Research Library
Located at 7 Fair Street, the library is open year-round-June to mid-October: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 10 A.M. - 4 P.M.; Tuesdays opening later, 11 A.M. - 4 P.M. Closed all legal holidays & weekends. Call 508-228-1894 ext. 4, or e-mail library@nha.org.
Administrative Offices
Located at 15 Broad Street, the administrative offices are open Monday - Friday, 9 A.M. - 5 P.M. Call 508-228-1894, ext. 0, or e-mail info@nha.org.
For a printer-friendly PDF of this newsletter, click here.
If you wish to discontinue receiving this e-newsletter from the Nantucket Historical Association, please email jwodynski@nha.org. Nantucket Historical Association, P.O. Box 1016, Nantucket, MA 02554 P: 508-228-1894; F: 508-228-5618 W: www.nha.org |
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The Whaling Museum and Historic Sights are open seven days a week!
The Whaling Museum, open Sunday - Saturday 10 A.M. - 5 P.M. and the first and third Wednesdays in June, July, and August until 8 P.M., features exhibits about Nantucket history, decorative arts, scrimshaw, and numerous interactive, hands-on learning opportunities for children twelve and under. The museum includes a restored 1847 candle factory, with its original whale-oil beam press (a three-story wooden structure that is the only such artifact surviving anywhere in the world); a 47-foot sperm-whale skeleton; a fully rigged whaleboat; a vast collection of whaling tools; the 16-foot Fresnel lens from Sankaty lighthouse; and numerous portraits of whaling captains and their wives and the vessels they sailed in. The film Bones of History, the Whale Hunt Lecture, the whaleship Essex Gam, and various gallery tours. The Hadwen House, 96 Main Street; Oldest House and period Kitchen Garden, 16 Sunset Hill; Old Mill, 50 Prospect Street; Quaker Meeting House, 7 Fair Street; Fire Hose-Cart House, 8 Gardner Street; and the Old Gaol, 15R Vestal Street are open Monday - Saturday, 10 A.M. - 5 P.M. Sunday, 12 - 5 P.M. |
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Summer Walking Tours of Downtown Nantucket begin July 1
Monday - Saturday, 4:30 P.M. (EXCEPT JULY 4)
Eighty-minute tours depart from the Whaling Museum, 13 Broad Street
Free for NHA members: tickets are $10, adults; $4, children (ages 6-17); |
Host your special event in the Whaling Museum - Exceptional events begin with unforgettable
venues. . .
Include the Whaling Museum when planning your social events! A great location for weddings (welcome parties, rehearsal dinners, and receptions); cocktail parties; staff gatherings; and corporate parties. Celebrate life amid Nantucket treasures at the Nantucket Whaling Museum. Immerse your guests in Nantucket history at our world-class museum, located in the heart of Nantucket Town. The space accommodates both small and large gatherings-a perfect mix of state-of-the-art and old-world design. Surround your guests with elegant art and important objects that bring the story of Nantucket's past to life. Your guests will enjoy breathtaking views of Nantucket harbor, town, and beyond from the rooftop observation deck. Call Susan Beaumont for details about hosting a memorable party in the Whaling Museum. 508-228-1894, ext. 131 |
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Bookworks Benefits:
A program that gives back to the NHA, among others.
Nantucket Bookworks, at 25 Broad Street, has chosen nine partners to benefit from its new pilot program. It is a two-tiered process: 1) Every time your accumulated purchases total $200, you'll receive a $10 coupon from Bookworks toward your next purchase; 2) Bookworks will then donate the value of 1% of your purchases to the organization you've selected. The NHA is one of the organizations that Bookworks has chosen; all you need to do is sign up in the store and put the NHA down as your affiliate. This is a most gracious community-minded program, and we are grateful to them for including us as one of their nonprofit partners. Now get out there and buy those books (and whatever else you can find in Bookworks' eclectic collection)! |
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Give the gift that lasts an entire year
The NHA is a member-based organization, receiving no municipal, state, or federal moneys; your membership enables the NHA to continue its mission of preserving the island's history and connecting the island's residents to Nantucket's unique past.
