morris county historical society spring newsletter 2009

The Morris County Historical Society is inviting the public to come up and see its etchings – and paintings and sculptures – now on display in Out of the Closet: An Art Collection Revealed. In this newest exhibit at Acorn Hall, the Society is showing off its extensive collection of prints, paintings, drawings, and other art-works, many of which have never been publicly exhibited before. The works represent both local and inter-national artists. Among the featured art-works: A collection of 19th century Japanese

SPRING 2009 Out of the Closet: An Art Collection Revealed Our membership continues to

grow! Please welcome the following new members:

John Allen Barbara Brown Thomas DiMartino Margaret Findley Elizabeth Hauser Elisabeth Joubert &

Annette Mowen Barbara Jutila Joyce Kanigel G. (Chris) Mailander Kate Nitto Mr. & Mrs. Frederick

Olex & Family Constance Rooney Lynne & Clifford

Taylor Dave & Mary Lynn

Townsley Linda Willner

Historical Happenings 2

From the Director 3

Home Garden Club 3

Exhibit Workshop 4

In the Gift Shop 4

Spring Tea 5

Rev. Weekend 5

Yard Sale 5

Be Our Guest 6

Membership 7

Inside this issue:

Morris County Historical Society At Acorn Hall

woodblock prints depicting the “floating world” of geishas and actors. A charming 19th century oil painting of a peasant girl by Francesco Augero, who exhib-ited at the National Academy. A collection of miniature portraits on ivory by Morristown artist Gertrude Colles. Landscapes by 19th century Morris-town art-ist Mabel Olmsted. A se-ries of neoclassi-cal etch-ings de-picting scenes from Greek mythol-ogy.

(continued on page 6)

Celebration of Cultures Go around the world in an afternoon at “Many Lands, One County: A Celebration of Cultural Heritage” on Sunday, April 19, from 1 to 5 p.m. The event, co-hosted by the Mor-ris County Historical Society and the Morris County Human Relations Commission, will feature arts, foods, music, dance, and other traditions of the many different peoples who call Morris County home. The event is free of charge and promises to be a day of sharing,

learning, and fun for the whole family. “Many Lands, One County,” will take place at the Student Center at the County College of Morris, 214 Center Grove Road in Randolph. Please use Parking Lot 6. For more information visit www.morrishumanrelations.org.

A hand-colored print by famed local artist Lucille Hobbie

A delicate miniature by Gertrude Colles

MCHS SPRING 2009

Historical Happenings Boonton Historical Society

Tuesday, April 14 – “Celebrate NJ.” Linda Barth will present an armchair journey down the by-ways of New Jersey. 2 p.m. at the Senior Center. Saturday, May 2 – Biennial House Tour. Wednesday, May 20 – “Stories from the Boonton Police Depart-ment” with Chief Steven Stross. 7 p.m. at the Senior Center. Friday, May 22 – Dinner with Sherlock Holmes. Neill Hartley of the American Historical Theatre will portray Holmes. 6:30 p.m. at the Columbia Inn, 29 Route 202, Montville. $40 per person.

For additional information: (973) 396-6782

www.boonton.org/Community/HistoricalSociety.htm

Chester Historical Society

Thursday, April 9 – “New Jer-sey in the French and Indian War” with Douglass Pitchell and Andy Drysdale. 7 p.m. at the Chester Public Library, 250 West Main Street, Chester. Thursday, May 14 – “New Jer-sey and the Civil War” with the 33rd Regiment New Jersey Vol-unteer Infantry re-enactors. 7 p.m. at the Chester Public Li-

brary, 250 West Main Street, Chester.


www.historicchesternj.com

Lake Hopatcong Historical Museum

Saturday, May 9 – “Victorian Times at Lake Hopatcong.” 6 p.m. at The Arlington.


www.hopatcong.org/museum

Long Hill Township Historical Society

Thursday, April 9 – “Life in the Slow Lane” with Lois Hocken-bury. 7:30 p.m. at the Long Hill Township First Aid Squad build-ing, 949 Valley Road, Gillette. Thursday, May 14 – “Morris County Canal” with Dave Phra-ner. 7:30 p.m. at the Long Hill Township First Aid Squad build-ing, 949 Valley Road, Gillette. Thursday, June 11 – “Tour Basking Ridge Presbyterian Cemetery” by George Fricke. 7:30 p.m. at the Long Hill Township First Aid Squad build-ing, 949 Valley Road, Gillette.


www.longhillhistory.org

Madison Historical Society

Thursday, April 16 – “The James Family,” a presentation focusing on D. Willis James, who gave Madison its Public Library, now the Museum of Early Trades & Crafts. 7 p.m. in the Chase Room, Madison Li-brary, 39 Keep Street, Madison. Thursday, May 21 – Annual Dinner, featuring Bob Butts and members of the Baroque Or-chestra of NJ playing selections from “Ballads of NJ in the Revolution.” 6 p.m. at the Madi-son Hotel.

