Sea Swept, Judey Clemons, 2014, and Marcia McLaughlin, The Raven, 2019. Photo by Raya on Assignment.
Join us for an evening with our exhibiting quilters! We’ll have a few presentations about quilts and quilting today and then a Q&A session where everyone can ask their burning questions about quilting!
Portsmouth Historical Society invites friends of the organization to attend our annual meeting this Monday, October 19, at 5:30pm, via Zoom. We will discuss board positions, new board members, and institutional by-laws, among other topics. The meeting link will be distributed via the registration button below. Only current members will be able to vote. Not yet a member? Join now!
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who participated in this year’s unique John Paul Jones Jubilee experience–from the wine raffle, to the online event, and our “fundraiser-for-two” art auction through Bidding for Good. The Jubilee, like Portsmouth Historical Society, couldn’t be a success without all the help and support we receive from around the community. We hope all of you enjoyed it and will join us again next year! Stay tuned!
Join us at Portsmouth Historical Society as we celebrate this sweet season with the 30th Annual Gingerbread House Contest and Exhibition from November 20 through December 22. This year, we are “taking it to the streets” with gingerbread creations on display both at the Discover Portsmouth Welcome Center and throughout downtown in shop and restaurant windows.
Call for Entries
We need all the holiday cheer we can get!
Register today to enter your gingerbread creations in the contest!
Houses entered in the contest must be delivered to the Discover Portsmouth Welcome Center on November 13, 14, 15, or 16 during open hours, 10am to 4pm.
Please note that houses are due BEFORE THANKSGIVING this year!
Want to join the fun but don’t know where to start? This year we’re suggesting historical buildings in gingerbread form! We’ve had a lot of great houses recreated in the past, but it doesn’t have to be a landmark. It can be your own home, a favorite downtown spot, or a bit of unique architecture. Follow us on social media to for tips, tricks, and ideas!
Slide left or right!
Have something else in mind? Go for it! The theme is in no way mandatory.
Scavenger Hunt! Raffle! Prize Ribbons!
Every year we seem to have more awards and prizes to give out. The more the merrier! This year we’ve got more than a dozen ribbons to distribute. Your creation could be the winner! Buy tickets for a chance to win a gingerbread house as your holiday feast’s centerpiece!
This year we’re putting together a downtown scavenger hunt! No need to go inside! Each participant will be entered in a special raffle for a $100 gift card to a Portsmouth restaurant! Details coming soon!
Community judges will award ribbons, and then YOU can vote for the People’s Choice!
Rules & Conditions for Entry
Wait! Before you enter, please read the rules. Even we cheerful holiday elves need rules.
Important Dates
Entries must be registered no later than Monday, November 9.
Registered houses must be delivered to the Discover Portsmouth Welcome Center at 10 Middle Street in Portsmouth on November 13, 14, 15, or 16 between 10am and 4pm.
The show at Portsmouth Historical Society, as well as the downtown scavenger hunt, will be on display from Friday, November 20, through Tuesday, December 22.
Those wishing to pick up their gingerbread house when the exhibition is over may do so on Wednesday, December 23 from 10am–4pm, or on Thursday, December 24 from 10am–12pm. Unclaimed houses will be thrown away. (We can’t be inviting mice to stay over the holidays!)
Entry categories
Participants are required to submit entries under one of these categories. Note: If youth and teens are working together without an adult, please choose the Teen category.
Business/Non-Profit/Organization
Adult(s) (Age 19 and older)
Professional (chefs & bakers)
Multi-Generational (Adults and youths or teens working together)
Teen or Teen Group (Age 14–18, working without an adult)
Youth or Youth Group (Age 13 and under working without an adult)
Rules
Maximum base size is 15” by 15”. You may NOT attach multiple bases together.
Entries larger than 15” by 15” will not be accepted.
Base must be sturdy! Your house will be picked up and moved multiple times during gallery set-up.
Edible materials only! This includes the “glue” that holds pieces together!
Entrants will be asked to give their entry a name on drop-off.
By entering the contest, entrants authorize Portsmouth Historical Society to use their images and images of completed work in promotional materials.
FAQ
Gingerbread kits are allowed, provided they use only edible materials.
Plug-in string lights are allowed.
Battery-operated lights are strongly discouraged as the batteries run out within a week.
