NHA Whaling Museum & Historic Sites Open Daily through October 13.

Click here for full information on hours and ticket prices

 

Walking Tours of Downtown Nantucket offered through October 13
Click here for full information on times

 

NHA Research Library Open Monday - Friday

Hold your holiday party in the Whaling Museum! A great location for weddings (welcome parties, rehearsal dinners, and receptions); cocktail parties; staff gatherings; and holiday parties. 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 or other NHA properties. 508-228-1894, ext. 131 or visit our Web site for more information 

Open daily 10 A.M. - 5 P.M., 11 Broad Street

 

- 'Sconset: A History, is a comprehensive look at the history of 'Sconset written by Betsy Tyler, with contributions by numerous other longtime residents. Made possible by the generous support of the Judy Family Foundation, the book is available for $19.95.

- Commemorative Edition of Greater Light on Nantucket: A Memoir, written by Hanna D. Monaghan in 1973, available for $16.00.

 

- The Nantucket Art Colony, 1920-1945: catalog of last summer's exhibition for $29.95.
  

We now have a page on Facebook! If you're a member of Facebook, please join us. Click here to visit!

 

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. Click here for more information

 

Ship Logs Available Online

The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County has digitized several logs held by the NHA that are now available online on its Web site. They include the journal of the ship Nauticon, kept by Susan Veeder 1848-1853; the journal of the ship Edward Cary, 1854-1858; the log of the ship Washington, 1842-1844; and the log of the ship Asia, 1791-1794. Click here to view the logs.

The NHA wishes to extend its thanks to the many volunteers who have given so much of their time this summer. Hundreds of images have been added to the online database, manuscript collections have been inventoried, newspapers clipped, old accession records entered into the database, and ship logs summarized. We are proud of the excellent access we have to our collections, and it would not be possible without our volunteers and interns. Thank you Pat Belford, Helen Didriksen, Robert Gambee Jr., Doris Glazer, Sam High, Chip Jackson, Fiona Lochtefeld, Vera Lochtefeld, Casey Monaghan (our intern), Les Ottinger, Eleanor Wright, and Margaret Wright.

 

The NHA Research Library is pleased to be the recipient of many excellent donations from the community. One of the many items recently received is a photograph album created by the late Edmund Perry, formerly vice president of the Island Service Company. This album features many rare images of the boatyard and its workers; of the images in the album, 101 have been scanned and cataloged. To view the images, please visit our online image database and search "A96*".  Thank you to Tammy Perry Murphy for making this contribution to Nantucket's historical record.

 

In the second week of October, in collaboration with the Maria Mitchell Association and the Egan Maritime Insititute, the Nantucket Historical Association will host paintings conservator Lydia Vagts, formerly at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, for a conservation assessment. Vagts will evaluate five paintings in the collections of each organization that are in need of conservation and will make recommendations about conservation work needed in each case.

 

This season's theme, "Collecting Community:  A vibrant, unique island community- Nantucket's rich history," will showcase island speakers who will share experiences and comment on collecting or concentrating on various aspects of the community.

 

The October 2 presentation will feature David Donath, who will discuss "Creating and Collecting Community."  Donath will focus on history museums that present themselves as interpretive gateways to their communities as well as to various regions that play important roles for both residents and visitors. 

 

The October 9 subject, "New Zealand," will be discussed by NHA Executive Director Bill Tramposch, who lived there for ten years prior to moving to the faraway island. The relationship between Nantucket and New Zealand has been strong due largely to Nantucket whalers; Tramposch will explore some of these historic relationships. Click here to read about the NHA Explorations trip to New Zealand! 

 

The October 16 Food for Thought topic will feature Marianne Stanton, publisher and editor of Nantucket's oldest newspaper, who will speak on the "History of the Inquirer and Mirror since 1821."

October 23 Food for Thought - TBA

The October 30 "Halloween discussion" will feature the Nantucket Paranormal Group.  There are many stories of ghosts on Nantucket and the Nantucket Paranormal Group is using scientific and professional techniques to examine the island's paranormal activity.  Ray Sylvia Sr. and team members will present their findings on some NHA properties and explain how the process of investigating paranormal activity actually works.

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.

 

Families and friends are invited to celebrate the fall harvest at the Old Mill. Learn about Nantucket's agricultural heritage, enjoy traditional crafts, and play lively Native American and colonial games. The mill will be open for tours, and visitors will also have the opportunity to decorate pumpkins, bob for apples, and make beeswax candles. There will also be a butter-making activity, and fresh corn bread will be served! There is a $5 suggested donation per family.  Museum interpreters will be on hand to answer questions about the 1746 mill and, weather permitting, the mill will be grinding corn.

 

The museum will be open from 8 to midnight so participants may roam the darkened halls and hear hauntingly historic tales. Nantucket ghost stories, flashlight tours, and scary food tastings will lend a ghoulish feel to this pre-Halloween event. The NHA's Old Gaol (15 R Vestal Street) built in 1806 by the town to hold prisoners, will also be opened.  In collaboration with the Maria Mitchell Association (MMA), and the Nantucket Atheneum, all three venues will be offering special harrowing programs, suitable for children. The MMA activities will include their animal room, nature games, scary story readings, and touch boxes. The Atheneum will hold a "mystery tour" of the Great Hall for children eleven and older.  The Nantucket Boys & Girls Club is also providing support for the evening festivities.

Costumed staff members will greet trick-or-treaters at the front door of the Whaling Museum, 13 Broad Street. Happy Haunting. . . .

 

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 presents an exhibition highlighting some of the more remarkable items in the collection, including: 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.

 

 

Cooler days, a quieter pace, an autumn nip in the air-the perfect time to head inside and enjoy the coziness of a restored period home while learning a new craft. Autumn classes include: chair caning and fiber-rush seating with Peter Wilson; painting on canvas with Elizabeth Gilbert; scrimshaw with Lee Papale; shorebird woodcarving with Bill Sarni; and reverse painting on glass with Margaret Emery and Mary Lacoursiere. Please go to the NHA Web site for full class listings. And don't forget about our "Bring a Friend" program. Any NHA member who has previously registered in a class at the 1800 House can sign up for a 2008 class with another NHA member, who has not yet participated, and both members will receive a 10% price reduction for that class.