For additional information: (973) 377-0722 Ext. 8 www.rosenet.org/mhs

Washington Township Historical Society

Friday, April 16 – Used Book Sale, 4 p.m.-8 p.m. Saturday, April 17– Used Book Sale, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday, April 18– Used Book Sale, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. WTHS Museum, 6 Fairview Avenue, Long Valley. Sunday, May 17 – Historic School Bell Dedication, 2-4 p.m. at the WTHS Museum, 6 Fairview Avenue, Long Valley.

For additional information: (908) 876-9696 www.wthsnj.org

The Pinelands Traveler—Ghost Towns, Bogs, and

Legends

Wednesday, May 20 1 p.m.

Frelinghuysen Arboretum

Michael Fowler, a noted speaker, author, photographer, and professor at Burlington County College, will speak.

MCHS SPRING 2009

Bus Trip to Stonecrop Gardens, Cold Spring, N.Y.

Thursday, June 18

The bus will depart from the Frelinghuysen Arboretum at 8 a.m. A tour of the wonderful gardens at Stonecrop will be fol-lowed by lunch at Hudson House. The bus returns to the

Arboretum at about 4:30 p.m. For tickets contact Gail Avery at 973-541-0278 or at [email protected].

Home Garden Club

From the Director March 2009 marked my tenth year at the Morris County Historical Society. The historian in me cannot let this anniversary pass without comment, so I’d like to take this opportunity to share my reflections with you. The thing that stands out most to me is the great joy I have taken in being associated with the Society and in the people I have had the opportunity to meet. “Society” truly is the key word in this organization. Members, volunteers, interns, staff, and board members are really the living heart of MCHS. I can think of so many members who have become dear friends – I look for their presence at events the way you look forward to seeing a favorite relative at the holidays. Volunteers, both those who have been at Acorn Hall since I began and those who are rela-tively new, are a constant source of inspiration. We have been tremendously lucky in attracting truly talented young people as interns, and I have enjoyed not only working with them, but watching them graduate and continue on their careers. Staff member Debra Westmoreland will celebrate her ten-year anniversary this fall and I cannot imagine the Society without her. I can honestly say that all of the various members of the staff have contributed in their own way to the Society’s development. Right now we have a quartet of women at MCHS, each with her own special strength, and although each of us is so very different, we are like parts of an automobile engine – it takes the work of each one to move that car forward. Finally I’d like to recognize the trustees, especially those who have been there since the beginning, who took a chance that an inexperienced yet eager young woman could have what it takes to lead a venerable organization into a new century. Thank you to everyone who has made the last ten years seem like a brief moment in time. There are far too many of you to list by name, but know that I value each of you and your contributions. I look for-ward to celebrating more anniversaries with you, and with new friends, in the future.

– Bonnie-Lynn Nadzeika

featuring roses, an English cot-tage, or vintage correspondence. Organize with style with book-shaped boxes decorated with vintage seed packets or Jazz Age beauties. If economic concerns are forcing you to cut back on gift giving, the shop at Acorn Hall has a solution. Instead of a commercially printed card, give the gift of Acorn Hall. Beautifully printed cards featuring a his-toric image of Acorn Hall are $6 and give the receiver a free visit to Acorn Hall. For just a few dollars more

Bunnies and chicks have hopped into the Oakleaf Gallery gift shop, a sure sign that Spring is on its way! There’s a lovely se-lection of items that are perfect for Easter baskets or hostess gifts. Most items are under $10 and several are under $5, so you can pick up a treat without breaking the bank. New to the shop is a selection of Victorian-themed items for home and office. There is a

beautiful porce-lain bedside water carafe decorated with roses. Perk up your desk with a mouse pad

than a store-bought card, it’s sure to brighten someone’s day! The shop accepts all major credit cards. Members always save 10%, so every day is a sale day! Every purchase benefits MCHS programs.