Your entry doesn’t have to be a “house.” We’ve seen boats, cars, books, barns, trees, etc. Anything goes as long as it’s made of edible materials!
Awards: The guest judges are chosen by the Gingerbread House Competition committee and volunteer their time (and good taste!)
Judges’ awards:
First place in each entry category (Business, Adult, Professional, Multi-Generational, Teen/Teen Group, Youth/Youth Group)
First place among the houses in the downtown scavenger hunt
Honorable Mentions in all the categories above
People’s Choice awards:
Best in Show (inside at the Discover Portsmouth Welcome Center)
Best in Show (for the downtown scavenger hunt)
People’s Choice for each entry category
Most Whimsical
Most Attention to Detail
Most Creative Building Materials
Committee Awards: The same group of hardcore gingerbread fans gathers every summer to begin planning this onslaught sugar-fueled holiday cheer. We’ve gotten to know a lot of the annual entrants, have seen a LOT of gingerbread creations, and we want to hand out some awards, too. So we’re reserving a couple of ribbons to bestow on our favorites!
n accordance with Article 5, Section 1 of the Bylaws of the Portsmouth Historical Society, notice is herewith given to all current Members concerning the date and time of its Annual Meeting, which will take place on Monday, October 19, beginning at 5:30 pm, via online virtual videoconference.
Historical Society members and interested non-members are invited to register by responding HERE. A Zoom link will be sent by email to each registered member.
At the Annual Meeting, Officers and Members of the Board of Trustees will be elected or re-elected, and modifications to the organization’s bylaws will be considered.
Call for Entries
It’s time, once again, to start the creative juices flowing for our annual Gingerbread House Contest!
This year we’re “taking it to the streets” with a downtown scavenger hunt in addition to the gallery full of sugary goodness at the Discover Portsmouth Welcome Center!
All the details and registration here! Exhibition opens November 20th, before Thanksgiving!
Mark your calendars and set your oven timers!
Volunteer Spotlight
Paul Caswell began volunteering at the Portsmouth Historical Society in the Discover Portsmouth Welcome Center in 2019, and he came back for the 2020 season. Born and raised on the Seacoast, he studied at the University of New Hampshire with a focus on exercise physiology and psychology. He has been the owner in private practice of Performance Muscular Therapy in Portsmouth since 1991. He enjoys running, cycling, yoga, and mindfulness. Paul is also a coach for the Coastal Athletic Association and was a tour guide for the Isles of Shoal Research and Historical Association during the 2018 and 2019 seasons
Paul is a descendent of the Caswell family that dates back nine generations to his sixth-great-grandfather Caswell who was a settler on the Isles of Shoals. The Caswells were a prominent fishing family in Gosport from the late 1600s to the mid-1800s.
As a Welcome Center docent, Paul enjoys learning more about Portsmouth and regional history. Likewise, he enjoys meeting visitors and sharing this knowledge to enhance their experience. Paul feels that his time as a docent has deepened his connection to Portsmouth, and he hopes to continue learning. For people who might be interested in volunteering at the Welcome Center, Paul says that it enriches one’s appreciation for the history, culture, and community of Greater Portsmouth.
Paul is one of our most reliable and dedicated volunteers. From July through September, Paul has volunteered an astounding 189 hours. He is very well-liked by all, and appreciated by the PHS Welcome Center staff for his willingness to pitch in and help any way he can. We at Portsmouth Historical Society are proud to have Paul Caswell as an outstanding member of our corps of volunteers!
It’s Teatime at the Museum Shop
New in the Discover Portsmouth Museum Shop, fun teas inspired by figures from history and pop culture! MarTEAn Luther King, Jr.; Shakespearmint Tea, and Agatha ChrisTEA, just to name a few! There’s also RBG Tea to celebrate the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Pocket RBG Wisdom is back in stock and available in our online store!
Our sponsors for the 2020 season have made this all possible. We are grateful!
PHOTO CAPTION: Bid on over 100 works of art by nearly fifty regional artists. Photos courtesy of the artists and Ken Goldman.
Only days remain to bid on over 100 works by regional artists in the Portsmouth Historical Society’s “Jubilee” art auction that ends October 7 at 6pm. Half of the proceeds support Discover Portsmouth and the John Paul Jones House Museum while the other half goes directly to 50 contributing artists. The online exhibition offers a fantastic array of paintings, many featuring familiar scenes, plus handcrafted jewelry, sculpture, woodworking, and clothing.
