Stamford History Real Time

P.O. High Ridge Connecticut Exhibit Preview Party & Fundraiser Thursday, September 15

You are cordially invited to our fundraiser and "P.O. High Ridge Connecticut" Exhibit Preview Party, Thursday, September 15, 6:00–8:00 PM at the Stamford Historical Society, 1508 High Ridge Rd.

Download Invitation Form

Founders' Day Lecture, Sunday October 24 Childhood in Mark Twain’s America

Join us us for the

ANNUAL FOUNDERS’ DAY LECTURE
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2 P.M.
at 1508 High Ridge Road

Come hear Shirley Teresa Wajda speak about “Childhood in Mark Twain’s America.” What was it like to be a child in Mark Twain’s America? 

Ms. Wajda will give an illustrated talk reconstructing children’s lives. She will explore their possessions, from schoolbooks to clothing to toys. We will learn about children’s rooms and American social thinking about children and childhood in the Gilded Age. 

Details

Visit our latest exhibit, Kids’ Stuff: Tracing the Lives of Children through their Possessions.

New Exhibits opens Saturday: Kids' Stuff – Tracing the Lives of Children through their Possessions

Kids' Stuff:  the Lives of Children's through Their Possessions opens to the public on Saturday, September 11.  It illustrates the lives of children during the 19th and early 20th centuries by presenting objects important to children.

The majority of the material in the exhibit dates from the latter half of the 1800s to the first decades of the 20th century. Some of the games, such as Dominoes, Tiddly Winks and Lotto (a type of Bingo), will be quite familiar to visitors. 

The Hallway portion of the exhibit presents a variety of toys and games that would have been used by boys and girls to pass their free time. These objects include blocks, toy cars and trucks, games, pull toys and banks.

The Red Gallery will focus primarily on dolls and miniatures, in addition to children's clothing and furnishings. This juxtaposition is intentional, as it allows us to link the real world of Victorian era children with the play world they created with their dolls and miniatures. It allows us to show that play was not simply idle activity, but that it actually prepared children in some ways for their future lives as adults.

Objects displayed in the Halliday Gallery expand upon the range of activities at which children played and include a working miniature oven, printing presses, a sewing machine and a toy boiler engine. Model trains fill one case, while a child's china fills another illustrating the very different worlds for boys and girls at this time.

The exhibit does not cover the lives of all 19th and early 20th Century children, as it is well known that many working‑class children did not have the time or luxuries of their well‑heeled peers. For these children, the life of work in the mill or factory began as early as age 6. This exhibit focuses more on the lives of middle and upper class children, while acknowledging that even the poorer children likely had a few toys, perhaps hand‑made, that would have been copies of more expensive pieces. The exhibit also reflects a time when the roles of girls and boys were more tightly defined. Most of the material in the Red Gallery, other than some of the clothes and furniture, would have been used solely by girls. Most of the material in the Halliday Gallery reflects more the world of boys. Games in the hallway may have been enjoyed by both as is the case today.

Gallery Hours:
Thursday–Saturday
11:00–4:00

We encourage you to bring your children and grandchildren.  Reminisce about your own childhood experiences and compare them to that of children growing up in the 21st century.

2009 Exhibit "Best Face Forward" is Now Online

Best Face Forward: Portraits from the Society's Collection

The portraits in this exhibit span a time period from the 1830s to the 1970s and present a panoramic view of changing costumes, hairstyles, facial hair and degrees of formality. With few exceptions the subjects were Stamford residents. With the coming of the railroad to Stamford in 1849 and the resulting influx of immigrants, the town became the site of flourishing new industries and of more people who could afford to commission a portrait. Some of these portraits were painted by local artists. Of key importance was the ability to capture the likeness of the sitter, although a slight enhancement was not looked upon unfavorably.

Enjoy!

A look back: Pride and Patriotism: Stamford’s Role in World War II

Earlier in the week was Pearl Harbor Day, and it so happens that this writer worked on the web pages of our 2006 WWII exhibit, preparatory to migrating them to our upcoming brand-new website.

Pride and Patriotism: Stamford’s Role in World War II  tells the story of Stamford’s experience during World War II through the lives of individuals who participated abroad as well as in the war effort at home. The individual experiences give exhibit viewers a more personal, intimate experience and appreciation of how the war affected people’s lives directly.

