Historic Nantucket, Spring 2024, Vol. 74 No. 1

Board of Trustees 2023–24

Annabelle Fowlkes, President

Susan Blount, Vice President

Carla McDonald, Vice President

John Flannery, Treasurer

Sarah Alger, Clerk

Nancy Abbey

Patricia Anathan

Lucinda Ballard

Stacey Bewkes

Amanda Cross

Cam Gammill

Graham Goldsmith

Ashley Gosnell Mody

Robert Greenspon

Wendy Hudson

Kathryn Ketelsen, Friends of the NHA Representative

Valerie Paley

Marla Sanford

Denise Saul, Friends of the NHA Representative

Sara Schwartz

Janet Sherlund, Trustee Emerita

Carter Stewart

Melinda Sullivan

Michael Sweeney

Jason Tilroe

Ex Officio

Niles D. Parker, Gosnell Executive Director

Spring 2024

FROM THE BOARD PRESIDENT AND GOSNELL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

After a stormy winter, the daffodils are in full bloom and the pace of island life is picking up again though in many ways it never really slowed down. Nantucket in the off-season is a busier place than it once was, with a larger year-round population and more activity. That was true for the NHA this winter as work on our various properties continued apace. We made significant progress with several building projects: from the restoration of the Research Library; to exterior work on the Thomas Macy House at 99 Main Street; to the back façade of the Hadwen House; and the replacement of the aging chiller and HVAC systems at the Museum complex. In addition, we are preparing plans for important restoration work on the north wall of the candle factory and the 1746 Old Mill. Our capital investments in the historic structures remain a clear priority for the organization. So too, did our expansion of educational and community outreach programs continue this winter. Increasingly, we are reaching into the schools, connecting students with additional programming in classrooms and in the museum. Our “There and Back” programs and fourth grade “Overnight in the Museum” remain extremely popular opportunities for engaging young Nantucketers in the island’s history. Our hands-on craft classes for all ages have also been growing, providing creative outlets for residents to gather, socialize, and learn together. Throughout, we see the NHA as a gathering place. We serve as a forum for people to come together in all seasons and share their work and their stories. It is that process of gathering and of sharing stories that connects our community here on island and connects this island to the wider world.

Our exhibitions strive to do exactly this kind of gathering and storytelling. And to that end, we are eagerly looking forward to a new exhibition that has been decades in the making. “Tony Sarg, Genius at Play” will open in late May and remain up through the entire year. Known as the father of modern puppetry in North America and the originator of the iconic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade balloons, Sarg was an artist, animator, and entrepreneur who summered on the island from 1920-1942. The show will feature his original artwork, illustrations, marionettes, animations, books, commercial products, archival photographs, and ephemera. Additional exhibitions at two of our historic properties expand upon themes found in the museum installation. A collection of Tony Sarg books and illustrations will be on display at the Research Library’s Whitney Gallery, while the Map Gallery at Hadwen House will feature the exhibition “Eye Spy: Playful Pictorial Maps from Tony Sarg and Others.”

We will also offer a robust slate of activities and public programs to support the exhibition throughout the year, including a lecture series, concerts, hands-on crafts, puppet making, family programming, as well as an entertaining A Nantucket Night event and a community celebration with a large special guest named Morton. All of that, together with our museum talks, walking tours, education programs, decorative arts classes, special events, and a new format for Nantucket By Design will combine to make a busy, fun-filled, and creative year. We hope you will join us for one — or many — of these offerings. We look forward to gathering with you, sharing these stories, and together, animating more of Nantucket’s history.

Annabelle Fowlkes President, Board of Trustees

Niles Parker Gosnell Executive Director

2024 MEMBER EVENTS

Mark your Calendars!

Whaling Museum Featured Exhibition

Preview Reception

Thursday, May 23 | 5:30 – 7 pm

Join us for a special kick-off to the summer season while getting a first look at the opening of our featured exhibition, Tony Sarg: Genius at Play!

The Research Library Opening Reception

Thursday, June 27 | 5:30 – 7 pm

Join us as we celebrate the Research Library's reopening after a major renovation project completed in 2023. Also, explore a first look at the Whitney Gallery’s special exhibition Playful

Pictures: Books and Illustrations by Tony Sarg.

Exclusive: Member Hour at the Whaling Museum

Wednesday, June 5 | Thursday, July 25 | Thursday, August 29

9 – 10 am

Join us for some quiet time as members get the Whaling Museum to themselves. Great if you have a busy beach day ahead of you.

Exclusive: Member Hour at the Hadwen House

Thursday, June 6 | Tuesday, July 23 |

Thursday, August 29

Early evenings from 4 – 5 pm

Explore the exhibits Nantucket Lightship Baskets and Eye Spy: Pictorial Maps from Tony Sarg and Others, as well as displays highlighting the NHA’s decorative arts collection. Don’t forget to take a stroll through the gardens.

Behind the Scenes at the Collections Center

Thursday, June 12 at 4 pm

Wednesday, July 10 at 4 pm

Thursday, August 8 at 9:30 am

Gosnold Center, 89 Bartlett Road

Ever wonder what’s in the collection that isn’t on display for the public? Join our curatorial team for a behind-the-scenes tour of our special collections of paintings, furniture, and Nantucket artifacts.

Advance registration is required and will be available on NHA.org.

Please contact Laura Barnes, Director of Development at lbarnes@nha.org or 508.228.1894 ext. 125 for more information.

