Weekend Historical Happenings: 1/24/15 - 1/25/15
NJ WEEKEND HISTORICAL HAPPENINGS
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Saturday, January 24 - Hopewell Township, Mercer County
Annual Ice Harvest
Children Friendly
Each year at Howell Farm the program season opens with the annual ice harvesting event. This event recreates a slice of Pleasant Valley life that was an important winter job each year. The ice cut in January or February would typically supply the farmers throughout the year when stored in an efficient ice house such as ours.
During the program, visitors help farmers cut, chop and shave ice, fill an ice house, and make ice cream. Conditions permitting, visitors can also join the harvest crew on the frozen pond and take a turn using an "ice saw." Ice ponds were important to the farmers of New Jersey in the 1890s and a state law prohibited ice skating on ponds from which ice was gathered.
At 1:00 and 3:00 pm, visitors can make and sample ice treats such as old fashioned snow cones and ice cream.
What if, against the prediction of "The Old Farmer's Almanac," there is no ice on the pond? The work still goes on, as it probably would have a century ago when farmers faced with warmer winters filled their ice houses with commercial ice. This may have happened in the winter of 1899 when the Hopewell Herald noted in late February that in the Titusville area, which includes Pleasant Valley, not a pound of ice had been gathered so far that winter, even though the Delaware River had been lightly frozen for more than a week.
Often in the 1890s ice harvesting began in late December or early January. On January 4, 1893 the Hopewell Herald reported that Pleasant Valley resident Hart Lewis had nearly filled his ice house the previous week with ice about six inches thick. He had cut the ice on "Parkhill's creek", really on Moore's Creek on the Parkhill farm, only a hundred yards or so from today's Howell Farm. A warming trend could ruin the ice harvest, though, and Mr. Lewis lost several loads of ice due to rains on Sunday when he failed to haul away the ice he cut on Saturday. Apparently Mr. Parkhill was letting him cut ice where the creek flowed through his property. Farmers without a creek or pond on their property often made this kind of arrangement. Two years later it was noted that Pleasant Valley resident Hart Larue began his New Year by beginning to fill his ice house on January 2. Like Mr. Lewis, though, he cut more ice than he could haul to the ice house and left it on the creek. The next day saw a thaw and rain and he had to work quickly to save his blocks of ice before the creek rose and washed them away.
During the program, visitors help farmers cut, chop and shave ice, fill an ice house, and make ice cream. Conditions permitting, visitors can also join the harvest crew on the frozen pond and take a turn using an "ice saw." Ice ponds were important to the farmers of New Jersey in the 1890s and a state law prohibited ice skating on ponds from which ice was gathered.
At 1:00 and 3:00 pm, visitors can make and sample ice treats such as old fashioned snow cones and ice cream.
What if, against the prediction of "The Old Farmer's Almanac," there is no ice on the pond? The work still goes on, as it probably would have a century ago when farmers faced with warmer winters filled their ice houses with commercial ice. This may have happened in the winter of 1899 when the Hopewell Herald noted in late February that in the Titusville area, which includes Pleasant Valley, not a pound of ice had been gathered so far that winter, even though the Delaware River had been lightly frozen for more than a week.
Often in the 1890s ice harvesting began in late December or early January. On January 4, 1893 the Hopewell Herald reported that Pleasant Valley resident Hart Lewis had nearly filled his ice house the previous week with ice about six inches thick. He had cut the ice on "Parkhill's creek", really on Moore's Creek on the Parkhill farm, only a hundred yards or so from today's Howell Farm. A warming trend could ruin the ice harvest, though, and Mr. Lewis lost several loads of ice due to rains on Sunday when he failed to haul away the ice he cut on Saturday. Apparently Mr. Parkhill was letting him cut ice where the creek flowed through his property. Farmers without a creek or pond on their property often made this kind of arrangement. Two years later it was noted that Pleasant Valley resident Hart Larue began his New Year by beginning to fill his ice house on January 2. Like Mr. Lewis, though, he cut more ice than he could haul to the ice house and left it on the creek. The next day saw a thaw and rain and he had to work quickly to save his blocks of ice before the creek rose and washed them away.
Howell Living Farm represents typical farm life between 1890 and 1910. The farm is operated by the Mercer County Parks Commission. It is located at 70 Wooden's Lane, Lambertville, NJ. For more information. call 609-737-3299 or visit www.howellfarm.org.
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Saturday - Sunday, January 24 - 25 - Ho-Ho-Kus, Bergen County
Civil War Winter Encampment
Children Friendly
Children Friendly
The members of Company B, 2nd Rhode Island Volunteers, will again pitch their tents early Saturday morning on January 24 to stage their winter encampment on the grounds of The Hermitage. The Civil War reenactor group, based in Clifton, New Jersey, also hosts an encampment at The Hermitage each June. Visitors may walk through camp from 1:00 - 4:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday.
