Nationally Recognized Painting Experts Survey NLCHS Collection

Nationally Recognized Painting Experts Survey NLCHS Collection

The National Endowment for the Humanities awarded a “We the People” grant to the New London County Historical Society to fund the creation of a preservation plan for the 55 oil paintings in its collection. Nationally recognized painting experts, Lance Mayer and Gay Myers, independent conservators associated with the Lyman Allyn Art Museum, are conducting an intensive survey of the collection in order to create the plan.lance_&_gay

James Leach, Chairman of the NEH writes, “The goal of the ‘We the People’ initiative is to support projects that explore significant events and themes in our nation’s history.” The society’s collection has a number of outstanding components with six Ralph Earl portraits commissioned for the Shaw family in 1792, and a large number of ships’ portraits and ships’ captains’ portraits associated with New London’s whaling years. In the Thomas Shaw portrait, Earl included a view in the background of Fort Trumbull with a large American flag flying over it. This alone makes this painting an important document of our nation as there are fewer than 100 images of the American flag that have been identified as being created prior to 1800.

Meyer and Myers clients have ranged from the Guggenheim Museum to the Art Institute of Chicago, and more locally, the Yale Center for British Art and the Wadsworth Atheneum. In 2009 they treated “Washington Crossing the Delaware” for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Their scholarly work on 18th and 19th century painting techniques has been shared in numerous articles and conference presentations.

lance_&_gay_s1

CT Commission on Culture and Tourism Features Shaw Mansion

“From Stone House to Glass House,” an exhibit on the historic preservation movement in Connecticut, opens 1 April in the CCT Gallery, in the offices of the state’s Commission on Culture and Tourism. The Shaw Mansion and its preservation by the New London County Historical Society is featured as one of the earliest examples of historic house preservation in the state.

preservation_2

90 Years for the 19th Amendment ~ Women’s Right to Vote

90 Years for the 19th Amendment ~ Women’s Right to Vote

SuffragettesThe March Second Sunday program celebrates the 90th Anniversary of the League of Women Voters. Connecticut LWV President, Jara Burnett, will share the story of the effort to pass the 19th Amendment, approved in 1920, and the story of  the organization that pushed for that change: the National American Womens Suffrage Association, which became the League of Women Voters in 1920.

In its 90 years the non-partisan league has campaigned for increased understanding of public policy issues, efforts to achieve an open governmental system that is representative, accountable and responsive to the people, and has hosted local and national candidates debates.

The program will take place at the Shaw Mansion beginning at 2pm on Sunday 14 March. The program is free for members of the New London County Historical Society and for members of the League of Women Voters, $5 for others. Refreshments will be served following the program.

The Shaw Mansion has been the headquarters for the New London County Historical Society since 1907, and is located at 11 Blinman Street, close to the intersection of Bank and Tilley Streets in New London.

alice-paul-thumb100-LWV

February Second Sunday ~ VNA’s 100 Years!

February Second Sunday ~ VNA’s 100 Years!

A History of Social Service in New London CountyVNA_2

February’s Second Sunday, on the 14th, will feature Mary Lenzini, Executive Director of the Visiting Nurse Association of Southeastern Connecticut. The VNA is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year and this will be an opportunity to look back at how far we have come in providing skilled nursing assistance in our region. Of course there have been vast changes in the nursing profession over those 100 years as well as amazing changes in medical practice.

As early as 1909 the Visiting Nurse Association of Southeastern Connecticut was at work. Black bag in hand, equipped with enema bags, dressing supplies, thermometers and little else, these pioneers visited their patients on foot, by horseback, or by bicycle.

Charged mostly with caring for the poor, new mothers and children, psychiatric and homebound tuberculosis patients, their nursing duties were combined with a large dose of social work.VNA_1

This Second Sunday program will take place at 2 pm at the offices of the VNA of Southeastern Connecticut, 403 North Frontage Road, just inside the Waterford border next to Springhill Suites and the New London Mall.

VNA_3

NLCHS Awarded NEH Grant

NEW LONDON: The National Endowment for the Humanities has awarded a “We the People” grant to the New London County Historical Society to fund the creation of a preservation plan for the 55 oil paintings in its collection. Nationally recognized painting experts, Lance Mayer and Gay Myers, independent conservators associated with the Lyman Allyn Art Museum, will conduct an intensive survey of the collection in order to create the plan. Having a plan in place will make it possible to seek additional funding for the conservation and treatment of specific paintings in a future funding cycle.
 
James Leach, Chairman of the NEH writes, “The goal of the ‘We the People’ initiative is to support projects that explore significant events and themes in our nation’s history.” The society’s collection has a number of outstanding components with six Ralph Earl portraits commissioned for the Shaw family in 1792, and a large number of ships’ portraits and ships’ captains’ portraits associated with New London’s whaling years. In the Thomas Shaw portrait, Earl included a view in the background of Fort Trumbull with a large American flag flying over it. This alone makes this painting an important document of our nation as there are fewer than 100 images of the American flag that have been identified as being created prior to 1800.
 
Meyer and Myers clients have ranged from the Guggenheim Museum to the Art Institute of Chicago, and more locally, the Yale Center for British Art and the Wadsworth Atheneum. In 2009 they treated Washington Crossing the Delaware for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Their scholarly work on 18th and 19th century painting techniques has been shared in numerous articles and conference presentations. They look forward to having a project close to home and the opportunity to closely examine the Earl portraits.

The New London County Historical Society, founded in 1870, is the oldest historical organization in eastern Connecticut. The Shaw Mansion has been the society’s headquarters since 1907 and is located at 11 Blinman Street, New London, close to the corner of Bank and Tilley Streets.

a publick Thanksgiving in this Colony

a publick Thanksgiving in this Colony

 

[November 1756] Thursd 18 “fair. a publick Thanksgiving in this Colony.  I Set out in the morning with Joshua in order to go to Stonington purpusing to meeting att Groton but the ferry boat was gone over & Stayed there a great while and a small wind & Right against us that wee were Late & the ferrymans cellar being broke open ye last night & Sundrys Stole out I stopt to write a Warrant to Serch & by that means was too late for the meeting and wee went the Lower way to Stonington & Dined att Joshuas between 3 & 4. oe Clock & went to son miners & Lodged there.”

Thanks

This Thanksgiving Day in Joshua’s 79th year gives a new meaning to “over the river and through the woods” to a holiday meal with family.  It also points up a difference between Thanksgiving then and now.  The Connecticut colony, according to Joshua’s Diary, as well as the colonies of New York and Massachusetts, usually held a day of Thanksgiving in early November.  These days were “publishd” at the local meetinghouse a week or so in advance and most of Joshua’s entries regarding these special days simply read something similar to this: “Wedensd 16 fair. A Thanksgiving day Throughout ye Collony. Mr. ad. Pr. al d.”  (November 1715).

Thanksgiving was a day of prayer, not of feasting and football, although it is clear from the longer entry above, and others in the Diary that it was also a day to meet with family and/or friends and to dine together.  In fact, as Pat Schaefer notes in A Useful Friend, this gathering together of family to celebrate Thanksgiving may very well have been the expected custom. She points out a sad little entry by Joshua in 1732: “Thursd 9 Cloudy.  a publick Thanksgiving & ye most Malancholy that ever I had.  no Brother Sister or Child with me.”

May you all have a blessed and happy Thanksgiving and may you celebrate it with friends and family.

See an index all the Joshua Hempstead Blog postings.