Jim Corbett’s Boat, 1922 Watercolor on paper, 14 1/2 x 10 1/2 in. NHA Collection, purchase with partial gift of George Korn and Richard Kemble, 2004.20.1

TONY SA RG ON NANTUCKET

By Michael R. Harrison, NHA Chief Curator and Obed Macy Research Chair

Anthony Frederick “Tony” Sarg (1880–1942) was an illustrator, designer, puppeteer, and entertainment empresario. Across an eventful four-decade career, he created art ceaselessly, seeking new commercial opportunities at every turn and finding original ways to channel his boundless inventive energy. He was famous in his day for his book and magazine illustrations and for the marionette plays that were produced under his name. His entrepreneurial spirit propelled the revival of marionette performance as an artform in the United States, and his association with R. H. Macy and Company led to the production of the first giant character balloons—“upside-down marionettes”—for the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Sarg, his wife Bertha (1874–1950), and their daughter Mary (1911–1986) began summering on Nantucket in 1920. The family quickly dove into the island’s summer scene and grew into well-known and popular local figures. In 1921, they purchased an early nineteenthcentury house on North Liberty Street that was comfortably furnished with antiques from various periods. Sarg sketched and painted extensively, observing island scenes, people, and landscapes, and he participated avidly in the island’s just emerging Art Colony. The island’s landmarks, history, and folklore quickly found their way into Sarg’s commercial designs; the churches, lighthouses, horse-drawn carts, and sailing ships that already populated his artwork became Nantucket’s Unitarian Church, Sankaty Head Lighthouse, the rustic island calash, and the whaling ship. When his wife opened a summertime gift shop, he developed island-specific products to sell in it, including decorated boxes, maps, books, prints, and textiles.

As surviving paintings, sketchbooks, and studies testify, Sarg enjoyed drawing and painting across the island. In Jim Corbett’s Boat, a watercolor from 1922, Sarg transformed a catboat tied up at Old South Wharf into a study of color and form. The island’s working waterfront attracted the eye of many visiting artists, who found inspiration in its shambly buildings and graceful watercraft. In fact, just steps from where Jim Corbett tied up, Florence Lang had recently converted numerous fish sheds into affordable artist’s studios, and other harborfront buildings into galleries, in order to promote the development of an island art colony akin to those at Gloucester, Rockport, and Provincetown.

Tony Sarg sketching in the Nantucket moors, 1920s. NHA Collection, PH8-25-1

Door from The Skipper restaurant, 1923 Painted wood, 78 x 31 1/2 x 6 1/2 in. NHA Collection, gift of Carl and Alice Erickson, 1985.34.1

In addition to private painting, Sarg undertook commercial work on Nantucket. In 1923, Gladys Wood and Edna Prentice hired him to paint murals in their restaurant, The Skipper.

This establishment stood on Steamboat Wharf from 1921 to 1986 and featured outdoor dining on the deck of an old coasting schooner and indoor dining in an adjoining pierside building. While the overall program for the murals is not known, the paintings Sarg executed on the restaurant’s men’s room door indicate an appropriately nautical theme. On the outside of the door, so patrons would know which restroom to pick, Sarg painted a contented fisherman with pipe and sou’wester holding his larger-than-life catch. On the inside of the door, Sarg sketched a surreal beach scene with an elephant, an anthropomorphized porcelain bowl, a meat cleaver, and two putti. The painting’s meaning, if any, remains obscure.1

The Skipper on Steamboat Wharf, Nantucket, 1929. NHA Collection, gift of Jean Louise Allen, P19317

In 1924, Sarg worked with the Greenberg press to publish Tony Sarg’s Book for Children from Six to Sixty. The first three chapters of this humorous illustrated storybook focus on Mary Sarg and the family dog, Freckles, who explore Nantucket and get into mischief. Mary meets local personalities and learns horseback riding while her father heads off to paint. Mary and Freckles have further island adventures in the follow-up books Tony Sarg’s Book of Animals (1925) and Tony Sarg’s Book of Tricks (1928).

Draft pages from Tony Sarg’s Book for Children from Six to Sixty, ca. 1924 Ink and watercolor on paper. NHA Collection, gift of Elizabeth and Philip C. Murray, 1983.57.63

Bertha Sarg, who went by Bert, briefly operated a gift and curio shop called the Green Umbrella on Federal Street in Nantucket in the mid-1920s. The Green Umbrella was located in a small, rundown store building that Tony Sarg leased from the town for his wife’s use. Sarg fixed it up at his own expense, adding elements such as a fake fireplace on the interior for atmosphere. The couple next rented a basement shop space on Centre Street, which had a large sidewalk-level show window. In 1933, the Sargs rented a building on Steamboat Wharf that had most recently been used as a studio-cottage for visiting artists. The Sargs had the building renovated, enlarged, and decorated to Sarg’s designs. This iteration of their shop operated seasonally from 1934 through 1951, first under Bertha Sarg’s management, then under daughter Mary’s. A surviving watercolor from 1940 imagines additional fanciful improvements to the building, including brightly painted trim, flagpoles, carvings, and an encircling veranda decorated with scenic panels. Although the shop building was expended in 1937 and again in 1950, this scheme was never realized.2

2 “Seen and Heard,” Inquirer and Mirror, Apr. 17, 1926, 4; “Another Fire in Hosier Shop,” Inquirer and Mirror, Sept. 15, 1934, 2; “Seen and Heard,” Inquirer and Mirror, June 17, 1933, 4; “Here and There,” Inquirer and Mirror, June 19, 1937, 4.

Left page top:

The Tony Sarg Shop at 38 Centre Street, Nantucket, ca. 1927

NHA Collection, PH8-5-1

Left page bottom:

The Tony Sarg Shop on Steamboat Wharf, Nantucket, ca. 1937

NHA Collection, PH8-6-1

Left:

The Green Umbrella, Bertha Sarg’s first shop on Nantucket, ca. 1926

NHA Collection, gift of Parker Stevenson, PH13-15

Below:

The Tony Sarg Shop, Nantucket, Mass., 1940 Crayon and watercolor on paper, 10 1/2 x 13 1/2 in.