Demonstrations of military rifles as well as mortar from the period will be fired several times during the day. Visitors are encouraged to ask questions of the historical reenactors to learn about soldiers' lives and the hardships they endured during the Civil War. Indoor displays of Civil War artifacts, as well as engaging hands-on activities for families with children, will also be available in the museum's Education and Conference Center.
This year the Company has also scheduled a Candlelight Camp Tour on Saturday evening from 6:00 - 7:00 pm. Visitors will be given camp passes to get a glimpse of soldiers' lives during evening camp at the time of the Civil War. Card playing, letter-writing to loved ones, music sessions, and medical scenarios will be presented, in character, by the reenactors.
Admission to the encampment is $7 per person, regardless of age. Admission to the Candlelight Tour is $5. Museum members and children under 6 are admitted free. Admission also includes guided tours of the inside of The Hermitage historic house museum.
Admission for daytime activities can be paid at the door. Reservations for the evening camp tour can be made by calling the museum office at 201-445-8311, x 101, or paying at the door. The Hermitage is located at 335 Franklin Turnpike, Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ 07423. For more information, call 201-445-8311 or visit www.thehermitage.org.
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Sunday, January 25 - Montclair, Essex County
House Tours
Sunday, January 25 - Montclair, Essex County
House Tours
Family Friendly
Step back through over 200 years of American history at Montclair's historic properties at 108 Orange Road. Visit the newly reinterpreted Crane House to reflect the YWCA period from 1920 - 1965, check out the farm, and meet the chickens. The site is open from 1:00 - 4:00 pm. Free-will donation. Free admission for members! The Shultz House (Evergreens) will be closed for the season, reopening Spring 2015. For more information, call 973-744-1796, e-mail mail@montclairhistorical.org, or visit www.montclairhistorical.org.
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Sunday, January 25 - Moorestown, Burlington County
On Sunday, Alice Paul's birthday celebration will feature award-winning ABC-TV news correspondent Lynn Sherr. The event will be held from 2:00 - 4:00 pm at the Moorestown Quaker Meetinghouse, 118 E. Main Street, Moorestown NJ.
Sherr will discuss her critically acclaimed new book, Sally Ride: America's First Woman in Space. As a news correspondent, Lynn Sherr pioneered much of women's issues and women's history. She reported on NASA's space shuttle program from its inception through the Challenger explosion.
Admission is $10 or $35 including a signed copy of Sally Ride: America's First Women in Space. For more information, contact the Alice Paul Institute at 856-231-1185, e-mail events@alicepaul.org, or visit www.alicepaul.org.
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Sunday, January 25 - River Edge, Bergen County
Brigit’s Day and Candlemas
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1:30 pm: Amongst the unique features of the American Revolution was the number of nationalities involved, both in terms of colonists and nation-states. While the conflict proved a civil war of Americans versus Americans, the same can be said of the Irish. Irish colonists in America served both Congress and the Crown, native Irish made up a substantial portion of the British Army, Irish regiments served in both the armies of France and Spain, and even led Hessian troops from Germany. Found out more about this fascinating subject as Todd Braisted leads a presentation on the role of the Irish in the American Revolution.
3:00 pm: Harpist Ardis Cavin will give 45-minute performance of Irish ballads in the Steuben House.
See a special exhibit of antique lighting devices. Watch candle making in the Outkitchen. Brigid’s Crosses made in County Cork, Ireland, will be available in the gift shop. Taste Candlemas crepes in our restored 18th century tavern.
Some of the Society’s treasure of Revolutionary War artifacts will be on display. All three Jersey-Dutch Houses and the barn will be open. Admission: $7 adult, $5 children, BCHS members free. Historic New Bridge Landing is located at 1201-1209 Main Street, River Edge, NJ. For more information, call 201-343-9492 or visit www.bergencountyhistory.org.
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Sunday, January 25 - Lambertville, Hunterdon County
Lambertville Historical Society Annual Meeting and ProgramOn Sunday at 1:00 pm, the Lambertville Historical Society will hold a brief business meeting followed by a presentation by architectural historian and LHS board member, Vanessa Zeoli, entitled "Lambertville in Maps: Tracing Architectural Trends Through the 19th & 20th Centuries." The meeting and program will be held at the Lambertville House, Coryell Room, 32 Bridge Street, Lambertville, NJ. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 609-397-0770, e-mail info@lambertvillehistoricalsociety.org, or visit www.lambertvillehistoricalsociety.org.
