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In This Issue
Exhibition: Keeping Time in Sag Harbor
Wine Festival 2009
Collections & Library News
1800 House Classes
Food for Thought Brownbags
Poetic Nantucket Narratives
Vacation Destination Days
Business Members Wine & Cheese
Quick Links
Join Our List
Join Our Mailing List
Hours & Information
February 14 - April 19
Whaling Museum: Open Saturday & Sunday: 11 A.M. - 4 P.M.
Closed on Easter, April 12

April 23 - May 11  
Whaling Museum: Open Thursday - Monday: 11 A.M. - 4 P.M.
 
Historic Sites: Hadwen House, Oldest House, Old Mill, and the Old Gaol are closed for the season. The Quaker Meeting House is open for self-guided tours when the Research Library is open. 
 
 
NHA Research Library
7 Fair Street 
Open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday - Friday. Closed Wednesdays and April 20, Patriot's Day.
 

NHA Museum Shop
The shop will be reopening on April 18; however, you may visit our Web site or place orders by calling 508-228-1894, ext. 5.
 
Featured items: 

rug

 
Bird's Eye View of Nantucket.
The whimsical art work of Anne Robb is captured in this 2 x 3 ft. wool rug, offered for $95.00.
 

'Sconset: A History, by Betsy Tyler, et al.
A catalog of the 'Sconset 02564 exhibition, held summer 2008 at the Whaling Museum. $19.95. Click here to buy now from our Web site
Nantucket Presidential Papers: From Washington to Franklin D. Roosevelt
..
Whitney Gallery at the Research Library, 7 Fair Street
Available for viewing to all when library is open
 
Spectacular Weddings, Parties, Dinners, Conferences... 
whaling museum outside at night
Many NHA properties are available for weddings, dinners, and parties. Celebrate life amid Nantucket treasures at the Nantucket Whaling Museum or one of our other properties. Surround your guests with elegant art and important objects that bring the story of Nantucket's past to life. Call Susan Beaumont for details at 508-228-1894, ext. 131, or visit our Web site for more information 
A gift that lasts a full year:

membership

Give an NHA Membership:
Free admission to our sites, use of the Research Library, discount at the museum shop, Historic Nantucket magazine, and more!  For a full list of our membership benefits, please click here. Join online or call 508-228-1894, ext. 116 (Beth), for additional membership information.
 
Or, make the gift of a lifetime in 2009 with a tax-free charitable IRA. Click here for more information.
 Gifts That Give
giftsthatgivelogo
 
giftsthatgive.com is a Web site offering quality products for you to choose from, and 25% of your purchase will be donated back to the NHA on your behalf. Just select the NHA from the drop-down box at checkout.
 
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NHA E-Newsletter  April 2009
longmire
Exhibition: Keeping Time in Sag Harbor
Photographs by Stephen Longmire 
Peter Foulger Gallery: March 14-June 7, 2009
Gallery talk with Stephen Longmire: Saturday, May 9, 2 PM
sag harborThe photographs and texts in this exhibition are drawn from Stephen Longmire's book Keeping Time in Sag Harbor, which marked the 300th anniversary of the New York port in 2007.
 
For over three-hundred years, the historic American village of Sag Harbor, the early whaling port at the tip of Long Island worthy of mention in Moby-Dick, showcases buildings from the American Revolution to the present. The town includes a street lined with stately eighteenth- and nineteenth-century mansions that is known as "Captains Row," much like Nantucket's Upper Main Street. These similarities to Nantucket's whaling past, and that Sag Harbor as a resort community is now an alternative to the exclusive Hamptons, make this collection especially appropriate for exhibition here. 
 
 
Whaling Museum Two-for-One Tickets
March 28 through April 19
Come to the Whaling Museum any Saturday or Sunday between 11 A.M. and 4 P.M. and two guests may enter for the admission price of one ticket.

 
2009 Wine Festival Wine Auction Dinner
Special Announcement from NWF President Denis Toner
nantucket wine festival 2009"This year's is by far the greatest presentation of food and wine in the history of the NWF.  Guest chef Daniel Bruce, of Meritage at the Boston Harbor Hotel, is celebrating his twentieth year of presenting food-and-wine-pairing dinners at the Boston Wine Festival, and has achieved national recognition for his skills. Read more...
 
Tickets Still Available!
You may still purchase tickets to the May 16 Wine Auction Dinner, which benefits the NHA, directly from us. If you plan to attend the Wine Auction Dinner, please contact Stacey Stuart at 508-228-1894, ext. 130 or purchase ticket online through our Museum Shop Web site.

As an additional reminder, the NHA would like to take this opportunity to let our friends and longtime supporters know that this year's tickets to the May 14 Wine Festival Gala are being sold exclusively by the Nantucket Wine Festival. The sole portion of the Gala that benefits the NHA is the Silent Auction, so PLEASE COME AND BID!  To purchase Gala tickets or other Nantucket Wine Festival tickets, please visit their Web site at: www.nantucketwinefestival.com
New for Summer 2009...
The best view in town at a great price
The Rooftop of the Whaling Museum
rooftopHost your summer cocktail party on the Whaling Museum's rooftop observation deck for $3,000! You and your guests will enjoy a never-ending view of land and sea, high above town.
 