NHA Collection, gift of Elizabeth and Philip C. Murray, 1983.57.75

Tony Sarg’s colorful bandboxes, which he sold in all his shops, originated at his wife’s Nantucket store. “Mrs. Sarg had an idea that she wanted to open up some kind of a gift shop in Nantucket,” he told an interviewer in 1926. “The thing was to have something unique to sell. I wondered if a selection of gift boxes wouldn’t do. As a starter, we got 200 plain well-made wooden boxes, I made label designs for the boxes and had them painted in full color. We employed girls at piece world to glue on the designs and the labels, and to shellac the boxes. We filled the boxes with high-class Austrian candy and determined on a scale of prices ranging from two to seven dollars.” They sold out their initial stock of boxes on the first day. “We employed ten people all summer and the venture earned $5,000 for itself. I was so bedeviled by manufacturers that I finally agreed to do a series of 25 boxes of varying shapes and designs. They are known as ‘Tony Sarg’s Bandboxes’.”3

The Sargs’ shops inspired the creation of other commercial items featuring Nantucket. Inexpensive ceramics with the maps of the island and cheap boxes illustrated with island landmarks abounded. One fabric design titled “Thar She Blows” celebrated the island with spyglasses, casks, a spring cart, whales, and whalers signifying the past, and the sun, seagulls, a golf flag, and selected iconic buildings representing the island of Sarg’s day. Another fabric design featured the Unitarian Church and the Old Mill alongside fish and shellfish.

Bandbox with whaling and port scenes, 1930s Printed paper applied to paperboard, 6 3/8 x 17 x 9 5/8 in. NHA Collection, museum purchase, 2016.14.1

3 John Monk Saunders, “Tony Sarg Has Never Done a Stroke of Work in His Life,” American Magazine (May 1926), 104.

Nantucket fabric

Ink on cotton. NHA Collection, gift of Marjorie Colley, 2008.8003.1

The Sargs also sold generic Tony Sarg–designed toys, games, and textiles at their Nantucket shop. The longer the Sargs lived on the island, the more these works incorporated nods to Nantucket. “Ye Olden Times,” for example, was a Sarg wallpaper pattern produced by the Thomas Strahan Company in 1937. It works in Sankaty Head Lighthouse, a whaling scene, and a typical Nantucket calash or spring cart alongside other icons of Americana.

From the summer of the family’s first arrival, Tony Sarg employed his considerable artistic skills to benefit island charities, designing posters and programs, donating artwork for sale, and performing before enthusiastic audiences. “Tony Sarg’s Famous Marionettes Coming to Nantucket to Raise Money for the Hospital,” trumpeted a 1920 advertisement in the Inquirer and Mirror. “Tony Sarg, a famous illustrator, is staying here in Nantucket and has consented to bring his quaint little troupe of wooden-headed actors to play here on [July] 28th for the benefit of the hospital.” Sarg’s elaborate stage was set up in the ballroom at the Nantucket Yacht Club for two midweek matinee variety shows and an evening performance of Thackeray’s The Rose and the Ring, which were declared “a great success, both financially and socially.” The next year, Sarg lent three watercolors of boats on the Nantucket waterfront to a week-long art show benefiting the Coffin School, the island’s charitable school, and his troupe performed Rip Van Winkle at the Yacht Club for the hospital fund. A newspaper review described him as “distinguished in many directions” and noted he had “become recently our fellow townsman.” In 1923, he performed sketches at the ’Sconset Casino vaudeville benefit, and Mary sold copies of a Sarg drawing of lower Main Street during the Main Street Fete hospital fundraiser. (Henry Lang, husband of Art Colony benefactor Florence Lang, purchased the original of the drawing.) In 1924, Sarg exhibited the design dummy of Tony Sarg’s Book for Children at the island’s Little Book House, then donated a specially autographed first copy of the book to a hospital-benefit sale.4

As these examples demonstrate, much of Sarg’s charitable work focused on aiding the Nantucket Cottage Hospital, which, founded in 1911 and opened in 1914, relied heavily on charitable donations to fund its operations. Beginning in August 1915, well-to-do summer residents organized summertime fairs with games, food, and sales to benefit the hospital. The 1921 version of this festival featured for the first time garden and house visits on Upper Main Street, including participants dressed in old-fashioned costume, setting the stage for subsequent “Main Street Fetes” through the 1920s and 1930s. Sarg’s poster for the 1935 fete imagines a well-dressed family of the

4 “Tony Sarg’s Famous Marionettes Coming to Nantucket,” Inquirer and Mirror, July 17, 1920, 6; “Marionettes for Hospital Benefit a Great Success,” Inquirer and Mirror, July 31, 1920, 5. “Exhibition of Pictures at Coffin School,” I&M, Aug. 6, 1921, 5; “Main Street Fete Pronounced Success in Every Way,” Inquirer and Mirror, Aug. 18, 1923, 6; “Here and There,” Inquirer and Mirror, Sept. 6, 1924, 6; Waldon Fawcett, “Selling Books at a Summer Resort,” Inquirer and Mirror, Oct. 11, 1924, 3.

Tony Sarg sketching “lightning portraits” at the 1929 Nantucket Water Rront Carnival. NHA Collection, A24-1a

mid-nineteenth century watching an arriving whaling ship from one of the island’s many roofwalks. The Unitarian Church rises nearby. For the 1929 Water Front Carnival, held instead of a fete, Sarg drew a town crier accompanied by the howling Freckles; this image was reproduced on posters and programs.