The Lambertville Historical Society promotes, inspires, and encourages the preservation and appreciation of Lambertville's architecture and history through education, community involvement, and preserving and maintaining the James Marshall Museum.
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Sunday, January 25 - Maplewood, Essex County
A Taste of History: Cooking at the Open Hearth
Children Friendly
This year, Durand-Hedden welcomes a new cook skilled in 18th and 19th century foodways to our annual historic cooking program honoring late longtime trustee, Irene Kosinski. For over 20 years, Carlotta Defillo has demonstrated open hearth cooking with flair and dedication at Historic Richmondtown in Staten Island and she looks forward to working at our kitchen fire. Irene, a gifted educator and lover of living history, oversaw the restoration of Durand-Hedden’s beehive oven in 1981. She went on to establish our perpetually popular open hearth cooking program, which for thirty years has drawn visitors who are “hungry” for history. On the menu this year will be a chicken roasted in a tin reflector oven, crumpets fried on a griddle, tasty “cobblestones,” and preserved foods from the fall harvest. Children will be able to try their hand at old-fashioned cooking chores like kneading dough and making butter.
Visitors can still catch the intriguing exhibit, "The Maplewood Theater: Its Forgotten Saga," which explores the ever-changing 87-year history of the Maplewood Theater, spanning silent films, vaudeville, talkies, a famed era of live theater, neighborhood cinema, and the current sixplex. Out in the carriage house, the Country Store will be selling historic- themed treasures: early American children’s games, books and toys, facsimile documents, quill pens and ink, historic cook books, cookie molds, tin lanterns, reproduction decorative ceramics, vintage photos, hiking sticks and more. The hard-to-find original Doors of Maplewood poster and Smile, the history of Olympic Park, will also be available.
The Durand-Hedden House is dedicated to telling the history of the development of Maplewood and the surrounding area in new and engaging ways. It is located in Grasmere Park at 523 Ridgewood Road, Maplewood, NJ. For more information, call 973-763-7712 or visit www.durandhedden.org.
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Sunday, January 25 - Princeton, Mercer County
Historic Princeton Walking Tour
Children Friendly
Historic Princeton Walking Tour
Children Friendly
Admission: $7 per adult; $4 children ages 6 to 12; free for children age 5 and under. Tickets are sold at Bainbridge House, 158 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ justifying at 12:00 noon. Tour begins at 2:00 pm and ends at 4:00 pm. Space is limited. For more information, call 609-921-6748 or visit www.princetonhistory.org.
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Sunday, January 25 - Cranford, Union County
"Unplugged Play for a Snowy Day"
Children Friendly
"Unplugged Play for a Snowy Day"
Children Friendly
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Admission is free but seating is limited. To reserve your spot, please call the Historical Society’s office at 908-276-0082 or e-mail cranfordhistoricalsociety@verizon.net. For more information, call 908-376-0082 or visit www.cranfordhistoricalsociety.com.
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Sundays through January 25, 2015 - Cranbury, Middlesex County
Form, Function and Fine: Two Hundred Years of American Ceramics
From teacups to chamber sets, New Jersey to California, the Cranbury Historical and Preservation Society presents a new exhibit, providing a sample of American ceramics from the 19th and 20th century. Redware, yellowware, spongeware, and salt glazed crocks will be displayed along with early Lenox and Trenton pottery. Roseville, Stangl, Pfaltzgraff and Homer Laughlin pieces are some of the other American ceramics featured. The exhibit will continue through January 25, 2015. Come to the table and join us on a Sunday afternoon from 1:00 - 4:00 pm to view this exhibit! The Cranbury Museum is located at 4 Park Place East, Cranbury, NJ. For more information, call 609-409-1289 or visit www.cranburyhistory.org.
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Sundays through January 29 - Morristown, Morris County
Exhibits at Macculloch Hall Historical Museum
Exhibits at Macculloch Hall Historical Museum
There is still time to see the 2014 Christmas season exhibit "Another Stocking to Fill: Antique Christmas Toys and Decorations" which features toys and ornaments from a century ago. This was the seventh year this special exhibit have been created through generous object loans from "Sign of the Tymes Antiques" Lafayette NJ and objects from local collector Barbara Silverstein's collection. Enjoy this second floor exhibit during touring hours through January 29th.
Visitors can also view illustrator Thomas Nast's original Santa and Christmas images throughout the museum's galleries and period rooms. The Museum has the largest collection of Nast originals in the nation. Thomas Nast (1840 - 1902) is one of the most recognized names in the world of political cartoons. Often called the father of American political cartooning, Nast's images remain popular today. His well-known depictions of the Democratic donkey and Republican elephant continue to represent both parties. Uncle Sam and Columbia, two of his favorite figures to draw, are still recognized as symbols for the United States of America. Nast's Civil War images of battlefront and home front were powerful tools for bringing the war into people's homes.
