October 1 through November 18 Open daily, 10am to 5pm Free to all! In five highly individual styles, “Abstracting the Seacoast” evokes the smell of the salt marsh, the call of seagulls, and the crash of the waves along the coast. It brings to mind the bustle of the docks loading and unloading, while the…
31st Annual Gingerbread House Contest & Exhibition
It’s that time again! Join us at Portsmouth Historical Society as we celebrate this sweet season with the 31st Annual Gingerbread House Contest and Exhibition from November 26 through December 22. Once again, everyone is getting a little sugar, as we take the contestant creations to downtown shop windows! 🎵 These are a few of…
NH Now: A Photographic Diary of Life in the Granite State
October 1, 2021–December 23, 2021 Opening reception October 1, 2021, 5:30pm New Hampshire Now is a two-year project to photographically record life in New Hampshire. Nearly 50 photographers traveled throughout the state between 2018 and 2020, making thousands of images that collectively create a twenty-first-century portrait of the people, places, culture, and events in New…
Portsmouth Treasures: A Century of Collecting At Portsmouth Historical Society
May 28, 2021–October 11, 2021 at the John Paul Jones Historic House Museum43 Middle Street, Portsmouth, NH Open 7 days, 11 am–5 pm Admission: FREEFREEFREEFREE$7.50 Portsmouth Historical Society MembersSeniors 70+Children under 18Active & retired militaryAdults Admission grants access to the John Paul Jones Historic House Museum at 43 Middle Street, at the galleries in the…
Don Gorvett: Working Waterfronts
Don Gorvett: Working Waterfronts” presents over sixty works by this famed seacoast master printmaker highlighting the dynamic commercial harbors of the region. Renowned for his imaginative seascapes and “boat portraits,” Gorvett’s work celebrates the mechanical and gritty alongside the serene and picturesque.
Twilight of American Impressionism
“Twilight of American Impressionism” showcases the largely unsung talents of Alice Ruggles Sohier and Frederick A. Bosley, two American impressionists working at a time when realistic art was falling out of fashion and abstract art was in vogue. These two artists created works of profound quality and depth in the midst of the rapidly changing inter-war era. Their successes and failures offer insight into the difficulty of coping with rapid societal change, and their work, rarely seen in public since it was first painted, reminds us that great art, while not always trendy, stands the test of time. William Brewster, guest curator and descendant of both Sohier and Bosley, brings his unparalleled knowledge of the two artists to the project.
Arts in the Afternoon Has Been Stopping by…
And the kids love art! Above, our very own Robin Lurie-Meyerkopf talks to a group of Arts in the Afternoon summer camp kids! We’ve had such a great response from all the kids and their families. Thanks to the Portsmouth Rec Department for including us! Art ‘Round Town Friday, August 6 First Free Friday next…
Meet the artist and try printmaking with the kids!
Don Gorvett Lunchtime Gallery Tours Stop by at noon on July 30 or August 6 (both Fridays) for a half-hour tour of “Working Waterfronts” with the artist himself, Don Gorvett! The tour is open to the public, no reservations required, and there isn’t an additional fee beyond the price of admission! Potato Prints with Portsmouth…
Happy Birthday Captain Jones!
Great Bay Sailor will provide the music!12pm – 2pm Lawn Games for kids of all ages! Join us in the garden at 43 Middle Street on Sunday, July 1111am – 5pm to celebrate the birthday of the father of the American navy! at 1pm there will be CAKE! Plus FREE Admission to the John Paul…
July 2 Free Admission & Open until 8pm
Retro Roadtripper Raffle! Tomorrow evening only! Get 10% off one of our fun Portsmouth stemless wine glasses at Art ‘Round Town tomorrow between 5 and 8pm – and use it on the spot for a free sip of vino Our featured artist this month for Art ‘Round Town is Josh Hrehovcik! He’ll be in the Museum Shop from…
“Portsmouth Treasures” Exhibition Celebrating 100 Years of Saving History at the John Paul Jones House
The John Paul Jones Historic House Museum opened to the public in 1920, and to celebrate (only slightly belatedly) its centennial, we’ve put on a display of the incredibly wide variety of objects the Portsmouth Historical Society collects. A “birdcage” Windsor rocking chair, portraits of local “clothier” Benjamin Cheever and his wife Mary, an 1813 map of Portsmouth’s “compact” downtown region, a circular maple table that once belonged to an enslaved woman, a baseball bat from a losing game in 1866, a 1660 embroidered mirror, a top hat, miniature paintings, a purloined sword, memorabilia of ale-maker Frank Jones, and “Uncle Billy’s Sunday Leg,” worn (for Sunday best only) by William Dunn after he lost his leg in the war of 1812.
Happy Juneteenth, Our Newest Federal Holiday!🎆
John Paul Jones TONIGHT! Bring Dad for a screening of the 1959 classic film John Paul Jones to kick off Father’s Day weekend! 6:00pm tonight Discover Portsmouth Welcome Center FREE for all! Today is Member Appreciation Day! Today is double-discount day in the shop for members! Get your Historical Society swag and show your support! Fathers Free…