A one-year membership (which includes unlimited admission to the Whaling Museum, Old Mill, Quaker Meeting House, Oldest House, and Hadwen House; free use of the NHA Research Library; subscription to Historic Nantucket; 10% discount at the Museum Shop; discounts on certain classes and Explorations trips; and invitations to special events, concerts, and lectures). A perfect birthday, hostess, or anniversary gift. Please call 508-228-1894, ext. 116 (Beth) for additional membership information, or go to our website. |
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Please support the Businesses that support the NHA!
Business Leaders:
Accessible Dental
The Beachside at Nantucket
Congdon & Coleman Insurance
Cuddy Associates
James Lydon, Sons & Daughters
Johnstons of Elgin Cashmere
Killen Real Estate
Laura Munder Fine Jewelry
Lyman Perry Architects Ltd.
Marine Home Center
Mind's Eye Productions
Murray's Toggery Shop, Inc.
Nantucket Bank-A division of Sovereign Bank
Nantucket Bike Shop
Nantucket Island Resorts
Novation Media
Sylvia Antiques/Four Winds Craft Guild
Thirty Acre Wood, LLC
Trianon/Seaman Schepps
Young's Bicycle Shop
Business Sponsors:
Atlantic East Real Estate
Botticelli & Pohl, P.C.
BPC Architecture
Brass Lantern Inn
Cape Cod Express, Inc.
Congdon & Coleman Real Estate
Dujardin Design Associates, Inc.
Dunton Property Management, LLC
Hatch's Package Store
Kathleen Hay Designs
Leslie Heiden Design Consultants
Nantucket Butter Company
Nantucket House Antiques & Interior Design Studio
Nantucket Pharmacy
Norton Preservation Trust
Philbrick and Avery, LLP
Business Partners:
A. B. Norton Construction
ACKBBQ
American Seasons
Arno's at 41 Main Street
The Art Conservancy of Nantucket
Benji's Boutique
Brant Point Inn
Brien, Inc.
Cape Cod Life Publications
Cary Hazlegrove Photography
The Cellar
Centre Street Inn
Chase Canopy Company
Coffin Real Estate & 'Sconset Real Estate
Cooper Shepherd and Associates
Cross Rip Outfitters
D. Neil Parent Associates
Denby Real Estate
Design Associates, Inc.
The Downyflake
Edith Delker Real Estate
The English Trunk Show Company
Even Keel Caf�
Flowers on Chestnut
G. S. Hill Gallery
Hoorn-Ashby Gallery
Hospice Care of Nantucket Foundation
Le Languedoc Restaurant
Lindsay, Inc.
C. Richard Loftin, Attorney at Law
Madaket Marine
Mary Keller, Classical Harpist
Nantucket Architecture Group, Ltd.
Nantucket Carving & Folk Art, Inc.
Nantucket Catering Company
Nantucket Country
Nantucket Event Media
Nantucket Frameworks
Nantucket Inn
Nantucket Island Chamber of Commerce
Nantucket Office Products
Nantucket Party Rentals
Nantucket Real Estate Company
Nantucket Storage Center
Peter Beaton, Inc.
Pinwheels
Placesetters, Inc.
Sandcastle Construction, Inc.
Sankaty Head Golf & Beach Club
Sherburne Inn
Simply With Style Catering
Soir�e Floral
Spanky's Raw Bar
Surfing Hydrangea Nursery
Susan M. Warner Catering
Swain's Travel
Sweet Inspirations
Topham Designs, Inc.
Twig Perkins, Inc.
The UPS Store
Vis-A-Vis
The Wade Cottages
Water Street
The White Whale
Zero Main
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114th NHA Annual Meeting
Friday, July 11, 5:00 P.M.