Visitors can explore more of Thomas Nast's work in the second floor gallery exhibit "The Civil War through the Eyes of Thomas Nast". Nast illustrated battles, Union and Confederate troop movements, and their activities throughout the Civil War. He also captured the poignancy of those back home, who worried about their family members in combat. Nast covered both the home and battle fronts; his work was the main source of information about the war for many people. His illustrations in publications like "Harper's Weekly" brought the information about what was happening into the homes of the American public, the way mass media does today. Like all media agents, he not only depicted what was happening by reporting on the events taking place, but also created propaganda by trying to stir emotions and support for the Union side. Mounted to commemorate the final year of the Civil War Sesquicentennial (2011-2015), "The Civil War through the Eyes of Thomas Nast" will be on exhibit through August 2015.
In the main gallery exhibition "Thomas Nast: Unknown Works and American Icons" MHHM displays an important collection of rarely exhibited, virtually unknown works. Previously unpublished oil paintings and watercolors, rarely seen pencil sketches, pen and ink drawings, and original architectural elements from the artist's home are among the objects presented in the exhibition. In addition to these and several never-before-exhibited pieces, some of Thomas Nast's best-known characters will also be on display. Pencil sketches of Nast's family from his early years as well as paintings he created toward the end of his life around 1900 will be on display. Nast worked with a variety of mediums as well as producing images not just of political life, but social as well. He drew images of famous people of the time as well as his own family life and enjoyed putting his own image down on paper as can be seen by the variety of self-portraits exhibited.
The museum is open for house and exhibit tours on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays from 1:00 - 4:00 pm. The last tour ticket is sold at 3:00 pm. Adults $8; Seniors and Students $6; Children 6 - 12 $4. Members and children under 5 are free. Macculloch Hall Historical Museum is located at 45 Macculloch Avenue, Morristown, NJ. For more information, call 973-538-2404 ext. 15 or visit www.maccullochhall.org.
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Through February 3, 2015 - Newton, Sussex County
Picatinny Arsena's Traveling Museum Panels
Picatinny Arsenal's traveling museum panels, created by their Cultural Resources Program, will be displayed at the Sussex County Arts & Heritage Council [SCAHC] through February 3, 2015. The storyboard panels portray cultural and military heritage: beginning with the area's iron forges from 1749-50, which remained active until the conclusion of the Civil War; the initial construction of powder depots, which would be the basis for the Arsenal's creation; its evolution through both World Wars and the Cold War period; to its current status. The gallery is located at 133 Spring Street, Newton, NJ. For more information, call 973-383-0027 or visit www.scahc.org.
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Through February 13, 2015 - Madison, Morris County
The American Revolution in New Jersey
Children Friendly
New Jersey spent much of the American Revolution as a theater of war. A new exhibit at the Museum of Early Trades and Crafts, "The American Revolution in New Jersey: Where the Battlefront Meets the Homefront," explores the rarely told story of New Jersey's farmers, women, and tradesmen and their actions during the war. Topics discussed include the local civil wars that erupted between revolutionaries and loyalists, the multiple roles that women took on as their men went off to war, and how civilian life was affected by the regular presence of troops. The exhibit will be open until February 13, 2015.
Regular Museum admission is $5.00 for adults, $3.00 for seniors, students & children (ages 6 and older), and free for members and children under 6. Family maximum admission $13.00. The Museum is open Tuesday - Saturday from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm and Sunday from 12:00 noon - 5:00 pm. The Museum of Early Trades & Crafts is located at 9 Main Street in Madison, NJ just two blocks from the Madison train station. For more information, please call 973-377-2982 x10 or visit www.metc.org.
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Saturdays through February 28, 2015 - Freehold, Monmouth County
Farm: Agriculture in Monmouth County 1600 - 2013 - EXTENDED
Monmouth County Historical Association's newest exhibition, "Farm: Agriculture in Monmouth County 1600-2013," is open to the public at the museum in Freehold and will be on display through December 31, 2014. The history of agriculture and farming in Monmouth County has long roots deep in the past, as does New Jersey itself, from earliest days of pre-European settlement, when Lenape Indians harvested corn, squash, and beans to the modern reintroduction of organic agricultural practices.
Farm: Agriculture in Monmouth County 1600 - 2013 - EXTENDED
Monmouth County Historical Association's exhibition, "Farm: Agriculture in Monmouth County 1660 - 2013," explores and celebrates Monmouth County's vibrant agricultural past, present, and future. The exhibit examines the means by which Monmouth men and women worked with their surroundings to feed themselves, their families, the community, and the rest of America as well. Through artifacts, diaries, letters, maps, paintings, prints, and photographs, Farm will bring Monmouth's rich agricultural history alive. Visitors will appreciate the innovation and diversity of Monmouth farmers, horticulturalists, gardeners, and livestock breeders who overcame challenges and secured the county's reputation as a source of high-quality produce and livestock for more than two hundred years.