A newspaper reporter described Tony Sarg relaxing on Nantucket in July 1929. “The first day of Mr. Sarg’s holiday was occupied in sketching at seven different points on the island, swimming, riding horseback, weeding the garden, and making a picture of the front of ‘The Modern’ with its display of fruit and ‘Big John’ waiting on his customers, while an interested audience looked on. As a side line on his day of rest, Mr. Sarg drew a cover design for the program of the Hospital Waterfront Carnival—a sketch so spirited and amusing that everyone will want a copy.”5 The Sargs spent every summer on Nantucket from 1920 through 1938. In 1939, Sarg’s work at the New York World’s Fair prevented an island visit. Financial losses from the fair contributed to Sarg declaring bankruptcy in November 1939, but the family did not lose their Nantucket house. Bert Sarg sold the house in autumn 1942, a few months after Sarg’s unexpected death, but she continued to come to the island in season to operate the Tony Sarg Shop for a few more years. Mary, now married to Everett Miller, ran the shop through the 1951 summer season, before moving on to a career in portrait painting.6

Mary Sarg Miller, later Mary Sarg Murphy, remained associated with Nantucket throughout her life. In 1983, she sent her personal collection of her father’s illustrations, books, and memorabilia to the Nantucket Cottage Hospital Thrift Shop, hoping that the sale of these treasures would benefit island residents. Philip C. Murray, island businessman and owner of Murray’s Toggery Shop, remembered Sarg well from his childhood and purchased the entire lot, promptly donating it for preservation to the Nantucket Historical Association. This legacy unlocked further donations from year-round and seasonal island residents, giving the historical association the largest collection anywhere of art and artifacts from Sarg’s the life and career. These materials have provided a basis for studying and celebrating the special genius of Tony Sarg ever since.

Tony Sarg: Genius at Play opens at the Whaling Museum May 24, 2024. This article is adapted from the catalogue for the exhibition.

5 “Tony Sarg’s Day of Rest,” Inquirer and Mirror July 20, 1929, 1; “Mr. Anonymous Buys Original Drawing for $200,” Inquirer and Mirror, Sept. 7, 1929, 4.

6 “Personals,” Inquirer and Mirror, Mar. 8, 1952, 4.

Program for the Water Front Carnival, 1929 Ink on paper, 9 x 6 in. NHA Collection, Ms. 476

Poster for the Nantucket Pageant and Fete, 1935 Ink on paper, 36 x 26 1/4 in. NHA Collection, donor unknown, 1992.609.1

EXHIBITION PREVIEW

Opening May 24 | Whaling Museum, McCausland Gallery

Organized by the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, in partnership with the Nantucket Historical Association, Tony Sarg: Genius at Play will go on display at the Nantucket Whaling Museum this summer season, the first comprehensive exhibition exploring the life, art, and adventures of Tony Sarg (1880–1942).

Tony Sarg’s vast knowledge of puppet technology was instrumental in his design of the first Thanksgiving Day parade balloons for Macy’s Department Store in 1927, as well as automated displays for the company’s festive holiday windows, which were imitated nationwide. The creator of a host of popular consumer goods, from toys and clothing to home décor, Tony Sarg was an accomplished illustrator, animator, designer, entrepreneur, and showman who summered on, and took inspiration from, Nantucket for nearly twenty years.

Made possible in part with generous funding from

Eye Spy: Pictorial Maps from Tony Sarg and Others

Opening May 25 | Hadwen House, Map Gallery

Drawing upon the NHA’s rich collection of pictorial maps, this exhibition celebrates a style of creative map-making that proliferated in the early- to mid-twentieth century. Combining whimsical decoration with historical detail, pictorial maps were popular decorations and island souvenirs.

Featuring early works by Tony Sarg (1880–1942) and Austin Strong (1881–1952), alongside post-war maps by Ruth Haviland Sutton (1900–1960) and others, the works include fanciful details related to Nantucket’s maritime heritage, quaint architecture, and plentiful tourist attractions and activities.

Residential Main Street, Nantucket, 1937, by Tony Sarg. Tony Sarg (1880-1942). Gift of Nancy Swain O’Brien in memory of Richard Swain, 1994.45.1. (CROPPED)

Playful Pictures: Books and Illustrations by Tony Sarg

Opening May 25 | Research Library, Whitney Gallery

This exhibition brings together additional artwork from projects that are featured in Tony Sarg: Genius at Play at the Whaling Museum. It includes selections from three of Tony Sarg’s most significant published works: Humours of London (1914), Tony Sarg’s Book for Children from Six to Sixty (1924), and Tony Sarg’s New York (1926). Employing colorful bird’s eye views and illustrations that playfully interact with words on the page, the works on view demonstrate Sarg’s skills as a visual storyteller. Also included are treasured Tony Sarg books from the NHA’s Library Collection, such as Tony Sarg’s Book of Animals (1925), Tony Sarg’s Book of Tricks (1928), Where is Tommy? (1932), and many others.

“New York Public Library,” from Tony Sarg’s New York, 1926. Tony Sarg (1880–1942). Gift of Elizabeth and Philip C. Murray, 1983.57.52c.

Nantucket Lightship Baskets

Opening May 25 | Hadwen House

Nantucket baskets are a symbol of the island worldwide; see over 100 examples showcased in one of the island’s most majestic Main Street houses. Explore the reinstalled José Reyes workshop and the work of both contemporary and historic weavers drawn from the NHA and Nantucket Lightship Basket Museum collections.

Nantucket lightship basket purse owned by Patricia Bachman. Made in 2006 by Michael and Marcia Kane. Gift of the Estate of Michael S. Bachman, A2021.2.1.

If you would like to support our 2024 exhibitions, please contact Laura Barnes, Director of Development, for more information at (508) 228-1894 Ext. 125 or lbarnes@nha.org. Gifts are fully tax-deductible according to federal guidelines.