Fonts to Frames Workshop

In the Gift Shop

PAGE 4

MCHS SPRING 2009

The Morris County Historical Society and the Morris County Heritage Commission are spon-soring “Fonts To Frames: Ex-hibit Design and Installation on a Budget,” a workshop for staff and volunteers at small, volun-teer-run museums and historical

agencies in Morris County. The program will be held on Wednesday, April 8, at 5:30 p.m. at the Morris County Cultural Center, 300 Mendham Road, Morris Township. Participation is free of charge but is limited to persons affiliated with volunteer-run organiza-tions in Morris County.

Reservations are required and are available on a first-come, first-served basis, with a limit of two participants per organiza-tion. For additional information or for reservations contact the Morris County Historical Soci-ety at 973-267-3465.

MCHS staff members Bonnie-Lynn Nadzeika and Debra West-moreland and MCHC adminis-trator Carrie Fellows will pro-vide tips and tricks to help small organizations make the most of their time and money when mounting exhibits. They will demonstrate tools and tips for creating text panels that look like a million bucks for only a few bucks. They will discuss sources for inexpensive frames and small exhibit cases, and show how simple and affordable materials from the local hard-ware store can be used to create low-cost display panels and par-titions.

MCHS SPRING 2009

MCHS will be holding a yard sale fundraiser at Acorn Hall on Satur-day, May 30, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (no early birds, please!) This year’s sale will feature a wide vari-ety of goods, including vintage re-cords, books, clothing, toys and games, antiques, and household items. Volunteer Diane Freedman will also be featuring a selection of vintage jewelry. You can help us, not just by buy-ing, but by donating items to the

Yard Sale

Spring Tea

Calling all tea lovers! The Society is once again hosting a traditional sit-down tea at Acorn Hall. The Spring Tea will be held on Satur-

day, May 9, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Attendees will enjoy three courses of scones, finger sandwiches, and desserts. In addition to enjoying tasty treats in a beautiful setting, guests will have the opportunity to view two exhibits at Acorn Hall—Out of the Closet: An Art Collection Revealed and A Revolutionary Centennial: 1776-1876. There will also be a short presentation about the birth of the nineteenth century women’s movement at a ladies’ tea party.

The Oakleaf Gallery will be open throughout the event. Reservations are required and will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis, so call today! When making your reservation please be sure to let the staff know about seating requests or if you need a vegetarian plate. Tickets are $25 for MCHS mem-bers and $30 for non-members. Checks, cash, or credit cards are accepted.

sale. We are especially in need of additional antique and vintage items. If you’re cleaning out an attic and come across vintage clothing, linens, luggage, or whatever, con-tact us about selling it to benefit the Society. A few of the items may even end up being added to our col-lection. You’ll get some usable space back, and the Society will get some much needed income. It’s a win for everyone! If you would like to donate items to the sale, please contact the Society at 973-267-

3465. All items must be dropped off two weeks prior to the sale. Acorn Hall will not be open to the public during the sale. No one will be allowed entrance to the sale prior to 10 a.m. All proceeds will benefit the Society’s pro-grams.

As part of the Morristown-wide April “Revolutionary Weekend,” the Morris County Historical Soci-ety is displaying an exhibit of sou-venirs, publications, and other arti-facts relating to America’s 1876 Centennial. A Revolutionary Cen-tennial: 1776-1876 will be on dis-play at Acorn Hall during special hours on Friday, April 24 (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and Sunday, April 26 (1 to 4 p.m.) as well as during regular public hours until May 10. The

exhibit is included in the price of a tour of Acorn Hall. MCHS’s headquarters, Acorn Hall, wasn’t built until 1853, well after the American Revolution. But the Hall’s inhabitants – like the rest of America in 1876 – would have been caught up in the patriotic fer-vor that swept the young nation celebrating its 100th birthday. The special exhibit will include such items as textiles printed with colo-

nial themes, Frank Leslie’s Illus-trated Weekly magazines from 1876, souvenirs from the Phila-

delphia Centennial Exposition, and a bustle gown worn to Centen-nial festivi-ties.

