Tony Sarg Exhibit at Fair Street Museum Outstanding

TONY SARG MAGIC 31

As a consequence of my fortuitous "happening" in August of 1983,1 have a permanent reminder of the eight sparkling show-business years in the life of the Blatts: a Tony Sarg etching of Main Street, Nantucket.

Finally, I leave you with a proper ending: We now have another Lucy, our granddaughter, named after Lucy Blatt. She is nine. I made a cardboard puppet theatre for her a year ago. She is at present eagerly w r i t i n g a n d p r o d u c i n g d e l i g h t f u l o n e - w o m a n p u p p e t s h o w s . S o . . . w e have come full circle, helped along, no doubt, by a few scattered genes.

THE TONY SARG exhibit now on display at the Fair Street Museum is an outstanding display. Appropriately termed "Travels with Tony Sarg", it is a fitting collection of the amazing contribution this extraordinary man made to the times in which he lived. Arranged most effectively are displays of his talent and skill, ranging from posters, watercolors, maps, children's books, hand-painted boxes, bird's-eye views (particularly Main Street) to marionettes, and a wide variety of sketches.

Mary Sarg Murphy, Tony Sarg's daughter, was on hand for the opening day. A portrait artist in her own right, she represented that essential link to Mr. Sarg's genius. Some of his books were a part of her childhood, bringing much pleasure to many children everywhere.

The Tony Sarg Collection was made possible as an acquisition to the Nantucket Historical Association by the generous gift of Mr. and Mrs. Philip Murray, of Nantucket. Mr. Murray's grandfather is the subject of one sketch.

The exhibition was prepared, matted and framed by a group using archival techniques. The paper conservation, cleaning, repair, etc., was supervised by Anne Lockwood of the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University. Julie Stackpole executed the binding repair of several books, including one of the original Sarg manuscripts. Victoria Hawkins, Curator of the Nantucket Historical Association, arranged the exhibition, assisted by Mrs. Martha Blackwood Groetzinger, Guest Curator, aided by Laura Evans and Sarah Parson, Curatorial Assistants, and David Cowles and G. T. Burke, framing experts. To these people both credit and appreciation is certainly due for a most satisfying show.