The Monmouth County Historical Association's museum is located at 70 Court Street, Freehold NJ. Regular admission to the museum is $5.00 and $2.50 for students and seniors. Admission is free for members. Museum hours are Tuesday - Saturday, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm. For more information, call 732-462-1466 or visit www.monmouthhistory.org.
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Through March 1, 2015 - Trenton, Mercer County
Ties That Bind: The Aprons of Trenton
The Trenton City Museum transports you to a time when apron strings tied the lives of the people of Trenton. "Ties that Bind: The Aprons of Trenton" runs from November 1, 2014 through March 1, 2014. The exhibit features aprons associated with church picnics, classroom art projects, the industrial workers who kept the city in business, and the homemakers who made holiday meals and memories for generations. The Trenton City Museum, Ellarslie, is located in Cadwalader Park, Trenton, NJ. For more information, call 609-989-3632 or visit www.ellarslie.org.
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Through March 1, 2015 - Trenton, Mercer County
Trenton Central High School: A Remembrance
On October 14, 2014, the Trenton Public Schools Board of Education voted to demolish Trenton Central High School. The New Jersey Schools Development Authority will fund the construction of a new $130 million high school for Trenton.
The Trenton Museum Society celebrates the soon-to-be-demolished building in an exhibit at the Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie through Sunday, March 1, 2015. The former high school building, opened in 1932, was an iconic structure that inspired and nurtured thousands of Trenton students over the past 82 years.
Designed by architect Ernest K. Sibley, construction of the school began in 1929 with the first classes occupying the building in January 1932. It was built as a larger version of Trenton High School West, formerly Junior No. 3, out of red brick and composition stone trim in the colonial revival style, inspired by the historic background of the city.
Many of the features that contributed to the unique beauty of the school were made in Trenton. The porcelain shades in the light fixtures in the auditorium were made by Lenox in Trenton. The brown faience tile lining the hallways was made by the Mueller Mosaic Tile Company of Trenton. Even the sanitary ware, such as sinks and toilets, were made by the Trenton-based Maddock pottery company.
The exhibit shows iconic artifacts from the school - a Maddock toilet, pedestal sink and water fountain, an original student desk that seats two students, one of the caged clocks from the gymnasium, wooden chairs used by students and teachers, and hallway light fixtures. The school board is loaning two large portraits of the first two principals of the school - William A. Wetzel and Paul R. Spencer, and a large aerial picture of the school.
Early yearbooks from the 1930s and 1940s show the school façade and interior. Artifacts used in the school are on display, such as scientific instruments, silverware, china, kitchen utensils, and a display cabinet with partial skeleton used in science classes.
The two cornerstones of the building from 1929 and 1956 were opened at Trenton High School's Homecoming football game on October 25. No one knew what was inside. The contents of the cornerstones will be lent to the museum and displayed in the exhibit.
In the lobby were four spectacular murals created and installed in the high school in 1941 by an artist who worked for the WPA Federal Arts Project, Monty Lewis, entitled Youth Carrying the Heritage of Arts from the Past into the Future. The Trenton School Board has pledged to save these priceless pieces of art. Photographs of them are included in the exhibit.
The Trenton Museum Society invites graduates, teachers and administrators from the school, historic preservationists, and those interested in Trenton's history to attend the exhibit. The Trenton City Museum, Ellarslie, is located in Cadwalader Park, Trenton, NJ. For more information, call 609-989-3632 or visit www.ellarslie.org.
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Through March 29, 2015 - Paterson, Passaic County
A Closer Look at our Community: The Fine Art of Mark Oberndorf
A new exhibit entitled A Closer Look at our Community: The Fine Art of Mark Oberndorf is open through March 29, 2015 in Lambert Castle (home of the Passaic County Historical Society) at 3 Valley Road, Paterson, NJ. This exhibit focuses on the sights of our local community, as shown in the paintings of Bergen County resident and artist Mark Oberndorf.
Oberndorf’s work focuses on the views of local buildings and features within our neighborhoods. Many pieces included in A Closer Look at our Community feature Passaic County, while others portray subjects from a wider geographic area. Some subjects include restaurant signs, barber shops, private homes, and fire stations. Through his work, Oberndorf demonstrates what is beautiful, interesting and quirky in our communities. Through this exhibition visitors will be able to see their environment in a different perspective. Visitors can access the exhibition during regular museum hours (Wednesday - Sunday). General museum admissions apply. Meet the artist at the exhibit reception held at Lambert Castle on Wednesday January 14, 2015 from 7:00 - 9:00 pm. The reception is free for members; for all others regular admission applies. For more information, call 973-247-0085 or visit www.lambertcastle.org.