The exhibit includes exclusive, first-person accounts from veterans who are Stamford residents. There are representatives from all branches of the services as well as women’s divisions: the WACS and the WAVES. Stamford veterans were found in all the theaters of the war. In addition, the exhibit uses loaned weapons, uniforms, photographs, and artifacts to tell veterans’ stories. Loaned or society-owned items and objects trace the central role that local companies played in war efforts and reflect daily home-front life. A poster gallery, drawn from the Society’s World War II-era collection, offered visitors a snapshot of the U.S. Government’s efforts to attract and encourage public support for the money, material resources, labor, and day-to-day sacrifices needed for a successful war effort.

It's not too late to sign up for our Victorian Tea, Sunday, November 8

The Stamford Historical Society
Invites you to attend
The Sixth Annual Victorian Tea
Sunday, November 8, 2009, 2:30—5 PM

100 Years in the Making: Highlights from the Society's Collections

In celebration of the 100th Anniversary of its Incorporation, the Society has put together a beautiful exhibit which presents the best of the best from our collections.  Curated by Executive Director Dr. Thomas A. Zoubek, the exhibit displays samples of the treasures accumulated over the past century.

Dr. Zoubek and Librarian Ronald Marcus will give gallery talks, leading us through the "rooms" set up in both the Red and Halliday galleries.

The talks begins at 3 PM, followed by our traditional tea and raffle for tea baskets.

For reservations call (203) 329-1183
Admission: $15
Please make your check payable to The Stamford Historical Society and send it to the Society at 1508 High Ridge Road, Stamford, CT 06903.

100th Birthday Party – help us spread the word

A flyer to distribute:
Download the 100th Birthday Party Flyer

A Major Milestone: 100th Anniversary of the Stamford Historical Society’s Incorporation

This year the Society celebrates its 100th Anniversary of Incorporation.

Although the Stamford Historical Society was founded in 1901, it took a number of years before the Society met regularly.  After meeting five times between October of 1901 and March of 1902, the Society did not meet again until the fall of 1905.  From then on, monthly meetings were held, other than during the summer months of July and August.  This practice continues today as there is no August meeting of the Board.  It was not until 1909 that the Society was recognized by the State of Connecticut as an incorporated body.  Colonel Woolsey Hopkins, Society President (1901–09), had appointed a committee to see to this goal as early as 1907, but it was not until after his death that the goal was realized under the Society’s second president Frederick G. Mather (1909–23). 

In order to celebrate the 100th anniversary of incorporation, the Society is putting together a centennial exposition, 100 Years in the Making: Highlights from the Society’s Collections, that will chronicle our history as well as show off some of the finest pieces in our collections.

The Stamford Historical Society celebrates 100 Years! A Family Event! Sunday, October 25

Bring the entire family to our 100th birthday celebration
Sunday, October 25
12 – 4 PM
Society Headquarters
1508 High Ridge Rd.

Music, magic, games, and crafts.

Admission $10
ages 4-12 $5
under 4 free
Ice cream, cake, drinks and goodies included.

EXHIBIT OPENING
100 Years in the Making: Highlights from the Society's Collections

Portrait Exhibit – Best Face Forward Member's Opening Reception Sunday, April 26, 2:30 PM

BEST FACE FORWARD
exhibits portraits from the Stamford Historical Society’s collection.

Dating from the 1830s to the present, they serve as a historic canvas of the development of Stamford.  Included are portraits of Mayor Julius Wilensky and Civil War hero Captain Marcus Waterbury. Portraitists include Thomas Edgar Stephens, painter of Presidents Truman and Eisenhower, and Stamford’s own Dr. Jacob Nemoitin.

Download PORTRAITS FROM THE  SOCIETY’S COLLECTION

OPENING RECEPTION FOR MEMBERS ONLY
SUNDAY, APRIL 26
Reception 2:30 to 4:00 PM
Gallery talk by Executive Director Dr. Thomas Zoubek

Open to the general public
Tuesday, April 28 through September.
Tuesdays through Saturdays, Noon to 4PM
non-members $5
members and seniors $3
under 12 years free
203-329-1183
Directions



www.stamfordhistory.org