October Second Sunday ~ Search for the Northwest Passage with Anthony Brandt

October Second Sunday ~ Search for the Northwest Passage with Anthony Brandt

Search for the Northwest Passage with Anthony Brandt

Anthony Brandt, editor of the National Geographic Adventure series and author of The Man Who Ate His Boots: The Tragic History of the Search for the Northwest Passage, will be the speaker at the 10 October, Second Sunday lecture for the New London County Historical Society. Brandt’s book, published earlier this year, is a spell-binding read of the 19th-century search for a Northwest Passage from Europe to the Pacific.

The search for the fabled Northwest Passage was primarily carried out by the British Navy in the period following the Napoleonic Wars at a time when they seemed to believe they were invincible. The discovery of an all-water route to the Pacific above Canada became a goal for nineteenth-century British explorers that was equivalent to the search for the Holy Grail. Today we know how futile that search was as the passage was non-existent because the waters north of Canada were essentially icebound all year long, at least at that time. That didn’t prevent a parade of British mariners from challenging the ice in that incredibly hostile environment.

This summer, a team of archaeologists from Parks Canada set out to find some of the explorers’ sunken ships. Almost miraculously, they found the 100 foot HMS Investigator fifteen minutes after they began using side-scanning sonar in the area where the ship was abandoned by explorer Robert McClure 155 years ago. Due to global warming the ice in the Arctic is receding; this summer, for the third time in the past four years, a Northwest Passage did exist. The search continues for Lord Franklin’s lost ships the Erebus and the Terror.

New London will always be connected to these stories through the rescue of the British navy ship HMS Resolute, discovered by Captain James Buddington and brought back to New London in 1855. It was the crew of the Resolute who saved McClure and his team in the Arctic. Although the Resolute too was abandoned in the Arctic, it floated free of the ice and drifted 1000 miles before it was found by Buddington in the Davis Straits.

You’ll meet all these people and these ships and more in Brandt’s presentation based on his book. In addition to several other books, Brandt has had a successful career in magazine journalism. He wrote for Esquire, American Heritage, The Atlantic, and many other magazines. A reception and book signing will follow his presentation. The program begins at 3pm at the Shaw Mansion, 11 Blinman Street, New London. It is free for members of the historical society; $5 admission is charged to those who are not members.

The Shaw Mansion, headquarters for Connecticut’s Navy during the American Revolution, has been the home of New London County Historical Society for over 100 years. Located at 11 Blinman Street, New London, it is near the intersection of Bank and Tilley Streets. For more information please call 860.443.1209 or go to www.newlondonhistory.org.

NLCHS Annual Meeting ~ 12 September

NLCHS Annual Meeting ~ 12 September

The Debut of our New Classroom, plus:

 Jane Perkins Revealed

Please join us for the 140th annual meeting of the New London County Historical Society which will be held at the Shaw Mansion Sunday 12 September beginning with an hors d’oeuvres and wine reception at 4 pm followed by the business meeting at 5:15.

Following the business meeting Jennifer Emerson and Penny Havard will share with members the process and the research that went into creating the “persona” of Miss Jane Perkins.Secrets of a locked trunk

Let’s say that “someone” has an idea to create a new first-person interpretive program for a unique historic site, that will “bring to life” an actual individual who once lived at the historic site. How do you make the idea into reality? How do you construct a life from the past? How do you make your interpretation of that individual believable? How do you create the clothes that will evoke the past, and position this individual in a certain time and place with a particular social standing and point of view? How do you create a setting where this person from the past would have an opportunity to be in conversation with people from the present? Come find out.

The “Tea with Miss Perkins” program was recently featured at the Annual Conference of the Connecticut League of History Organizations. With the theme, “Bring on the Drama: Theater and Costumed Interpretation at Historic Sites,” more than 100 history practitioners were interested in finding out more.

Jennifer and Penny created two presentations for the conference that outlined the creation of Miss Perkins and the creation of the costuming for the production. For our annual meeting they will share their presentations with our members.

Starting from, “What do we really know about Jane Perkins?” Jennifer put in hours of research time —  part detective, part playwright, part actor, Jennifer’s inspiration will be revealed.Miss Perkins

Penny’s task was not so much mystery, but was daunting nonetheless; with her considerable knowledge of fashion from the period, how did she take what Jennifer found out, translate that information and create a dress and accessories that would help to tell the story? And a second dress for the maid … there’s a lot to this story.

Tickets $20 for members. Call today to make reservations: 860.443.1209.

 

Miss Perkins around 1864.

Jane and Ellinor 1876 [2010 really]

Rescheduled for the 29th — Turn Back the Clock ~ NLCHS Day at Dodd Stadium Features Vintage Base Ball

Thames Base Ball Club Demonstation Fronts the CT Tigers Game

Due to Rain on the 22nd , This Event Rescheuled for

Sunday 29 August

 New London County Historical Society “Turns Back the Clock” Day at Dodd Stadium

 

11:35 — 1861 Rules Demonstration Base Ball Game Thames Base Ball Club v. Columbia Base Ball Club

1:05 — CT Tigers v Broklyn Cyclones

After the game — Kids get to run the bases and play catch and receive a free ball from Dick’s Sporting Goods

Free Benedict Arnold bobblehead to the first 500 ticket holders

Game Tickets $8 available at the Shaw Mansion and at the gate.