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Oberndorf’s work focuses on the views of local buildings and features within our neighborhoods. Many pieces included in A Closer Look at our Community feature Passaic County, while others portray subjects from a wider geographic area. Some subjects include restaurant signs, barber shops, private homes, and fire stations. Through his work, Oberndorf demonstrates what is beautiful, interesting and quirky in our communities. Through this exhibition visitors will be able to see their environment in a different perspective. Visitors can access the exhibition during regular museum hours (Wednesday - Sunday). General museum admissions apply. Meet the artist at the exhibit reception held at Lambert Castle on Wednesday January 14, 2015 from 7:00 - 9:00 pm. The reception is free for members; for all others regular admission applies. For more information, call 973-247-0085 or visit www.lambertcastle.org.
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Through March 29, 2015 - Princeton, Mercer County
Hail Specimen of Female Art! New Jersey Schoolgirl Needlework, 1726-1860
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This landmark exhibition will be the first to focus on the important contribution of New Jersey in the creation of schoolgirl needlework in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. With over 150 works on view, this exhibition will undertake the first survey of schoolgirl needlework completed in the state or by New Jersey girls prior to 1860. This exhibition and accompanying catalogue will create a lasting record of the best known examples. As part of the museum’s mission to showcase the cultural heritage of the Garden State, the curators will bring new light to the needlework done in New Jersey during this important period of American history.
Organized geographically, the exhibition will feature works from every region of the state. Although many elaborate and important examples of New Jersey needlework will be featured in the exhibition, the curators have also included more modest examples that highlight other aspects of the educational environment, social class and familial situation experienced by young girls in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. In some cases, the exhibit will reunite, for the first time, needlework created by the same girl; sisters; cousins; schoolmates and other close relations.
The exhibition will feature loans from across the country including needlework completed in every New Jersey County (accounting for the numerous re-organizations of New Jersey counties in the nineteenth century). In presenting examples from every part of the state, the exhibition will distill the educational environment that existed in New Jersey from Cape May to Sussex. The exhibition will also compile an accurate picture of girls academies and the instructresses who taught at them.
The exhibition will occupy 1,709 square feet in five galleries within the second floor of the Morven mansion. This exhibition also coincides with the 350th anniversary of New Jersey and extensive state-wide celebration and programming.
The title of the exhibition is borrowed from a needlework stitched by Trenton-born Anne Rickey (1783-1846) “Hail Specimen of Female Art” was stitched onto her sampler in 1798. Anne Rickey was the daughter of Quaker merchant, John Rickey (1751-1829) and his wife Amey Olden (1757-1849).
Morven Museum and Garden is located at 55 Stockton Street, Princeton, NJ. For more information, call 609-924-8144 or visit www.morven.org.
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Through April 17, 2015 - Haledon, Passaic County
New Haven's Garment Workers: An Elm City Story Exhibit
Children Friendly Site
On Saturday, the American Labor Museum/Botto House National Landmark located in Haledon, NJ proudly opens the exhibit entitled, "New Haven's Garment Workers: An Elm City Story" on loan from the Greater New Haven Labor History Association.
Through historic photographs and artifacts, "New Haven's Garment Workers: An Elm City Story" presents a vivid portrait of the lives, victories, struggles and sacrifices of a courageous group of working people in the clothing industry in New Haven, Connecticut. In 1932 and 1933, to combat sweatshop conditions in the clothing industry, workers undertook a large-scale unionization of the industry that resulted in improvements in wages, working conditions, and hours. "Their history offers important lessons for all of us in these times," notes Joan Cavanaugh, Ph.D., the exhibit's creator. The exhibit will be on view through April 17, 2015.
The American Labor Museum is headquartered in the historic Botto House National Landmark, located at 83 Norwood Street, Haledon, NJ. It was the meeting place for over 20,000 silk mill workers during the 1913 Paterson Silk Strike. The Museum offers a free lending library, restored period rooms, changing exhibits, Museum Store, Old World Gardens, educational programs and special events. The museum's hours of operation are Monday through Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. Tours are offered Wednesday through Saturday from 1:00 - 4:00 pm or by appointment. For more information, call 973-595-7953, visit www.labormuseum.net, or e-mail labormuseum@aol.com.