 The Board of Trustees invites all NHA members to Gosnell Hall, in the Whaling Museum, 13 Broad Street, for the 114th annual meeting. Roger Ainsworth, Master of St. Catherine's College, Oxford, and Professor of Engineering Science in the University of Oxford, Keynote Speaker: "The Inauguration of a Creative Partnership - the Oxford Perspective." |
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Nantucket Presidential Papers: From Washington to Franklin D. Roosevelt July 3-November 7
In the Whitney Gallery at the Research Library, 7 Fair Street
 American presidents have been concerned in the affairs of Nantucket Island from the days of the nation's founding. The collections of the Nantucket Historical Association hold documents signed by almost every president beginning with George Washington. In recognition of election year, the NHA will present an exhibition highlighting some of the more remarkable items in the collection. Some of the notable documents include: appointment of Inspector of the Revenue for the Ports of Nantucket and Sherburne, signed by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson; ships' papers signed by John Tyler, James Polk, Franklin Pierce, and others; Abraham Lincoln's appointment of George Hussey Tracy as first lieutenant in the Fifteenth Infantry Regiment; a letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Dr. William Sturgis Bigelow; and a letter from Franklin Delano Roosevelt (as Acting Secretary of the Navy) regarding the naming of a torpedo-boat destroyer in honor of Nantucketer Reuben Chase. The exhibition is made possible by the generous support of Susan R. and L. Dennis Shapiro. Open during regular NHA Research Library hours. |
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Summer Exhibition: 'Sconset 02564: A Celebration of the Patchwork Village In the Peter Foulger Museum, through November 11
 The exhibition features the history, architecture, personalities, and "character" of this unique village at the eastern end of Nantucket, often described as the most charming in America, following its evolution from a fishing village to a world-renowned summer resort. |
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'Sconset Night, Wednesday, July 2
Peter Foulger Gallery, 6:00 - 8:00 P.M.
All those interested in 'Sconset are invited to join us at a special evening revolving around the exhibition 'Sconset 02564: A Celebration of the Patchwork Village, Widely acknowledged as one of the most successful exhibitions that the NHA has ever presented, 'Sconset 02564 is distinguished by the large amount of input from the community. Our goal was to convey the history and experience of Siasconset, and this special evening will include the opportunity to create a postcard of 'Sconset, write personal recollections on a map of 'Sconset, and celebrate the train that once ran from town to the village at the east end of the island.
We are pleased to offer an illustrated companion piece to the exhibition, 'Sconset: A History-a publication made possible with support from the Judy Family Foundation; it will be available shortly.
Free for NHA members; $10 Siasconset Civic Association and 'Sconset Trust members; $15 general public. |
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Exciting digital exhibition: Landmarks!
 During the summer and fall of 2007, more than thirty Nantucket sixth-, seventh-, and eighth- graders participated in the NHA's first student-curated photographic exhibition, Landmarks of Nantucket! This digital exhibition showcases what the students considered to be their cherished Nantucket landmarks. This collaborative exhibition-organized by the NHA, the Nantucket Preservation Trust, and Sustainable Nantucket-was on display in the Whaling Museum's Candle Factory from May to November. The full panels are now available for viewing online. |
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Take a Class in Early-American Arts and Crafts at the 1800 House
 This educational program is dedicated to celebrating and reviving Nantucket's rich tradition in historic decorative arts and crafts. Taught by artisans from Nantucket and throughout the country, offerings range from one-day to three-day classes. Prepayment and preregistration required. For a full listing of summer and fall classes, please visit our website. |
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Up Close and Personal: Oldest House Kitchen Garden Tours "Inch By Inch, Row by Row"
Fridays & Saturdays at 3:00 P.M.
May 30 - September 27
 Learn about the herbs and plants and their uses that are growing in this replicated 1700s kitchen garden. Discussion led by NHA staff member Kathrina Pearl, who is currently completing a certificate program in Historic Landscape Preservation at the Landscape Institute of Harvard University's Arnold Arboretum. Pearl researched and designed the garden, and will provide an overview of a period kitchen garden and the orchard at the Oldest House.
Oldest House, 16 Sunset Hill. Free for NHA members, $6 Historic Site pass |
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Planned-Giving Workshop Thursday, July 10, 7:00 P.M. Reservations required by July 7
Thomas. C. Rogerson, managing director of Family Wealth Services, will discuss The Family Wealth Paradigm: Integrating Family Values with Wealth Planning for a Long-lasting Legacy. Rogerson is rated as one of the top speakers on the subject in the country and has worked with top U. S. law, accounting, insurance, and investment firms-educating, motivating, and training their employees, prospects, and clients on family issues around wealth and how to integrate it into their financial planning.