NOTABLE RECENT ACQUISITIONS

Nantucket-made Windsor Chairs

The NHA recently acquired a significant Nantucket-made fan-back Windsor armchair, following the acquisition in early 2023 of another Nantucket Windsor chair of similar but child-sized design (see Historic Nantucket, spring 2023). The two chairs, made sometime in the period between 1770 and 1790, form an impressive pair and represent the highest level of craftsmanship from the early years of American independence. Both have now been attributed to the maker Charles Chase (1731–1815) based on comparison with other chairs signed by Chase. Windsor-style chairs were popular in late-Colonial and early-Federal America. First developed in England and introduced to America after 1725, these chairs appeared in many variations. Examples are frequently attributed to specific regions and makers based on distinctive stylistic qualities. The chairmakers of Philadelphia were particularly enterprising after the American Revolution in exporting their chairs to markets all along the Eastern Seaboard, and regular trade between Nantucket and Philadelphia brought many examples to the island. Local makers such as Chase were influenced by the style of these imports, and Nantucket Windsor chairs often echo Philadelphia designs.

High-back

Windsor armchair and child’s Windsor armchair attributed to Charles Chase. Gift of the Friends of the NHA, 2023.5.1 & 2024.3.1

Splint basket from Nantucket

The NHA recently acquired this beautiful early Nantucket basket. Stamped “GF.” on the handle, it belonged to whaling merchant Gideon Folger (1780–1863) and his wife Eunice (1781–1845). It later belonged to their daughter Mary and may have been given to her at the time of her marriage in 1837. Woven of hardwood splints, it is similar in construction to a lightship basket but does not have a lightship basket’s characteristic solid wood base. The basket is woven with a deeply concave bottom which helps provide strength. Inside, a wood ring has been attached over the bottom bulge to create a flat surface, possibly to allow the basket to carry plates of food without spilling. The removable lid, woven in the same style as the body of the basket, protected what was inside.

The NHA holds a second, smaller basket by the same hand that was also used in the household of Eunice and Gideon Folger. It bears the same distinctive “GF.” mark. This mark also appears on a set of clothespins owned by the family.

Above: Covered splint basket. NHA purchase, 2024.1.1.

Right: Small basket from the Gideon Folger household. Gift of Perez Simmons, 1959.28.

Above right: Detail of splint basket

Clothespin from the household of Eunice and Gideon Folger, stamped “GF” with a small triangle. Gift of Perez Simmons, 1959.28.2

DIGITIZATION AND TRANSCRIPTION UPDATE

Transcription Progress

Marshall, Pinkham, and Farrier family correspondence is now completely transcribed.

1,202 / 1,202 pages

Obed Macy journals and letter books more than halfway finished.

975 / 1,494 pages

Ships logs collection is still in progress, with 8 volumes active, dating from 1765 to 1881.

Current projects:

525 / 936 pages

Digitization Update

Account book progress:

291 / 471 volumes scanned

Collection total:

11,881 / 80,509 pages

Research Library:

330 objects digitized October–March, including 86 account books

Artifacts:

484 artifacts digitized, with 1,899 images captured

New Transcription Projects Launching

Gardner Family Papers

The Gardner family of Nantucket descended from Richard and John Gardner, sons of Thomas Gardner, a planter who came from England to Salem, Mass., in 1626. This collection includes correspondence, deeds and other land records, poems, financial and legal papers, wills, certificates, obituaries, research notes, genealogical materials, inventories, and other papers of family members, relating to many phases of Nantucket history.

3,623 pages

Maria L. Owen Papers

Maria L. Tallant Owen (1825–1913) was born in Nantucket, Mass., and was a teacher at the Academy on Fair Street. She became interested in Nantucket flora early in her life, collecting and identifying many specimens. In 1888, she published her Catalog of Plants Growing without Cultivation in the County of Nantucket, Massachusetts. Papers contain correspondence chiefly relating to species of marine algae found on Nantucket; correspondents include Frank S. Collins. Also includes author’s copy of Catalog of Plants with annotations, and various personal notes, such as genealogical information.

426 pages

Frances Deven Parrish Diary

Frances Devens “Daisy” Parrish of Boston, Mass., moved to Nantucket, Mass., as a child. Later, she served as a Red Cross nurse in France during World War I, and wrote a memoir about her service. The diary that comprises this collection served as the basis for the memoir.

306 pages

This work was made possible thanks to visionary gifts from Connie and Tom Ciggaran and HL Brown Family Foundation.

Jackie Kupper

By Karen T. Butler

Last November, we sadly lost one of our most enthusiastic guiding lights behind continuing the Nantucket lightship basket mission. Jackie Kupper loved Nantucket lightship baskets; they were her passion. She was at the forefront, together with five others, in helping to integrate the Nantucket Lightship Basket Museum as it affiliated with the Nantucket Historical Association.

Jackie was always sensitive to others' opinions and pushed forward in a straightforward yet polite way, which was very important in the successful melding of the NHA with the Nantucket Lightship Basket Museum.

For the last three years, Jackie Kupper and I have co-chaired the Baskets & Bubbly Online Auction and Garden Party, and the results in support of the museum have been a resounding success. This year, ironically, at Jackie's insistence, we decided to have three chairpersons for the 2024 Baskets & Bubbly, adding Sandie Owen as the third.

Although Jackie will not be with us for this fundraising event supporting the craft she loved, her presence will be there in spirit, for we plan to honor her and her most unending exuberance for the Nantucket lightship basket craft will not be forgotten.

Paul Judy

Paul Judy, a long-time supporter of the NHA and the driving force behind the establishment of the association’s Obed Macy Research Chair position, passed away in February.

Paul Ray Judy was born in Portland, Indiana, and raised in nearby Muncie. He graduated from Harvard College in 1953 and served as an officer in the US Marine Corps from 1953 to 1955. He then entered the Harvard Business School, from which he graduated with High Distinction in 1957. He served as a research assistant at the school until September 1958, when he joined the corporate finance department of the Chicago office of A.G. Becker & Co., Inc. Later, he served as head of the corporate finance department in Becker's New York office. In 1965, Judy returned to the Chicago office, having been appointed chairman of the executive committee and, shortly thereafter, president and CEO. In late 1980, he retired as Becker's CEO at age fifty after a twenty-three-year career with the firm.

