Join us for a selection of short presentations and a Q&A with the exhibitors whose work is on display in the balcony of the Academy Gallery. We’ll talk about quilt guilds, quilting technique, alternative uses for quilting skills, and more!
It’s GINGERBREAD TIME
Have you signed up yet?
We need YOU to participate!
This year, we’re placing gingerbread houses in our Academy Gallery on the ground floor AND on the balcony level AND in storefronts downtown. We need all the holiday cheer we can get! Don’t know where to start? We’ve got tips, tricks, and ideas being posted all the time on our social media accounts!
Are you interested in participating but don’t know your royal icing from your fondant? Become a sponsor! We’re always looking for more local businesses and individuals to get involved. Contact our Director of Development Judy Loto at 603-570-2492 or by email at judy@portsmouthhistory.org.
Last Call for Walking Tours
The walking tour season ends October 31st! Book one of the last remaining spots before autumn slips awa!
Our annual meeting, an integral part of being a non-profit organization to benefit the public, was held this past Monday to review the accomplishments of the previous year. If you were unable to attend, you can download the report here:
These fun, light-up hats are selling out fast at the Museum Shop. Get yours today! Curbside pickup and delivery within a 10-mile radius upon request! Just reach out to Beth@PortsmouthHistory.org! Members get 10% off!
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!
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!
We are currently open Friday–Monday, 10am–4pm. Stop by and visit our safe, comfortable, and spacious gallery and museum shop, and enjoy the “Threads” exhibition and the Community Quilts!
Color & Comfort: Quilts in Context
If you can’t make it in to see the quilts in person, join us for a talk by our own curator of collections, Gerald W. R. Ward, about quilts, their place in our lives, and their meaning.
Quilts and coverlets, in addition to being examples of outstanding needlework and beautiful works of art, have symbolic value and functional purposes. They hold many meanings for people and have played a central functional role in the domestic interior for centuries. In his talk, Ward will examine some of the symbolic meanings of quilts, and also look at them in the context of the bed chamber, examining them as one element in a constellation of related objects and examining changing patterns and rhythms of life over–and under–the covers.
Thursday, September 24 at 7pm via Zoom FREE for Member/Donors $15 for Non-Members
Congratulations to the Winner of ourJohn Paul Jones Jubilee Wine Raffle!
The winner of our fantastic wine raffle was…..(drum roll please)…….none other than the amazingly lucky and totally awesome Sharon Parker!
Thank you to everyone who purchased a wine raffle ticket and entered our contest! The raffle raised more than $1,500 in support of our programs and exhibitions. Thanks as well to the members of the Portsmouth Historical Society Board of Trustees who provided the wine for the raffle. Santé!
John Paul Jones Jubilee Auction Showcases Gorgeous and Unique Seacoast Art
Our John Paul Jones Jubilee Benefit Auction, running until 6pm on October 7, 2020, features wonderful works of two- and three-dimensional art, including oil and watercolor paintings, weaving, jewelry, photography, drawing and sculpture, by artists all over the greater Seacoast. The proceeds from each winning bid will benefit equally both Portsmouth Historical Society and the artist—and YOU! This art could be in your home! Or perhaps consider a gift for a wedding, birthday or anniversary. Not here on the Seacoast? No problem! Art can be shipped. Bid now! Bid high! And Bid often!
Walking Tours End October 31, So Don’t Delay and Register While You Can!
Our Walking Tours end October 31! Book now to be sure you get a spot. Tours are smaller this year, and all guidelines for the health and safety of our visitors are followed. This is a fantastic way to get out of the house and learn something about Portsmouth!
Private tours can also be scheduled, just call or email Robin Lurie-Meyerkopf, our walking tour manager! For more info on what tours are available and to book tickets, click below!
Above: The center medallion of the “Washington” coverlet, on display in the “Threads” exhibition. Probably made in Bolton, England, ca. 1780; cotton. Portsmouth Historical Society; Gift of Mrs. John F. Tyler (2005.033).
“Coverlets & Counterpanes of New Hampshire: Bedcovers for a New Nation”
Tonight’s talk will focus on that other kind of bedcover popular in New England in the early 19th century, the coverlet. Learn about the luxury furnishings displayed to impress visiting VIPs like George Washington and the marquis de Lafayette, and the artisanal industry of their creation, here in New Hampshire.
Left: Tonight’s speaker, Jennifer Swope, assistant curator of Textile and Fashion Arts at the MFA, Boston.
The local artists participating in our online auction have submitted some phenomenal works to the cause! Proceeds from each item auctioned will be split equally between Portsmouth Historical Society and the artist, thus supporting arts in the Seacoast two ways!
Jubilee ticket holders will have exclusive access to our online party, receive a gourmet goodie-bag of snacks for the show, get a sneak preview of the art to be auctioned, and see the “Threads” community quilt unveiled!
Thanks to the hard work and dedication of shop manager Beth Gross-Santos, we now have an online retail establishment with a select number of items available for purchase.
Members can still receive their 10% discount! Keep an eye out for a special email with your discount code!
Anything Planned for the Weekend?
You’ll be surprised what you don’t know about Portsmouth! Our five-star rated walking tours are a great way to get outdoors! Check them out here!