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Through historic photographs and artifacts, "New Haven's Garment Workers: An Elm City Story" presents a vivid portrait of the lives, victories, struggles and sacrifices of a courageous group of working people in the clothing industry in New Haven, Connecticut. In 1932 and 1933, to combat sweatshop conditions in the clothing industry, workers undertook a large-scale unionization of the industry that resulted in improvements in wages, working conditions, and hours. "Their history offers important lessons for all of us in these times," notes Joan Cavanaugh, Ph.D., the exhibit's creator. The exhibit will be on view through April 17, 2015.
The American Labor Museum is headquartered in the historic Botto House National Landmark, located at 83 Norwood Street, Haledon, NJ. It was the meeting place for over 20,000 silk mill workers during the 1913 Paterson Silk Strike. The Museum offers a free lending library, restored period rooms, changing exhibits, Museum Store, Old World Gardens, educational programs and special events. The museum's hours of operation are Monday through Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. Tours are offered Wednesday through Saturday from 1:00 - 4:00 pm or by appointment. For more information, call 973-595-7953, visit www.labormuseum.net, or e-mail labormuseum@aol.com.
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Through May 1, 2015 - Toms River, Ocean County
Fishing in the Good Old Days
The Ocean County Historical Society, invites you to view their new exhibit entitled, "Hook, Line and Sinker: History of Fishing in Ocean County up to 1950", which features the collections of members Richard Updike and Ferd Klebold. The exhibit takes visitors back to the days of pound fishing, frost fishing, clamming, eeling, and whaling with photos and artifacts used in the fishing industry along the Jersey Coast. A hand-forged clam rake, the white oak eel pot that used horseshoe crabs for bait, a whale vertebra found in the surf in Ocean County, early reels, and photos galore of fishermen and their catches are just some of the treasures you will find in this exhibit. Winter or summer, Ocean County fishermen braved the elements to harvest nature's bounty from the Atlantic Ocean, Barnegat Bay, and numerous rivers. Visit OCHS Tuesday through Friday, 10:00 am - 3:30 pm and the first Saturday of each month from 1:00 - 4:00 pm. The Ocean County Historical Society is located at 26 Hadley Avenue, Toms River, NJ. For more information, visit www.oceancountyhistory.org or call 732-341-1880.
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1st and 2nd Sundays through June 2015 - Ocean Township, Monmouth County
The History of Houses and the Things That Make Them Home
Since prehistoric times, where we live has been about much more than shelter (think of those cave paintings). A new exhibit explores just how our human instinct to nest has played out in the structures we inhabit and the stuff we put in them. "The History of Houses and the Things that Make Them Home" is on display in the Richmond Gallery of the Eden Woolley House / Township of Ocean Historical Museum.
The exhibit examines the influences on the design and content of the American home - from the traditions early settlers brought with them, to the availability of materials, to the transforming power of technology. It takes guests on a virtual house tour, revealing room by room how things have changed and how those changes have shaped our lives.
What is home? It's where the heart is and there's no place like it. Beyond shelter, our homes express our tastes, values, and social status. Our neighborhoods abound with homes that illustrate the point, and the new exhibit asks us to see our familiar surroundings in a new light. It reveals the lineage of familiar house styles--colonial, neoclassical, Victorian, and modern, for example. It explains that the colonists of the new world built houses in the style of the old. That the founding fathers, all men of the Enlightenment, adapted the designs of Greeks and Romans whose rationality they admired. That the clutter and ornamentation of the Victorians expressed their fascination with goods made possible by the Industrial Revolution and made available by the railroads. And that twentieth century architects rejected Victorian fussiness in favor of designs that challenged old assumptions and took advantage of new technologies and building techniques.
House design is just the beginning. The exhibit takes us inside, room by room. For all but the rich, our earliest homes were one-room dwellings. The very concept of a single-purpose room (living, dining, bathing, etc.) is relatively new. And even in early multiple-room houses, people moved from room to room more in pursuit of sunlight and warmth than specific activity. In effect, all rooms were "living rooms."
Revolutionary new technologies - indoor plumbing, central heating, and electric light, in particular - made room specialization practical. The bathroom, bedchamber, dining room, library, and parlor emerged as distinct spaces in ways that both reflect and influence life style.
Take the living room (aka parlor, drawing room, sitting room, and salon). It has come full circle. As parlor, it was a room often reserved to receive visitors. In time, it became the place where the family "withdrew" to gather around the piano - later the radio and then television. Today, the "great room" has assumed that role and in many homes, the living room is again a more formal space reserved for entertaining guests.
The exhibit makes that case that every house has a story, every room has a history. "The History of Houses and the Things that Make Them Home" will be up through June 2015. The Township of Ocean Historical Museum is open to the public on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays (1:00 - 4:00 pm), Thursday evenings (7:00 - 9:00 pm) and the first and second Sundays of each month (1:00 - 4:00 pm). The Township of Ocean Historical Museum is located at 703 Deal Road, Ocean, NJ. For more information, please call 732-531-2136 or visit www.oceanmuseum.org.