Having served as the President then life trustee of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association, Judy went on to spend much of his retirement studying and working with North American symphony organizations through the Symphony Orchestra Institute, which he formed in 1994 to foster greater effectiveness in how North American symphony organizations functioned. The Institute published sixteen issues of Harmony, a journal devoted to presenting issues and challenges within symphony organizations toward the objective of becoming more effective and musician-centered. The work of the Institute was terminated in 2004, at which time the residual resources and archives were donated to the Eastman School of Music along with the establishment of the Orchestra Musicians Forum. In 2012, Judy was elected board chairman of the Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra’s corporate parent, the Chicago Philharmonic Society. Judy sought to pattern a new business model after the playerrun St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, with the idea that musicians would have a greater voice in their own artistic affairs.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Judy purchased land adjoining the Sankaty Head Golf Club and completed the construction of a family compound. Over the course of his time in ’Sconset, Judy became interested and invested in the origins and early development of the Sankaty Head Golf Club and, more generally, the history of the village of ’Sconset. Judy initiated ’Sconset History Night, an annual event during which some aspect of the village's history is reviewed with the community. He also wrote and published a monograph about Sankaty Head Gold Club’s early history, and in 2020, he wrote and published a book about a noted Nantucket philanthropist, Oswald Tupancy.

Through the Judy Family Foundaton, he took special interest in the publication by the NHA and the NPT of books covering different features and periods of ’Sconset history.

Winter Projects at the Whaling Museum

This past January, the NHA maintenance team completed a significant project to replace the Whaling Museum’s HVAC chiller system. This project is instrumental in ensuring the museum’s climate control system is up to standard, safeguarding the collections on display, and ensuring a comfortable environment for visitors year-round.

This project included bringing in a new HVAC system via truck delivery to be craned to the rooftop of the Whaling Museum once the team removed the old system that had been in place for nearly 20 years since the 2005 Whaling Museum expansion. The NHA thanks Harry Grodsky & Co., Inc. and T&C Controls for their work on this project, as well as Kenny Howard Electric and Neil Paterson for their contributions in completing this work.

This vital project was generously supported by funds from the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (MOTT), as well as funds allocated into the NHA’s capital property budget, which the NHA prioritizes for critical projects each year to maintain the Whaling Museum and all of the NHA’s properties.

Meet New Faces at the NHA

Phoebe Botticelli-Pohl, Property Records Specialist

Phoebe was born and raised on Nantucket and has always enjoyed the slow pace and beautiful environments the island has to offer. She studied Art History and Visual Arts as an undergraduate at Kenyon College, before pursuing a Master’s in design history and theory at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Her academic passions lie in the vernacular architecture, landscape, and urban planning of New England, interests that were certainly fostered by many off-season walks on island inspecting the facades and gardens of Nantucket’s historic homes. She is so excited to turn her attention to the NHA’s collection of sites in her role as Property Records Specialist. Outside of work, she seeks to spend as much time as possible outside; and can be found gardening, walking her dog Mino, reading on the beach, or otherwise exploring some part of this beautiful island.

Annalie Gilbert-Keith, Public Programs & Visitor Operations Assistant

Annalie joins the NHA a year after graduating from Smith College, where she majored in English and French Literature and minored in Study of Women and Gender. Growing up in Deerfield, MA, Annalie visited Nantucket with her family every year and moved to the island full-time in May of 2023. She found a passion for museum work when she spent a summer as an intern at Old Sturbridge Village just before her senior year at Smith. Outside the NHA, Annalie would describe herself as hobby lover and is constantly trying to find more time in the day to play music, read books, conduct history-inspired culinary experiments, and be outside, all while adding new activities to that list. She is so excited to be starting her new role as Public Programs and Visitor Operations Assistant and is looking forward to meeting many new faces throughout the coming months.

Emma Young, Education Coordinator

Emma has been summering (and wintering!) on Nantucket since 1993. She is an artist, citizen scientist, cat lover, and lifelong learner. She enjoys making things by hand, sharing meals with friends, and throwing costume parties. Her role at the NHA gives her the chance to interact with members of her community, from toddlers to seniors and everyone in between, specifically as a maker & educator. Most days, she can be found at the 1800 House, prepping materials for decorative arts workshops or working on her newly acquired basket weaving skills.

Programs

Unwind Under the Whale

This winter, we launched a brand-new program, Unwind Under the Whale, to engage new audiences and provide opportunities for islanders to socialize during the off-season months. Attendees have enjoyed the variety of monthly offerings in this series, which has successfully brought together a breadth of community members. Every program has sold out, including a line dancing class, bingo trivia night, and a watercolor painting lesson – all under the whale in the museum. The evenings always feature a member of the NHA collections department presenting bite-sized history talks and objects from the collection related to the activity of the night.

Where Are They Now?

Isabella Rosner interned in the NHA Decorative Arts program in 2014. Her time at the NHA influenced her education path. She recently was awarded a PhD from King’s College London in history, for a dissertation entitled “‘Women Professing Godliness with Good Works’: Quaker Women’s Art Before Ackworth and Westtown, circa 1650-1800.”

Her interest in the field of historic needlework, which bloomed at the NHA’s Decorative Arts Program at the 1800 House, has led to a successful podcast, now in its fourth year, called “Sew What?,” a recent new publication “Stitching Freedom,” and countless published articles and guest lectures about all sorts of textiles.