Call 860.443.1209

 

See you there!

 

Secrets of a Locked Trunk ~ A Visit with Miss Perkins and Family

Secrets of a Locked Trunk ~ A Visit with Miss Perkins and Family

Call today to get your tickets: 860.443.1209

Miss Perkins and some of her family members will present a “first-person interactive performance with tea” over the last two weekends in August. Tickets will be available for both Saturday and Sunday late afternoon performances on 21 and 22 August and 28 and 29 August. In a variation on the “Tea with Miss Perkins” theme, the performance will be presented using the house and gardens as the setting for our story, and tea and period-appropriate refreshments will follow.Entertaining in the garden

The setting for our story is 1876. Miss Perkins and her niece, Elinor, have been rummaging through the attic of the family’s ancient house. They’ve found a small locked trunk which obviously once belonged to a member of the family, but what lies within? With Mother’s permission (and with her curiosity aroused as well) they are determined to find out.

In 1876, the Shaw Mansion was home to Mrs. Nathaniel Shaw Perkins, her son Nathaniel Shaw Perkins, Jr., her daughter Jane Perkins, her granddaughter Elinor, (daughter of Mary Perkins Griswold who died in 1863), and two servants. In 1907 Jane Perkins sold the house to the New London County Historical Society to be its permanent home; by placing the story thirty years before that event we return to the centennial year, a time when many Americans began to truly look back at what had been accomplished since we declared our independence. Visitors will have an opportunity to be transported back in time and will see how the concept of preserving history might be older that you think.

“Jane Perkins,” “Elinor,” and “Mrs. Perkins,” will be left behind during the tea service. Coming out of character, Jennifer, Lilly and Penny will be available to answer your questions from the 21st century. If you have had tea with “Miss Perkins” before we hope you’ll return for this new performance and for the opportunity to ask about dresses or recipes or Frances Caulkins, and learn of the amazing amount of research that backs up each performance.

Reservations can be made by calling the Shaw Mansion at 860.443.1209. Tickets prices are $15 for adults and $12 for children.

PerformancesSet for tea

21 and 22 August  at 3 pm

28 and 29 August at 3 pm

 

 

Connecticut’s Historic Gardens Day ~ 27 June

Connecticut’s Historic Gardens Day ~ 27 June

Sunday 27 June the Shaw Mansion joins with Connecticut’s Historic Gardens in celebrating Historic Gardens Day. Included in the regular admission price will be special tours and lectures. In the morning Connecticut Master Gardeners will provide tours of the Shaw Mansion Garden and will preview the new herb garden beds planted in front of the Root Cellar.

In the afternoon Miss Perkins and some of her friends from the 1860s will return to take over her garden. Miss Perkins will offer a guided tour sharing “the Language of Flowers,” and at the end of the day will they will portray a tableau vivant recreating Winslow Homer’s famous painting of a croquet match. Strawberry shortcake will also be available. It should be a lovely day to visit the garden.

Connecticut’s Historic Gardens is a collaboration of 14 historic sites across the state, each of which features the historic landscape as one of its attractions. Other sites close to New London include the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme, and the Harkness Memorial State Park in Waterford. For more information view the Connecticut Historic Gardens WebSite.

The Shaw Mansion, located near the intersection of Bank and Tilley Streets in New London, has been the home of the New London County Historical Society since 1907. The one acre park-like environs of the house creates one of the largest green-spaces in the center of the city. Famous modernist landscape architect Christopher Tunnard created a design for the site in the wake of the devastation of the hurricane of 1938. His plan for the garden will be on view for Historic Garden Day.

Schedule for the day:

11 am Tour the garden with master gardener Susan Munger

12 noon “Herbs for the Historic Garden” presentation

1:30 pm “The Language of Flowers” a tour with “Miss Perkins”

2:30 pm Winslow Homer’s Croquet Match, a Tableaux Vivant

Regular admission $5

27 September – Tea and Tales with the Perkins

27 September – Tea and Tales with the Perkins

~Tea and Tales at the Shaw Mansion~

tea-service

A Living History Performance

The year is 1876…our Nation is 100 years old!

And you are invited to tea at the home of one of the most influential and respected families in the history of New London!

Come and meet Mrs. Perkins, the matriarch of the Perkins family and her daughter, Miss Perkins. As you enjoy tea and refreshments, they will share inspiring stories of their family with you and much more.

From family to fashion, from politics to patriotism, you’ll see in many ways how much times have changed…and how much they’ve stayed the same!

Experience the history of New London like never before!

Performance Dates:

August 9th & 23rd

September 6th & 27th

Limit: 20 seats per performance

$15 per person

For tickets call:

(860) 443-1209

Special Tea for Girls and their American Girl Dolls ~ Tuesday 11 August at 2:00 pm

$25 for a girl and her mother (or father) $10 each for additional girls (free admission for dolls)

tea-with-visitors