Are you taking charge of your legacy or will the government make those decisions for you? What will your children do with their inheritance? What will their inheritance do to them? Will your wealth last beyond your children? Will your children and grandchildren embrace the values most important to you? Studies show that the families who preserve wealth the best pay as much attention to their values and vision as they do to their money and taxes.
Using case studies from his extensive experience with individuals and charities across the county, Rogerson will demonstrate how to join family goals and charitable desires with tax-wise planning and investing to create a unique wealth-management plan for your family.
Free to the public, but reservations are required by July 7. Please call 508-228-1894, ext. 0. |
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Special Tours of Gosnold Support Center, Friday, July 11, and Friday July 25. Please call ahead to reserve your spot; space is limited and tickets will not be sold at the door.  These special tours, led by NHA curators Ben Simons and Tony Dumitru, will highlight some of the NHA's vast artifact collection, which represents many definitive aspects of Nantucket's history. The collections encompass all media, including textiles, glass, wood, metals, works on paper, paintings, and whale ivory. Some of the gems on the tour will include examples from the eight-hundred-piece scrimshaw collection-such as engraved whalebone busks, canes, pie crimpers, and letter boxes; South Seas artifacts; whaling implements; Chinese porcelain tea sets and items in the highly decorated famille rose-style porcelain. Various artists' work from the more than eight hundred paintings in the collection will also be discussed. There are more than thirty thousand artifacts in the NHA's collection.
The interpretive tour lasts one hour. 89 Bartlett Road, 11 A.M.-NOON Tickets are $25 for NHA members, $35 for nonmembers. For more information about the tour or to register, please call 508-228-1894, ext. 0. |
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Family Concert with Chanteyman Don Sineti Wednesday, July 16, 7:00 P.M. Whaling Museum, 13 Broad St.
 Join us as Mystic Seaport's Don Sineti works his musical magic while using traditional instruments to share sailors'songs and chanteys that chronicle life on the high seas. Don has quite the following, so arrive early to secure your seat!
Free for NHA members, $15 general public |
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Family Whale Festival Thursday & Friday, July 17 and 18, 12:00- 4:00 P.M. Whaling Museum, 13 Broad St.
 The whale occupies an important place in Nantucket history and in the world today. Celebrate with a hands-on festival for visitors of all ages, including drawing whales with artist and chanteyman Don Sineti; listen to whale sounds; learn the history of whaling and whale biology; experience the Essex Gam; make origami whales, imitation scrimshaw, and enjoy the songs of the sea. This festival is being organized with help from IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare), and Project WET (Water Education for Teachers).
Free for NHA members, $15 general public |
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Explorations heads to New Zealand! February 2009 Join the NHA on a journey through maritime, whaling, Maori, and European history in New Zealand.
 Fly to New Zealand! February 9 -25, 2009: Come fly with the us as we explore the country of New Zealand with our hosts Bill and Peggy Tramposch, who lived there for eleven years before moving to the island when Bill joined the Nantucket Historical Association. Travel includes 16 nights of accommodations with stays in Wellington, Picton, Kaikoura, Christchurch, Bay of Islands, and Auckland. Package also includes daily breakfast, 5 lunches, 7 dinners, transportation within New Zealand, sightseeing and gratuities. Price is based on double occupancy, land only: $6,599 (per person). Supplement based on single occupancy: $1,500 additional (per person).
A $1,500 deposit is due August 12, 2008 (of which $500 is nonrefundable). Rates are based on a minimum of twenty participants. Travel to and from New Zealand is NOT included. For add-on flight information, please contact Swain's Travel at 508-228-3201. For additional information, visit www.nha.org/nz.html
Call Julie for more information or to make a reservation, 508-228-1894, Ext. 0.
Note: $1000 of the total fee is Tax Deductible |
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Bill Schustik in Concert Saturday, July 26, 7:00 P.M. Whaling Museum, 13 Broad Street
 American troubadour Bill Schustik will perform traditional 18th- and 19th-century music, dedicated to the memory of his longtime publicist and friend Doris Fellerman. Reception immediately follows.
