civil War photograph from the Local History Division of the Rochester Public Library. The image shows a soldier in a Zouave uniform—a vibrant and historically significant outfit modeled after North African military attire.

In addition to articles and essays, the issue features a thoughtful review of Tourists and Trade by the late Bruce Austin, an RIT professor and former director of RIT Press. Austin was a key figure in the revitalization of Rochester History, and his legacy will be formally honored in the journal’s fall issue.

“Bruce saw an opportunity for RIT Press to help the library by offering services that the library didn’t have access to—professional design work, copy editing, and the opportunity to have a digital edition,” Carroll noted. “Also, by involving the history department we are able to give students an opportunity to work on the journal, which is an amazing professional experiential learning opportunity for them.”

To complement the spring issue, Rebecca Edwards will give a live-streamed lecture titled Exploring the Roots of Rochester’s Deaf Community on May 10 at 1 p.m. in the Gleason Auditorium of the Central Public Library. The talk will further expand on her article and highlight the importance of inclusive storytelling in historical research.

For those interested in subscribing, the journal is available at $15.50 per year. The digital version is free to access on the RIT campus, allowing students and faculty to engage with Rochester’s past in new and exciting ways.

With a blend of traditional historical research and 21st-century presentation, Rochester History is proving that even the most established publications can evolve—and thrive. Thanks to the efforts of RIT, the Rochester Public Library, and dedicated contributors like Carroll, Ridarsky, Edwards, and Rooney, the journal stands as a living document of the region’s diverse and complex past.

As new stories are uncovered and old ones are revisited, the journal remains committed to its core mission: preserving Rochester’s legacy while giving fresh voice to those who helped shape it. And with continued support and growing readership, its future looks as bright as its newly redesigned pages.