Revolutionary Weekend comes to Morristown

Out of the Closet Continued

PAGE 6

MCHS SPRING 2009

(from page one) Mid-19th century folk art portraits of Charles and Clarissa Byram Thompson of Mendham. Hand-colored prints and a seaside painting by 20th century Morris County artist Lucille Hobbie. A Victorian marble Venus. While this exhibit may seem like a departure from the Soci-ety’s traditional exhibitions, it will still be firmly rooted in his-tory. Not only do the pieces se-lected reflect the tastes and val-ues of nineteenth and twentieth century America, many of the featured works were done by Morris County artists and pro-

vide a visual tour of Morris County’s past. The exhibit would not have been possible without the contribu-tions of two individuals. MCHS intern Mary Hauser-Kropa has devoted countless hours to pho-tographing and documenting the Society’s art collection. Through her efforts this will be the first MCHS exhibit to be featured on-line. While seeing the exhibit in person is ideal, having an on-line version will allow the Society’s work to reach an even broader audience. The catalog can viewed at mchistori-cal.tripod.com/id17.html. Phil Fico of The Connoisseur Fine Arts in Bernardsville did

restoration work on 19 pieces from the Society’s collection. Most importantly, he did resto-ration work on the Thompson family portraits and the Fran-cesco Augero “Peasant Girl.” Mr. Fico also generously do-nated the striking framing for the “Peasant Girl,” which will be on permanent view at Acorn Hall following the exhibition. For a more in-depth look at the collection and the restoration work, join Debra Westmoreland and Mary Hauser-Kropa for a gallery talk on Sunday, June 7, at 2 p.m. at Acorn Hall. The program is free with admission to Acorn Hall.

Be Our Guest May 17 is Morris County’s an-nual “Be Our Guest” day, a free open-house day at Acorn Hall and historic sites and museums throughout Morris County, from noon to 5 p.m. You can visit the participating sites by contribut-ing a non-perishable food item for the Interfaith Food Pantry in lieu of the normal admission fee. (For a list of the Pantry’s most pressing needs, visit their web-site at www.mcifp.org.) A free shuttle will be available between select Morristown-area sites, in-cluding Acorn Hall. To learn which other sites are participat-ing, visit www.morristourism.org/ or call the Morris County Visitors Cen-

ter at 973-361-5151. The Interfaith Food Pantry has already been the beneficiary of a food drive organized by the Mor-ris County Historical Society. MCHS collected food in Decem-ber in conjunction with its Key Ingredients traveling Smith-sonian exhibit. The much-needed food items were delivered to the Pantry in Morristown in Febru-ary. In thanking the Society for its donation, Rosemary Gilmartin, the IFP Executive Director, wrote, “We are so very fortunate for friends like you who under-stand about the need and care

about your neighbors. Your gift of 3 1/2 bags of food means so much to us and our clients…. Neighbors helping neighbors is a wonderful concept that has come to life through your caring and generous donation!”

Victorian

Weekend

June 27 & 28 New this year—

Antique Appraisals!

MCHS SPRING 2009

Account#_______________________________________________________ Expiration_______________ Signature_______________________________ Make checks out to Morris County Historical Society 68 Morris Avenue Morristown, NJ 07960 NAME_________________________________________________________ ADDRESS______________________________________________________ CITY_____________________________________________STATE_______ ZIP___________ PHONE(_____)______________________ EMAIL____________________________________________ I have enclosed a matching gift form. I would like to volunteer.

www.acornhall.org

Where did you get this newsletter?____________________________________

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Membership

MCHS

Board of Trustees Barbara Benedict Learned T. Bulman Nancy Cooper Robert Donaldson Heather Emelander Harvey H. Gilbert David G. Holdsworth Diane Kafel Gregory C. Kurlander Teresa LeDonne Suzan Santiago

Hours Acorn Hall: Mon. and Thurs.

10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sun. 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Office: Mon. to Fri. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

This newsletter is published quarterly by

the Morris County Historical Society, headquartered at Acorn Hall, 68 Morris Avenue,

Morristown, NJ 07960-4212 Phone: 973-267-3465 FAX: 973-267-8773

www.acornhall.org The mission of MCHS is to discover, preserve, and make known the history of Morris County

through exhibits, programs, publications, and preservation advocacy.

MCHS receives operating funds from the Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders,

the F.M. Kirby Foundation, and the New Jersey Historical Commission.

President of the Board—David G. Holdsworth

Director—Bonnie-Lynn Nadzeika Curator—Debra Westmoreland

Education Coordinator—Carie Levin Outreach Coordinator—Karen Ann Kurlander

MORRIS COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY At Acorn Hall 68 Morris Avenue Morristown, NJ 07960-4212

morris county historical society spring newsletter 2009

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