Dr. Rosner, as we now call her, reflected on her experience at the NHA: “ The NHA is where my love of historical embroidery began. I owe so much of my career to the 1800 House Decorative Arts programs and those I met there, especially Mary Emery Lacoursiere and Edie Bouriez. When I interned at the NHA 10 years ago I could not have envisioned making a career out of being a textile historian, but I am loving the journey and am so grateful for my time in Nantucket.”

Programs

Decorative Arts Basket Clinic

In alignment with our goal to continue the tradition of Nantucket basket weaving, the NHA launched a new Nantucket Basket Clinic at the 1800 House this winter. Beginning in January and running through early April, 20 students of all ages completed their own Nantucket baskets. Students chose from a selection of traditional Nantucket baskets and were guided through the various steps by decorative arts staff and volunteers. Several children and parent pairs were able to participate, illustrating the multi-generation appeal of the traditional Nantucket art form. NHA staff were also encouraged to join for a hands-on experience of Nantucket history. The workshop was designed to accommodate students and working professionals as we continue our work to reach and engage a broader audience. It has been a wonderful pilot run for year-round weaving programs for the entire community and we look forward to a similar offering in more seasons to come!

Mindful Memories

This winter, we introduced Mindful Memories, a program specially created for people with cognitive impairments and their caregivers. Falling under our Mindful History umbrella, each Mindful Memories program is structured to be interactive, with conversation and a hands-on activity. Music is a great way to unlock memories and jumpstart conversation, and this was evident during a program featuring light and lighthouses, as Susan Burman and Ray Saunders played acoustic instruments, and participants joined in with toe-tapping, singing along, and playing hand-held instruments. One song in particular, Harbor Lights, elicited comments about our beautiful harbor in the evening and memo-

ries of time spent enjoying time there. We also did some "slow-looking" at paintings from our collection. One in particular evoked conversation about swimming in cold ocean water, eating freshly caught scallops and clams, and having joyous boat rides around the harbor.

We are fortunate to partner with Palliative & Supportive Care of Nantucket (PASCON), which has helped us understand the needs of this important segment of our community. We are thrilled to be able to make the Whaling Museum, with the NHA collections and resources, an inviting and accessible destination.

Mindful Memories is generously supported by The Tupancy-Harris Foundation.

Take a decorative arts class inspired by Nantucket history!

Get creative and enjoy a hands-on experience at one of the NHA’s historic properties.

SIGN UP FOR A WORKSHOP TODAY AT NHA.ORG

Looking for a unique experience to do with your family and friends?

Book a private workshop by emailing decoarts@nha.org

NHA Decorative Arts are generously supported by

Daffodil Woven Cuff Bracelet with Caitlin Parsons

Wednesday, August 14

Online Auction: August 3-14

Supporting the island craft of Nantucket lightship baskets with a Celebration Under the Whale and an online auction to bid on baskets and basket-related items.

Karen Butler and Sandie Owen, Co-Chairs 2024

Learn more at NHA.org

Support

Recognizing donors of $1,000 or more yearly to the NHA Annual Fund.

1894 Society Benefits:

• Guest passes for unlimited entry

• Recognition on the 1894 Society webpage

• Invitations to exclusive programs

• Custom benefits designed to meet your specific interests

Learn more by contacting 1894society@nha.org

1894 Society

$100,000 and Above

Annabelle & Gregory Fowlkes

Jim Irsay

Ronay & Richard Menschel

Helen & Chuck Schwab

Jason A. Tilroe

$50,000 – $99,999

Susan Blount & Richard Bard

Ritchie Battle

Christy & Bill Camp

Amanda B. Cross

Shelley & Graham Goldsmith

Bonnie & Peter McCausland

Franci Neely

Burwell & Chip Schorr

$25,000 – $49,999

Nancy & Douglas Abbey

Elizabeth & Lee Ainslie

Maureen & Edward Bousa

Julie Jensen Bryan & Robert Bryan

John M. DeCiccio

Deborah & Bruce Duncan

Betsey & Charlie Gifford

Mark H. Gottwald

Lucy Dillon & Kevin Kuester

Ashley Gosnell Mody & Darshan Mody

Ella W. Prichard

Denise & Andrew Saul

Virginia Valentine

Patricia Hambrick & Harry W. Wilcox

$10,000 – $24,999

Gale H. Arnold

Janet & Sam Bailey

Stacey & Robert Bewkes

Patricia Nilles & C. Hunter Boll

Anne Marie & Doug Bratton

Laura Buck†

Margot Bush

Olivia & Felix Charney

† Deceased

Nancy & John Clifford

Robyn & John Davis

Tracy & John Flannery

Ola & Randall Fojtasek

Kelly Williams & Andrew Forsyth

Nan Geschke

Susan Zises Green

Mae & Ande Grennan

Connie Anne & Jeremiah Harris

Cecelia Joyce Johnson

Diane Pitt & Mitch Karlin

Anne & Todd Knutson

Rena & Josh Kopelman

Jean Doyen de Montaillou & Michael Kovner

Polly Hallowell & Steve Langer

Mary & Al Novissimo

Laura & Bob Reynolds

Jonathan Rich

Crystal & Rich Richardson

Christine & Stephen Schwarzman

Janet & Rick Sherlund

Kathleen & Robert Stansky

Melinda & Paul Sullivan

Wendy & Colin Sykes

Louise E. Turner

Kim & Finn Wentworth

$5,000 – $9,999

Patricia & Thomas Anathan

Lindsay & Merrick Axel

Mary-Randolph Ballinger

Peter A. Barresi

Carole & Gary Beller

Pamela & Max Berry

Cece & Lee Black

Jeanine & Alastair Borthwick

Connie & Tom Cigarran

Martha W. Cox

Lisa N. Dawson

Beth A. Dempsey

Elizabeth Miller & James Dinan

Megan Donovan-Chien & Ken Chien

This list represents donations from January-December 2023.