“It’s a triple win,” says executive director Brian LeMay. “Buyers take home a treasured original new work of art while supporting its talented creator and the city’s 100-year-old historical society.”
This year’s fall auction lets bidders join in from home or office with a special online platform. BiddingForGood is a charitable e-commerce company designed to connect fundraisers, cause-conscious shoppers, and socially responsible businesses. Users are advised that a desktop or laptop computer is the best way to view the online gallery.
Art lovers can reach the auction until October 7 via the PHS website (PortsmouthHistory.org) and click through the entire gallery. Bidding instructions are included. Each item has an opening bid minimum, a description of the artwork, and added details about the artist. The auction software also features a “Buy Now” button for those who just can’t wait to own a favorite item.
“We’ve already had three exciting buy-out sales,” says development associate Joyce Tucker, who prepared the auction with Beth Jefferson and the 2020 Jubilee Committee. Tucker says the buy-out bidders purchased a beautiful pair of handcrafted silver and pearl earrings, an intricate piece of woven art entitled African Necklace, and a colorful woven cotton rug named Splash of Color. Tucker notes that buyers who wish to see specific works “up close and personal” may contact her at joyce@Portsmouthhistory.org or by phone at 603-570-2492 for a private viewing at the Discover Portsmouth Welcome Center.
William Taylor, Jewelry Box with Hummingbird, mahogany. Photo, Ken Goldman.
“Art, culture, and history define Portsmouth,” Brian LeMay says, “and this year both our artist community and our local nonprofits have been hit hard financially by the pandemic.” Since the opening of the Discover Portsmouth Welcome Center in 2010, PHS has featured fine art exhibitions by classic artists like Edmund C. Tarbell of Boston (who summered in New Castle) and Gertrude Fiske. Galleries in the historic 1810-era Academy Building have showcased scores of local artists, including special exhibitions by Jane Kaufman, Sumner Winebaum, John Stobart, Michael Stasiuk, Wendy Turner, Jay Goldsmith, and many more.
This year’s hugely popular exhibition “Threads 2020” highlights an amazing array of contemporary and historical hand-sewn quilts in three galleries on two floors of Discover Portsmouth. Two giant “Community Quilts” created from swatches made by society fans during the ongoing pandemic have recently gone on display.
Oleg Kompasov, Sky Mirrors, oil painting. Photo, Ken Goldman.
Despite hard times and social distancing, welcome center visitors have been blown away by “Threads,” according to dedicated Discover Center staff and volunteers. The 2020 exhibition—including George Washington’s bedspread and a stunning 1876 Centennial Quilt loaned by New Hampshire resident and documentary filmmaker Ken Burns—continues through November 9.
“It’s been a very tough year for corporate sponsorships, particularly from small, local businesses, which have traditionally been our bread-and-butter,” says exhibition manager Meredith Affleck. “That’s why our Jubilee auction, donations, new memberships, and museum shop sales are so important. Despite it all, we’re extremely proud of the work we’ve accomplished and the wonderful response from the community.”
Rose Umerlik, Orange Line, oil on graphite, 2019. Photo, Ken Goldman,
“The art of today becomes the exhibition inspiration for tomorrow,” says PHS development director Judy Loto. “Portsmouth simply would not be Portsmouth without its arts community. And this is a perfect chance to own a piece of it.”
“Threads: A Community Quilt for 2020” is open at 10 Middle Street from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm Fridays through Mondays. Admission is free. Masks are required and available free. For walking tour tickets, guided tours of the John Paul Jones House Museum, Society memberships, and the latest events and virtual lectures please visit www.portsmouthhistory.org or call 603-436-8433.
Don’t forget our Fund-A-Need campaign to commission a work of art for the Discover Portsmouth Welcome Center! Just follow the auction link and click “Donate Now!”
Walking Tours End October 31
It’s the perfect weather for a historical walking tour!
Take our Portsmouth Downtown tour or book a specialized tour on a neighborhood of your choice with legendary local historian Richard M. Candee!
Private tours can be booked if you want to have a special tour for your quarantine group! Just call 603.436.8433 or email RobinLM@portsmouthhistory.org
Creative Reuse at the Museum Shop
New in stock!
Handpainted suncatchers made from CDs!
These beautiful suncatchers will brighten up any space in your home!
