You’ve probably already seen them in the museum hard at work or smiling in photos, but we would like to formally introduce you to our new staff members:
Sabina Ion, Marketing Manager
Sabina is a trained archeologist with a long history in public outreach. She most recently worked at the American independence Museum and loves translating the work that happens inside the museum into the digital world to share with a broader audience.
Sarah Robbitts-Terry, Volunteer and Program Coordinator
Sarah has enjoyed a career as an educator in schools as well as museums. She is passionate about lifelong learning and can’t wait to bring all kinds of new programs, workshops, and activities to the Portsmouth community.
Molly Liolios, Collections Manager and Registrar
Molly has her masters in History and Archives from U Mass Boston and has previously worked at the Heritage Museum and Gardens. She looks forward to sharing objects that have not been on display.
Kim Simmons, Development Manager
Kim comes to us from just across town, having most recently worked at Albacore Park. She has a passion for all things maritime and is particularly excited when the tall ships come to town. She plans to use her enthusiasm for community history to broaden engagement with the Historical Society.
A successful end to the 2022 season
From the collection
In an era before supermarkets where would you go for foodstuffs? Your local grocers or merchants who sometimes styled themselves as “West India Goods” retailers. This jug was made for Alfred Tucker who sold foodstuffs, including imports from the Caribbean such as rum and molasses from his shop in Spring Hill (the area where Market, Bow, and Ceres streets meet). This bustling area is now home to restaurants, ice cream emporiums, and a variety of retail shops, as well as apartments, and private dwellings.
Tucker’s jug reminds us of the area’s previous incarnation and enhances our understanding of the West India grocers’ important role in the mid-nineteenth century.
🏺Jug, New England, ca. 1849–56, Stoneware with cobalt-blue decoration, Gift from the estate of Edward and Florence Morrison (2019. 003).
Assembly of the community quilt is underway! We have a small committee of volunteers putting together all the squares we received. We plan to reveal our progress at our John Paul Jones Jubilee event (online!) on September 10th! More details and links for tickets to this event farther down.
We’ve been busy preparing the quilt exhibition, but now that the exhibition is open to the public, we will get back to posting submitted quilt squares through our social media accounts!
“Coverlets & Counterpanes of New Hampshire: Bedcovers for a New Nation”
Our next “Threads” Zoom lecture features MFA assistant curator Jennifer Swope, who will take a closer look at two objects in the Portsmouth Historical Society’s collection that are currently on display in “Threads,” and that may have had close encounters with early American celebrities—George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette! Ms. Swope will talk about separating truth from fiction, a challenge often encountered with objects supposedly used by famous historical figures.
Thursday, August 27 at 7:30 pm FREE for members $15 for non-members
(*Lecture zoom link will be provided by email after registration.)
7th Annual John Paul Jones (Online!) Jubilee & Auction
Virtual Gala • Online Auction • Wine Raffle
Arts, history, and culture define Portsmouth, and we realize that the artist community, so integral to the city’s unique character, has been hard hit by the pandemic. Portsmouth Historical Society has also seen financial challenges due to the stay-at-home order and social distancing requirements.
To that end, we have decided to use our annual fundraiser, which provides a significant portion of the Society’s income, as an opportunity to “pay it forward” in support of artists. Our online auction will feature original works of art, with 50% of the net proceeds from the sale of each item going to the artist.
Additionally, our Fund-A-Need campaign will be dedicated to raising funds to commission artwork which will be displayed at the Discover Portsmouth Welcome Center, thereby supporting a local artist and beautifying a city landmark.
This month-long online auction kicks off with an exclusive online virtual gala event on
September 10, 2020 at 7:00 pm
So join us for great art, delicious ‘Goodie Bag’ treats courtesy of Port City Pretzels, Wood Stove Kitchen (Sangria mix, baby!), and Naughty Good Bites. And don’t forget to purchase a raffle ticket or ten for then amazing wine raffle.
Reminder! Inside the Discover Portsmouth Welcome Center is the entrance to another FABULOUS gallery space.
The Seacoast African American Cultural Center is hosting a wonderful exhibition of photographs by Pete Souza, chief photographer at the White House during the Obama administration.
“Obama: An Intimate Portrait” exhibition tickets are available through SAACC’s website, www.saacc-nh.org.