Cynthia & John Everets

Joseph S. Freeman

Karyn M. Frist

Tessa Cressman & Jim Garrels

Robert I. Gease

Gordon Gund

Barbara & Ed Hajim

Kaaren & Charles Hale

Amy & Brett Harsch

Barbara & Amos Hostetter

Wendy & Randy Hudson

Susanne & Zenas Hutcheson

Mary Ellen & Jeffrey Jay

Cindy & Evan Jones

Mary Ann & Paul† Judy

Jill & Stephen Karp

Diane & Art Kelly

Coco & Arie Kopelman

Alexandra Leighton

Paula & Bruce Lilly

Nancy & Richard Lubin

Debra & Vincent Maffeo

Ann & Craig Muhlhauser

Carter & Chris Norton

Michelle Olsta

Kathryn & Roger Penske

Andrew Law & David Rattner

Gary McBournie & William

Richards

Sharon & Frank Robinson

Catherine Ebert & Karl Saberg

Linda T. Saligman

Anne Fairfax & Richard Sammons

Michael Gianelli & Gregory Shano

Deidre & Joesph Smialowski

Georgia A. Snell

Kate Lubin & Glendon Sutton

Athalyn & Michael Sweeney

Ann & Peter Taylor

Garrett Thornburg

Liz & Geoff Verney

Kathryn Wagner

Suzy Welch

Mary & John West

$3,000 – $4,999

Dinah & Barry Barksdale

Liz & Ben Barnes

Marybeth Gilmartin Baugher & Scott Baugher

Jody & Brian Berger

Susan & Bill Boardman

Marianne & Chris Brewster

Anne & Thomas Broadus

Patricia & Barrett Burns

Anne DeLaney & Chip Carver

Beth K. Clyne

Janice J. Compton

Beth & Andy Corry

Elizabeth & Jack Draughon

Julie & Cam Gammill

Page & Arthur Gosnell

Jenny & Justin Green

Claire & Robert Greenspon

Karli & Jim Hagedorn

Catherine & Richard Herbst

Wendy Hubbell

Martha Dippell & Daniel Korengold

Alice & J. Thomas Macy

Yumi Maeno

Carla & Jack McDonald

Nancy & John Nichols

Candace Platt

Susan & Harry Rein

Maria & George Roach

Janet L. Robinson

Margaret & John Ruttenberg

Bonnie J. Sacerdote

Erin & Joe Saluti

Alison & Tom Schneider

Nancy & Joe Serafini

Daisy M. Soros

Steven W. Spandle

Laura & Greg Spivy

Tina & Steven Swartz

Merrielou Symes

Robert A. Young

Craftsmanship

JULY

15-18

NANTUCKET BY DESIGN

BENEFITING THE NANTUCKET HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION

BENEFITING THE NANTUCKET HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION

BENEFITING THE NANTUCKET HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION

Celebrate the Art of Craftsmanship with design panels, cocktail parties, book signings, and more. Register today to join the confirmed list of speakers below.

Celebrate the Art of Craftsmanship with design panels, cocktail parties, book signings, and more. Register today to join the confirmed list of speakers below.

Celebrate the Art of Craftsmanship with design panels, cocktail parties, book signings, and more. Register today to join the confirmed list of speakers below.

Aerin Lauder

Aerin Lauder

Aerin Lauder

Andrew Kotchen

Andrew Kotchen

Andrew Kotchen

Brian Sawyer

Brian Sawyer

Brian Sawyer

Caitlin Parsons

Caitlin Parsons

Caitlin Parsons

Darren Henault

Darren Henault

Darren Henault

David Kaihoi

David Kaihoi

David Kaihoi

Ed Hollander

Ed Hollander

Ed Hollander

Gary McBournie

Gary McBournie

Gary McBournie

Heather Goodnow

Heather Goodnow

Heather Goodnow

Jesse Carrier

Jesse Carrier

Jesse Carrier

Joy Moyler

Joy Moyler

Joy Moyler

Keita Turner

Keita Turner

Keita Turner

Ken Fulk

Ken Fulk

Ken Fulk

Kevin Paulsen

Kevin Paulsen

Kevin Paulsen

Kit Kemp

Kit Kemp

Kit Kemp

Laura Doyle

Laura Doyle

Mara Miller

Mara Miller

Laura Doyle

Mary McDonald

Mary McDonald

Mary McDonald

Meg Braff

Meg Braff

Meg Braff

Melanie Millner

Melanie Millner

Melanie Millner

Michelle Holland

Michelle Holland

Michelle Holland

Miles Redd

Miles Redd

Miles Redd

Nina Farmer

Nina Farmer

Nina Farmer

Sarah Wetenhall

Sarah Wetenhall

Sarah Wetenhall

Victoria Hagan

Victoria Hagan

SCAN TO LEARN MORE & PURCHASE TICKETS

SCAN TO LEARN MORE & PURCHASE TICKETS

SCAN TO LEARN MORE & PURCHASE TICKETS

Mark Sikes

Mara Miller

Mark Sikes

Mark Sikes

Victoria Hagan

Young Huh

Young Huh

Young Huh

FOLLOW ALONG ON THE ROAD TO NANTUCKET BY DESIGN @ NANTUCKETBYDESIGN

FOLLOW ALONG ON THE ROAD TO NANTUCKET BY DESIGN @ NANTUCKETBYDESIGN

FOLLOW ALONG ON THE ROAD TO NANTUCKET BY DESIGN @ NANTUCKETBYDESIGN

THE MUSEUM SHOP IS OPEN

Instore and online at NantucketMuseumShop.org

Members receive 10% off every purchase

SHOP TONY SARG INSPIRED PRODUCTS!

The Nantucket Sea Monster A Fake News Story by Darcy Pattison

Tony Sarg Map Dining Tray

Sea Monster Toy

Tony Sarg Genius at Play Exhibit Catalog

Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet