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In This Issue
Message from the Executive Director
Whaling Museum is open
Free Weekday Children's Programs
Food for Thought Brown Bags
History Quiz Bowl
Family Craft Workshop
Gift of the Whale
Gallery Talk on the Gift of the Whale with Bill Hess
Greater Light Restoration Update
Give an NHA Membership or an 1800 House Gift Certificate
Upcoming Exhibitions
Host your 2010 party in the Whaling Museum
Summer Internship in Education
Wanted : A Grand Piano
Phebe Ann Coffin Hanaford Biography
Explorations Alaska!
Gifts that Give Back to the NHA
Hours & Information
Quick Links
Join Our List
Join Our Mailing List
Cast your vote!
 
 
 
To celebrate pride in the history and culture of Massachusetts, the state is asking for the public's help identifying the most special places in the Commonwealth. 
 
Please follow this link before April 1, 2010 and vote for the Nantucket Whaling Museum.
NHA E-Newsletter  March 2010
A Message from the Executive Director
bill tramposchThe Whaling Museum has reopened after a January hiatus, heralding a very early sign of spring on Nantucket. Floors are polished, our free weekly Food for Thought brown-bag lecture series has resumed, and a new free weekday children's program is under way in the Discovery Room.
 
Meanwhile, filmmaker Ric Burns continues to put the finishing touches on Into the Deep, his two-hour documentary on the history of American whaling. Prior to its premier on public television, we are privileged to be hosting a preview of this American Experience/WGBH film at the Whaling Museum in April. Once Ric and the Steeplechase Film crew are finished launching this opus, they will complete the NHA's twenty-minute "gateway" film about Nantucket history, which will premier at the Whaling Museum in the summer of 2011.
 
Hammers keep flying at Greater Light as the restoration work continues. We look forward to reopening this historic property in 2011 after its restoration and interpretation are completed. We remain very grateful for the strong support we have received in challenging economic times; with your help, the NHA continues to remain vital and forward-looking. 
 
Bill Tramposch
Executive Director
The Whaling Museum is open on Saturday & Sunday, 11 A.M. - 4 P.M. through April 18.
 
New! Free Weekday Children's Programs
in the Discovery Room
Looking for a way for you and your children to spend quality time together this winter? The Whaling Museum's Discovery Room will be open, at no charge, for children and families on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 2 - 4:30 P.M. through April 29, each week featuring different ways to explore Nantucket history through crafts, games, stories, and hands-on access to artifacts from the NHA's collections. Groups of children are welcome but must be accompanied by adult companions. Each day's activities will feature a different theme:
 
Tuesday is NANTUCKET NARRATIVES DAY, an afternoon of stories and activities inspired by Nantucket history.  Join us as an NHA educator shares a story, or choose books from our library to read on your own. 
 
Wednesday is ACTIVITIES AND ARTIFACTS DAY featuring a different "Artifact of the Week" where children can see and touch historic objects from the NHA's collections as well as participate in hands-on activities inspired by the featured artifact.
 
Thursday is ISLAND EXPLORATIONS DAY, a time to explore Nantucket history through a variety of activities-dressing up in colonial clothing, learning to tie knots, examining historic photographs, or reading books about Nantucket history. 
 
The NHA gratefully acknowledges the program support provided by the Nantucket Golf Club Foundation.
 
Whaling Museum, 13 Broad Street, February 16 - April 29, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 2 - 4:30 P.M.  Free for all children and families.
 
NHA's Popular Food for Thought Brown-Bag Lecture Series
Join us for Food for Thought, the popular brown-bag lunch lecture series, Thursdays at noon in the Whaling Museum, 13 Broad Street.
 
March's theme is Travel Memories.
 
March 4: Ben Simons and Tony Dumitru, "Whalers' Souvenirs"

March 11: Les Ottinger, "In Their Words: Highlights from the Whaling Logs"

March 18: Lawrence Dober, "Come On from Off: Picture Postcards"

March 25: Cecil Barron Jenson, "Nantucket Art and Artists"

Each talk begins at noon and is free to the public. Bring your lunch. The Food for Thought programs are supported by a grant from the M. S. Worthington Foundation.

Whaling Museum, 13 Broad Street, noon, free
 
History Quiz Bowl, with Historian Nat Philbrick
Saturday, March 6, in the Whaling Museum
Nat PhilbrickLooking for something fun to do? Are you smarter than a fifth grader? Are you the weakest link? What about, "Do you think you know Nantucket?"   We invite you to test your knowledge at a Nantucket History Quiz Bowl. Free for the public.
 
Lovers of Nantucket's history-teenagers, families, and adults-are invited to compete and enjoy an exciting, nonthreatening competition with friends and neighbors. Hone your knowledge of Nantucket history, and come compete with other teams. Teams of all ages and abilities are welcome, and may have between one and three members. 
 
Led by island author and historian Nat Philbrick as "quiz master," the History Quiz Bowl will be broken down into rounds, where teams will be asked five questions with a one-minute time limit to answer each question.  The teams with the most correct answers will advance to the next round.  Prizes will be awarded to the winning team. Proceeds will support the Nantucket Historical Association's education programs. For more information, contact Chris Mason, (508) 228-1894, ext. 112, or [email protected] 
Family Craft Workshop
Saturday, March 20 at the Whaling Museum
Children and families are invited to work together and create decorative and functional placemats for your home. Each group will have the opportunity to produce four placemats and a complementary table runner. All pieces can be customized using a variety of patterns and designs. NHA members, $20 for a group of up to four, nonmembers, $25 for a group up to four; $5 for each additional person. Maximum of six per group.
 
Whaling Museum, 13 Broad Street, 1-4 P.M. 
 
Exhibition opens to the public, March 27
Gift of the Whale: The Iñupiat Bowhead Hunt, a Sacred Tradition
Peter Foulger Gallery
gift of the whaleThe Iñupiat Eskimos have lived and hunted in the Arctic region of Alaska for 5,000 years. Central to their lifestyle and survival is the bowhead whale, a primary source not only of food, building materials, and barter goods, but also of art, legends, and cultural identity.
 
The exhibition features the photography of Bill Hess, who documented the bowhead hunt in his book Gift of the Whale: The Iñupiat Bowhead Hunt, a Sacred Tradition. With patience and openness, Hess earned the trust of the Iñupiat community, and was invited to document the hunt. His photographs share a startling and deeply moving portrait of a community fully engaged in the pursuit of the bowhead whale. The exhibition will provide visitors with a glimpse into a contemporary society that owes its survival to the hunting of whales, not unlike the island of Nantucket at the height of the Golden Age of whaling.
 
This photography exhibition will also include the documentary film The Eskimo and the Whale, an Eskimo kayak, and Arctic carvings in ivory from the NHA collections. In addition to the exhibition, in late April wooden-boat builder Corey Freedman will be on island to build a traditional Umiak. The exhibition will be on display through June 13, 2010.
 
Gallery Talk on the Gift of the Whale with Bill Hess
Saturday, March 27
Please join us for an informative discussion by Bill Hess, author and photographer of the exhibition, Gift of the Whale: The Inupiat Bowhead Hunt, a Sacred Tradition, which opens today, March 27, in the Peter Foulger Gallery. Hess will discuss photos in the exhibition, as well as the process of gathering his information to mount such an exhibition.
 
Whaling Museum, 13 Broad Street, 2 P.M.
Free for NHA members; or with museum admission.
 
Greater Light Restoration Update
As the sounds of buzz saws and the aroma of new cedar shingles float on the chilly breeze, the restoration work at our historic property Greater Light is progressing right on schedule-thanks to the generosity of our supporters, who contributed $1.2 million for the Phase I restoration project.
 
The 1790 livestock barn at 8 Howard Street was purchased by Quaker sisters Gertrude and Hanna Monaghan in 1929 and converted by them into an eclectic summer home and art studio. The property was bequeathed to the NHA in 1972.
 
Since last fall, contractor Twig Perkins and his crew have been working at the property to bring it back to life. Restoration and repair of the lovely leaded windows has been completed, and the windows have been put back in their original locations. The outside walls are currently being reshingled, and a new period asphalt roof will replace the old shingles. In maintaining as much of the original character of the building as possible, the bow in the roof will still be visible. A new central floor has been built, the foundation and frame have been reinforced, and new wiring and plumbing have been installed.
 
This summer the NHA will open Greater Light as a "work in progress" for tours and a small exhibition that presents the site's wonderful potential to present Nantucket's emergence as an art colony and resort. To undertake Phase II of the Greater Light project, the NHA is now seeking to raise an additional $600,000 for the interpretation of the property and development of educational programs.
 
When restored, interpreted, and reopened in 2011, Greater Light will help recall an important part of the island's history-the development of the island as a summer resort and the establishment of a thriving early-twentieth-century art colony.
 
Anyone interested in learning more about the restoration may contact Mark Avery, director of historic properties, at 508-228-1894, ext. 232. To make a contribution to the project, please contact Cristin Merck, director of development, at ext. 114, or [email protected].
 
Give an NHA Membership or an 1800 House Gift Certificate 
A one-year membership is the perfect holiday, birthday, hostess, or anniversary gift that will provide 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-percent discount at the Museum Shop; discounts on certain classes and Explorations trips; and invitations to special events, concerts, and lectures. Please call Beth Moyer at 508-228-1894, ext. 116, for additional membership information, or go to http://www.nha.org/membership.
 
For those who enjoy early-American arts and crafts, consider giving a gift certificate in any amount that can be applied to the recipient's choice of a class during the 2010 season at the NHA's 1800 House. Please call 508-228-1894, ext. 128, or 508-228-7785 for additional information; or go to http://www.nha.org/1800house/index.html to learn more about the NHA's lifelong-learning programs in early-American arts and crafts.
 
Upcoming Exhibitions
Gift of the Whale: The Inupiat Bowhead Hunt, a Sacred Tradition
Peter Foulger Gallery in the Whaling Museum, March 27 - June 13, 2010

A Passion for People: 40 Years of Nantucket Portrait Photography by Beverly Hall
Whitney Gallery in the Research Library, April 22 - December 31, 2010   

"Sometime think of me": Notable Nantucket Women through the Centuries
Embroidered Narratives by Susan Boardman with biographies by Betsy Tyler
Peter Foulger Gallery, Whaling Museum,
July 1 - November 7, 2010
 
Greater Light: A Look Ahead 
An Installation Previewing Coming Attractions
Greater Light
June 4
It won't be long before the busy social season begins:
Host your 2010 party in the Whaling Museum 
Celebrate your special occasion surrounded by Nantucket treasures. NHA properties are wonderful locations for parties, weddings, welcome parties, rehearsal dinners, receptions, cocktail parties, and corporate events. Surround your guests with elegant art and important objects that bring the story of Nantucket's past to life at our world-class museum. Located in the heart of Nantucket Town, the museum can accommodate both small and large gatherings-a perfect mix of state-of-the-art and old-world design. Your guests will also enjoy breathtaking views of Nantucket harbor, town, and beyond from the rooftop observation deck.
 
Call Susan Beaumont at 508-228-1894, ext. 131, for details about hosting a memorable party in the Whaling Museum or other NHA properties.

Exceptional events begin with unforgettable venues. . . .
 
Summer Internship in Horticulture Available
oldest house windowThe Nantucket Historical Association is seeking a horticulture intern to help maintain a variety of garden spaces, both contemporary and historical in design, associated with its Whaling Museum and historic sites. The intern will work with the maintenance and grounds crew and will report to the director of historic properties. This full-time position will begin in late May/early June 2010, and will last ten to twelve weeks. Duties will include: supporting staff in basic garden-maintenance operations at the NHA sites; working on a project that will enhance the design and function of an existing garden area, or helping to develop new garden-based program ideas/educational offerings for NHA sites; and conducting garden tours at the NHA's Oldest House kitchen garden, a replicated colonial-era vegetable and herb garden.  Preferably, applicants should be enrolled in, or have graduated from, a horticulture, landscape design, or history of landscape design program. Applicant should have practical gardening experience, enjoy working with the public, and have the ability to work both independently and with groups. A stipend and housing will be offered. Applications are due by March 15, 2010.  Please contact Rebecca Miller, assistant to the executive director, 508-228-1895, ext. 122, or [email protected].
Wanted : A Grand Piano for the Whaling Museum
The NHA is seeking the donation of a six-foot grand piano to enhance our year-round programming at the Whaling Museum. The NHA had one for a short while, but it was on loan and has been returned. The donation of a piano in good condition would be greatly appreciated by the NHA!  Please contact Rebecca Miller, assistant to the executive director, at 508-228 1894, ext. 122, or [email protected].
 
New Book in Library
Phebe Ann Coffin Hanaford Biography
Just in time for the forthcoming major exhibition featuring Nantucket's notable women, the library has received a copy of A Mighty Social Force: Phebe Ann Coffin Hanaford, a Daughter of Nantucket, 1829-1921, the first comprehensive biography of this child of a Quaker family who later in life embraced the Universalist doctrine. Written by Loretta Cody, with contributions by Sarah Barber-Braun, a Unitarian Universalist minister, the book follows Hanaford's life from her early days on Nantucket to her marriage to Joseph Hanaford and motherhood to the end of her long, colorful, and sometimes-controversial career as a Universalist minister and a prolific writer. She was a passionate advocate for women's rights, and lived long enough to cast her vote in the first federal election open to women, in 1920.
 
Both Cody and Barber-Braun did much of their research for the book in the NHA Research Library, which houses a collection of Hanaford's private papers, published works, sermons, and other memorabilia.
 
We are pleased to have this addition to the library's collection. Members of the Coffin family (Phebe was in the direct line of  James) may like to know that the book is available through Amazon.
 
Explorations Alaska!  May 27 - June 6, 2010
With optional extension to Denali, Fairbanks, and Barrow at the Top of the World
Announcing a frequently requested destination for an NHA Exploration. 

Explore one of the world's most spectacular destinations imaginable with CRUISE WEST, a small, family-owned, small-shop cruise line voted among the world's top lines by readers of Condé Nast Traveler, and consistent award winner for Best Small Ship and Expedition Cruising.  The 138-guest Spirit of Yorktown, staffed by exploration leaders with many years of experience as naturalists and educators, will be your home for this exciting 11-day/10-night adventure.
 
Boarding in Seattle, the ship follows the route of the original stampeders of the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush, encountering along the way the culture and whaling heritage of the Northwest Native American tribes.    From dense, forested shores to stunning fjords, immense glaciers, and unspoiled waterways, the inside passage is a world of spectacular beauty. Our small ship allows entry into waterways inaccessible to larger vessels. We will cruise the pristine waters of the San Juan Islands, visiting the Whale Museum at Friday Harbor, once an important whaling center and now a center for whale research.  Continuing on to the Strait of Georgia, home to orcas, bald eagles, and seals; Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, a World Heritage Site; Frederick Sound, where humpback whales abound; and the Tracy Arm and Sawyer Glacier. We will also visit the beautiful town of Sitka with its Russian heritage; the Norwegian-heritage fishing village of Petersburg; and Skagway, where we revisit the Gold Rush of 1898.  An optional excursion on the White Pass and Yukon Railroad will be available here.    
 
Nina and Bob Hellman of Nantucket will be your hosts on this adventure, throughout which you will enjoy the services of the cruise line's accommodating staff and Exploration Leaders as well as Park Service Rangers and Native Cultural Interpreters.  Believing that smaller is better and making connections up close and casual, Cruise West passengers are the recipients of friendly, personal attention. Each day offers the opportunity for a shore excursion at no additional cost.  Bob Hellman will offer a special on-board lecture about the relationship between Alaska and the Far North and Nantucket and New England, during the era of American whaling. 
 
Leave your formal attire at home, forego the artificial entertainment and assigned-seat dining of the large impersonal cruise ships, and trade them in for a wonderful encounter with history and nature with fellow passengers who share a passion for travel, adventure, and learning. 
 