Please contact Susan Beaumont at 508-228-1894, ext. 131, or [email protected], or visit our Web site for more information.
 
Up to 70 guests.
Limited Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights available through September.
Catering expense is additional.
 
Collections & Library News
Acquisitions Night, Wednesday, April 29
Whaling Museum, 13 Broad Street, 6 - 7 P.M.
Join NHA staff to learn about highlights of our newest accessions, including manuscript collections, photographs, artifacts, and paintings. Free for NHA members.
 
Collections Spotlight: Pieced Friendship Quilt
Friendship QuiltIn 1856, the economy of Nantucket was declining as the whaling industry waned. In response, the Nantucket Agricultural Society was established to encourage residents to pursue alternate means of making a living, especially farming. It held the first fair October 28-30, 1856, and it was very well attended. The quilt, a Friendship Album Quilt, consists of squares of muslin centers and printed cotton corners. It contains 218 signatures, and many verses. Nathaniel Barney wrote "He that ploweth should plow in hope" on his square. This quilt was displayed at the event, and may have been sold or given to Charles Frederick Coffin, as his name is on the back and it was handed down through his family until it was given to the NHA in 1970.
 
This quilt, and other textiles from our collections, was chosen to be included in a new book, Massachusetts Quilts: Our Common Wealth, edited by Lynne Zacek Bassett.
 
The NHA Joins Flickr Commons
flickrThe NHA joins the Smithsonian, the Library of Congress, National Library of New Zealand, and 20 other institutions in The Commons on Flickr. The key goals of The Flickr Commons are, first, to show the hidden treasures in the world's public photography archives, and, second, to show how the public's input and knowledge can help make these collections even richer. You are invited to help describe the photographs you discover in The Commons on Flickr, either by adding tags or leaving comments. So far, joining The Commons has resulted in more than 46,000 new visitors to our collections, and more coming every day.
 
Early-American Arts and Crafts at the 1800 House
Classes begin on May 26! 
valentine braunQuilting is one of the many arts taught in our 1800 House. Please visit our online schedule for details; a paper schedule is being mailed to those on our mailing list. If you have questions about a specific class, or want to inquire further about the full season,  please call Betsey or Mary at 508-228-1894, ext. 128.  
 
Gift certificates are available.
NHA'S Popular "Food for Thought" Brownbag Lunch Series
Thursday, April 2 - "Restaurant Gam"
Local restaurateurs will talk about their personal experiences in Nantucket's restaurants.
 
Thursday, April 9 - "Fishing Gam"
Local fishermen will share stories from Nantucket's fishing community.
 
Thursday, April 16- Vern Laux, "Birds of Nantucket"
Resident naturalist for the Linda Loring Nature Foundation, Vern Laux discusses the many bird species that can be found on Nantucket. 
 
Thursday, April 23 - Sarah Oktay, "Nantucket's Beaches"
Sarah Oktay, Managing Director, University of Massachusetts/Boston Nantucket Field Station, discusses the important role that Nantucket's beaches play in the environment.
 
Thursday, April 30 - Cheryl Beaton, "Invasive Species"
Cheryl Beaton, Assistant Director of the Maria Mitchell Association Natural Science Museum, discusses the threat posed by some of the invasive species that exist here on Nantucket.

Each talk begins at noon and is free to the public. Bring your lunch. For additional information about the Food for Thought series, please call 508-228-1894, ext. 0; to view the full schedule, please visit the web site.
Poetic Nantucket Narratives 
Saturday, April 4
Whaling Museum Discovery Room,
13 Broad Street, 1-3 P.M.
In recognition of National Poetry Month, young Nantucket poets will present a variety of poetry inspired by Nantucket. Any student interested in participating in the program may contact Chris Mason, NHA public programs coordinator, 508-228-1894, ext. 112, or [email protected].

Free for NHA members; $15 general public; $8 children
Vacation Destination Days: Passport to History
Monday, April 20, and Tuesday, April 21, 1-4 P.M.
Whaling Museum, 13 Broad Street
kidCome to the Whaling Museum and learn about Nantucket's history through special activities designed for families, including letterboxing and hands-on activities at historic sites. The program is free for Nantucket elementary school-age children and their families (children must be accompanied by an adult).
 
Comments from last year's participants:
 
kid 3"What a fantastic experience for the children of Nantucket. It couldn't have been organized better, and the staff was unbelievably knowledgeable and pleasant. Thank you!" 

"My kids couldn't fall asleep last night because they had such a great time here yesterday. The staff is so great!"
 
Vacation Destination Days are supported by a grant from the M. S. Worthington Foundation; the program is free for Nantucket elementary-age children and their families.
 
Business Members Wine & Cheese Reception 
Monday, April 27
Thomas Macy House, 99 Main Street, 5:30 - 7 P.M.
In appreciation of your support, NHA Business Members are invited to a welcome-to-spring wine and cheese reception.

Reservations required; please call 508.228.1894, ext. 0