'Henry Hudson Anchors off 'Staaten Eylandt 1609.'

On Sept. 2, 1609, the Dutch ship 'Half Moon,' sailing under the helm of the English navigator and explorer Henry Hudson, entered New York Bay. Employed by the Dutch East India Company with a crew of 18 from Amsterdam, Hudson attempted for the third time to find a route to the Orient. Robert Juet, a mate on the Half Moon, writes that the land is '...pleasant with grass flowers and goodly trees…' and makes reference to the native inhabitants the Lenapes. It is believed that Henry Hudson named the island 'Staaten Eylandt' after the governing body of Holland, the States-General. Before he left, Hudson traded with the Lenapes, exchanging clothes for tobacco, wheat, oysters, and beans.

Frederick Charles Stahr's emphasis here is on the native Lenape people. The centrally placed figure with crossed arms appears to be the leader. One is not sure he is going to welcome the explorers.

He received many mural commissions, including the ceiling of the United States Treasury; the 'Court Scene' in the Newark, NJ, courthouse and the 'History of Manhattan' at the Manhattan Hotel. He worked on the ceiling of the Metropolitan Opera House and assisted in mural decoration at the Ottawa railroad station. He worked in courthouses in Baltimore, Chicago and Boston.

In 1904, during the construction of the construction of the Staten Island Borough Hall, Stahr presented his idea, of painting murals commemorating the history of Staten Island, to the architects Carrere & Hastings. He was promised the commission, but a lack of money stopped the work. Thirty-two years later, through the Works Progress Administration (WPA), Stahr was awarded the commission to paint 'the Evolution of Staten Island.' Stahr had an office in the building. It took him two years to complete the 13 murals, which were installed in 1940. He was a member of the American Academy of Design and the National Academy of Design.

He was hired by the Dutch East India Company in 1609 to try to find the Northwest Passage farther south. In his ship the Half Moon, Hudson sailed to Nova Scotia, and then turned and sailed south. He sailed into New York's harbor on Sept. 3, 1609 (Verrazano sailed by the area in 1524), and noted that it was an excellent harbor. He sailed up river (Hudson River) 150 miles and noted the fertile land, but realized it was not a route to India. His reports resulted in the Dutch settling the area.

A 1610-1611 trip through the Hudson Strait and into Hudson Bay ended in a mutiny after the ship was trapped there for a winter. In 1611, the crew left Hudson, his son, and seven crew members adrift in a small, open boat in Hudson Bay. They were never seen again.

He received many mural commissions, including the ceiling of the United States Treasury, the 'Court Scene' in the Newark, NJ Courthouse and the 'History of Manhattan' at the Manhattan Hotel. He worked on the ceiling of the Metropolitan Opera House and assisted in mural decoration at the Ottawa railroad station. Later, he received his master's degree in arts and letters.

In 1904, at the time of the construction of the Staten Island Borough Hall, Stahr submitted his idea for murals commemorating the history of Staten Island to the architects. He was promised the commission, but a lack of funds prevented him from doing the work. Thirty-two years later, through the Works Progress Administration (WPA), Stahr was awarded the commission to paint 'The Evolution of Staten Island.' Stahr had an office in the building. It took him two years to complete the 13 murals, which were installed in 1940. He died six years later, at the age of 70.