Pricing starts at $4,998 per person, based on a minimum of sixteen people. Price includes ten breakfasts, nine lunches, and ten dinners. Airfare to Seattle and from Juneau is not included. Single supplements and cabin upgrades are available.
 
Don't miss your chance to experience Alaska. Small-ship cruises book quickly, so to save your place please contact Sheila O'Brien Egan at Swain's Travel (508) 228-3201 or email her at [email protected] for specific prices and deposit deadlines.
 

Travel to the Top of the World
 
For those who want even more adventure, Swain's Travel is offering a seven-day extension trip into the heart of Alaska, June 6 - 13, 2010.
 
Disembarking in Juneau, you will fly to Anchorage and after a night at the luxury Hotel Captain Cook you will travel by the McKinley Explorer luxury dome train to Denali Park for a two-night stay at the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge.  You will travel into the wilderness of the park and into the heart of bear country; and weather permitting you'll see Mount McKinley up close.  En route you may see moose, caribou, Dall sheep, and other magnificent wildlife. 
 
Departing the park, the train brings us to Fairbanks for a two-night stay at the River's Edge Resort, a resort facility on the Chena River.  While here, we will have a tour of Fairbanks that will include the University of Alaska Museum of the North with wonderful exhibits of Native art, recollections of the gold rush days, and an aurora borealis show.  We will visit the home of the first woman to finish the famous Iditarod Sled-Dog Race.
 
After our second night in Fairbanks, we will fly to Barrow, 500 miles above the Arctic Circle and the northernmost settlement in the United States, where we will have an overnight stay at the Top of the World Hotel.   We will get a glimpse into the lifestyle of the Inupiaq people as we tour the Inupiaq Heritage Center where the Hellmans are arranging for a "behind the scenes" visit to the museum.  May and June are the best times to see polar bears, and while in Barrow, there is a possibility of an optional excursion to see them.  We depart Barrow for Anchorage, for our return home.        
 
The excursion includes all transportation, including flights from Juneau and back to Anchorage, sightseeing, and museum admissions as well as seven breakfasts, one lunch, and one dinner.
 
The price is $3,899, based on a minimum of sixteen travelers. A single supplement is available. For more information, please contact Sheila O'Brien Egan at Swain's Travel at 508-228-3201or email her at [email protected].
 
Gifts that Give Back to the NHA:
Ideal for weddings, graduations, and special occasion presents! 
www.giftsthatgive.com is an innovative online shopping site that donates 25% of your purchase back to the NHA.
 
You will recognize the brands from your favorite department and specialty stores. The items are those that you will want to own and will be delighted to give as gifts!
 
With many years of luxury retail experience behind it, www.giftsthatgive.com products have been carefully selected with you in mind.   The Web site is user friendly and offers the same level of service you would expect from your favorite store.
 
All you need to do is to sign onto www.giftsthatgive.com to see what we're talking about and order your selections.  In the shopping cart, there will be a dropdown box from which to select the Nantucket Historical Association, and 25% of your purchase will come back to help the NHA!
 
You may also purchase Gift Cards to be sent in a box with a bow, or an E-Certificate for easy giving online.  Please tell your friends and family to shop www.giftsthatgive.com, all while supporting our worthy cause.
 
In these difficult economic times, make every dollar count by shopping at GiftsThatGive. Thank you for supporting the Nantucket Historical Association.
 
Hours
Whaling Museum 
The Whaling Museum is currently open and will remain open Saturdays and Sundays, 11 A.M. - 4 P.M. through April 18. Call 508-228-1894, ext. 0.
 
Museum Shop 
The Museum Shop is closed for the season; however, you may visit our Web site or shop on line: http://www.nha.org/shop/index.html. You may also place orders by calling 508-228-5785.
 
Research Library 
Located at 7 Fair Street, the library is open year-round: Monday, Thursday, and Friday, 10 A.M. - 4 P.M. and Tuesday, 11 A.M. - 4 P.M.; closed Wednesdays, weekends, and all holidays. Call 508-228-1655.
 
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.