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Through July 2015 - Morristown, Morris County
The Civil War through the Eyes of Thomas Nast
Before radio, TV, or the Internet, there was political cartoonist Thomas Nast. Nast illustrated battles, Union and Confederate troop movements, and their activities throughout the Civil War. He also captured the poignancy of those back home, who worried about their family members in combat. Nast covered both the home and battle fronts; his work was the main source of information about the war for many people. His illustrations in publications like "Harper's Weekly" brought the information about what was happening into the homes of the American public, the way mass media does today. Like all media agents, he not only depicted what was happening by reporting on the events taking place, but also created propaganda by trying to stir emotions and support for the Union side. Mounted to commemorate the final year of the Civil War Sesquicentennial (2011-2015), this second floor exhibit will include a number of these stirring images. "The Civil War through the Eyes of Thomas Nast" opens September 7, 2014 and will be on exhibit through 2015.
Thomas Nast (1840-1902) is one of the most recognized names in the world of political cartoons. Often called the father of American political cartooning, Nast's images remain popular today. His well-known depictions of the Democratic donkey and Republican elephant, conceived more than 100 years ago, continue to represent both parties. Uncle Sam and Columbia, two of his favorite figures to draw, are still recognized as symbols for the United States of America. His spirit lives on through his iconic representations of Santa Claus. The classic images which Nast popularized of the jolly old elf still appear on a variety of surfaces each year during the holiday season, and Nast's Civil War images of battlefront and home front were powerful tools for bringing the war into people's homes.
Macculloch Hall Historical Museum preserves the history of the Macculloch-Miller families, the Morris area community, and the legacy of its founder W. Parsons Todd through its historic site, collections, exhibits, and educational and cultural programs. The Museum is open for house and exhibit tours on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays from 1:00 - 4:00 pm. The last tour leaves at 3:00 pm. Adults $8; Seniors & Students $6; Children 6 - 12 $4. Members and children under 5 are free. Macculloch Hall Historical Museum, 45 Macculloch Avenue, Morristown, NJ. For more information, call 973-538-2404 ext. 10 or visit www.maccullochhall.org.
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Through August 2015 - Lyndhurst, Bergen County
Lyndhurst Business: Building a Community
From a ship's horn manufactured by Leslie Company to photos of steel and heat-treating plant Benedict-Miller, Inc., the Lyndhurst Historical Society is showcasing just a sampling of the many businesses that contributed to the community and beyond in its latest exhibit, "Lyndhurst Business: Building a Community," which runs from now until August 2015.
"It's New Jersey's 350th birthday and, in addition to celebrating the state as a whole, we wanted to give a nod to our local community," said Doris Bergquist, who, along with members Dale Jankowski and Doris Ludwig, curated the exhibit. "There have been and continue to be many highly regarded businesses in Lyndhurst. The Leslie Company, for example, was once in Lyndhurst and built one of the horns used on the Queen Mary."
The exhibit is free and open to the public, though a small donation to the society would be appreciated. The Little Red Schoolhouse Museum, located at 400 RIverside Avenue, Lyndhurst, NJ is open on the second and fourth Sundays of every month from 2:00 - 4:00 pm. For more information, call 201-804-2513 or visit www.lyndhursthistoricalsociety.org.
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Through August 2015 - Lyndhurst, Bergen County
Lyndhurst Business: Building a Community
From a ship's horn manufactured by Leslie Company to photos of steel and heat-treating plant Benedict-Miller, Inc., the Lyndhurst Historical Society is showcasing just a sampling of the many businesses that contributed to the community and beyond in its latest exhibit, "Lyndhurst Business: Building a Community," which runs from now until August 2015.
"It's New Jersey's 350th birthday and, in addition to celebrating the state as a whole, we wanted to give a nod to our local community," said Doris Bergquist, who, along with members Dale Jankowski and Doris Ludwig, curated the exhibit. "There have been and continue to be many highly regarded businesses in Lyndhurst. The Leslie Company, for example, was once in Lyndhurst and built one of the horns used on the Queen Mary."
The exhibit is free and open to the public, though a small donation to the society would be appreciated. The Little Red Schoolhouse Museum, located at 400 RIverside Avenue, Lyndhurst, NJ is open on the second and fourth Sundays of every month from 2:00 - 4:00 pm. For more information, call 201-804-2513 or visit www.lyndhursthistoricalsociety.org.
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Some event listings courtesy of the League of Historical Societies of New Jersey
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