Free for NHA members, $15 general public. |
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Friends of the NHA Lecture: Elliot Bostwick Davis: "What Curators Learn from Collectors: Designing the New American Wing at the MFA, Boston" Tuesday, July 29, 6:00 P.M. Whaling Museum, 13 Broad Street,
 Elliot Bostwick Davis, John Moors Cabot Chair, Art of the Americas, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, will speak on this amazing accomplishment; the opening event of Antiques Show week. Whaling Museum, 13 Broad Street, 6 P.M. Reception to follow.
For ticket information please call 508-228-1894, ext. 117 |
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Lights, Camera, Action! It's August Antiques Show Time Preview Party, Thursday, July 31, 6-9:00 P.M.
Nantucket New School, 15 Nobadeer Farm Rd.
The 31st August Antiques Show Preview Party
A limited number of tickets are still available; please call 508-228-1894, ext. 117
And as a sneak peak of the show schedule:
Friday, August 1
The 31st Annual August Antiques Show Opens
Nantucket New School, 15 Nobadeer Farm Road, 10 A.M.-5 P.M.
The show is managed by the prestigious Antiques Council
For ticket information please call 508-228-1894, Ext. 117
Saturday, August 2
The 31st Annual August Antiques Show
Nantucket New School, 15 Nobadeer Farm Road, 10 A.M.-5 P.M.
The show is managed by the prestigious Antiques Council
For ticket information please call 508-228-1894, Ext. 117
Saturday, August 2
August Antiques Show Cocktail Party
Hosted by Nancee & John Erickson, 32 West Chester Street 5:30-7:30 P.M.
Tickets must be purchased in advance. Please call for tickets, (508) 228-1894, ext. 117
Saturday, August 2
August Antiques Show Dinner
Sponsored by Trianon /Seaman Schepps
NHA's Oldest House, Sunset Hill, 7:30 P.M.
Tickets must be purchased in advance. Please call for tickets, (508) 228-1894, ext. 117
Sunday, August 3
NHA 31st Annual August Antiques Show (last day)
Nantucket New School, 15 Nobadeer Farm Road, 10 A.M. - 4 P.M.
Raffle drawing at 3:00 P.M. The show is managed by the prestigious Antiques Council
For ticket information please call 508-228-1894, Ext. 117
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NHA Museum Shop - 2008 MARKS ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARY!
 The shop is open for the season! New this year, after receiving permission to reprint, we have the Commemorative Edition of Greater Light on Nantucket: A Memoir, written by Hanna D. Monaghan in 1973, available for $16.00. The exhibition catalog The Nantucket Art Colony, 1920-1945 is also available for $29.95. For those who loved last season's summer exhibition, this is the book for you. The catalog gives in-depth descriptions of each painting in the exhibition, with a foreword by NHA executive director Bill Tramposch. As always, you may shop on-line by visiting the website, or place orders by calling 508-228-5785.
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Volunteer opportunities at the NHA Research Library  Interested in indexing scrapbooks, digitizing photographs, or transcribing ships' logs? The NHA Research Library has an abundance of work that needs to be done. A description of these and many other tasks is available on our website, or you may receive a packet by mail; just let us know your address! Please contact Georgen Gilliam Charnes, Curator of Library & Archives 508-228-1894, ext. 301 |
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Collections Database Now On-line The NHA artifacts collection represents many definitive aspects of Nantucket's history, including whaling, land and sea transportation, the Quaker religion, fine and decorative arts, farming, commerce, and architecture. There are some 30,000 artifacts in the NHA's collection, which encompasses all media-including textiles, glass, wood, metals, works on paper, paintings, and whale ivory. The vast collection includes more than 700 paintings, some 800 prints and drawings, 150 baskets, 400 lighting devices, 800 pieces of scrimshaw, more than 2,500 whaling tools and implements, more than 6,000 pieces of furniture and examples of decorative arts, and the complete skeletons of a finback whale (now on display at Nantucket High School), and a 46-foot sperm whale (displayed at the Whaling Museum). Images of selections from our collections are now viewable online. These include most of our scrimshaw artifacts and painting collections and many other items.
Visit our collections database and let us know what you think!
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