Stamford History Real Time

Whitman Bailey Selection for December: Artist's Impression of Christmas Eve on Atlantic Street

Before the Mall:

Artist's Impression of Christmas Eve on Atlantic Street

Download Newspaper Clipping of December 24, 1927

Related Map

        

Bailey Sketch Reference file: Bailey104.jpg

Whitman Bailey Collection

Whitman Bailey Selection for November: Section of Old Stage Yard near Relay Place

(How did we miss October?)

Section of Old Stage Yard near Relay Place

Download Newspaper Clipping of November 22, 1941

Our usual warning seems to apply here:

"At times, the accompanying vignettes are mostly folklore passed on to Mr. Bailey by residents of the areas where he was sketching.  In those instances he had no way of determining the truth of the story.  Nor have we.  It is presented as a sidelight to the sketch.  Therefore, researchers are cautioned to regard these tales as local color, interesting, thought provoking, but sometimes not entirely factual."

The Bibliography of Stamford, item 166 has this abstract:

"Before the establishment of the USPOD most of the post offices were kept in stores or the home of the then acting postmaster. In the earliest times they were usually in a tavern or inn that also served as a stop for the post rider or stage coach. The first Posts arrived monthly or fortnightly; later twice weekly, not until the coming of the railroad did daily service materialize. Stamford, being the halfway point on the post road between New York and New Haven required a place for the changing of horses and a new Stage House and Stage Yard was erected at the corner of East Main Street and Stage Street to handle both the horses, passengers and the mails. ........ The mails for the main Stamford Post Office were sent via the Lower Post Road from New York via New Haven to Boston until the arrival of the New York & New Haven RR in 1847. The main or upper route went via White Plains to Bedford and thence to Ridgefield, Ct., and on to Hartford via Danbury."

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.

Whitman Bailey Selection for September: Waterside around Oliver Street Bridge (Pulasky Street Bridge)

The Waterside was one of Whitman Bailey's favorite sketching area. (map)  Here are two from the various September sketches over the years:

Artist's Sketch of Oliver Street Bridge over Rippowam River

Download newspaper clipping of September 18, 1926

The iron-trussed bridge was built in 1887 by the Berlin Iron Bridge Company. It was later renamed Pulaski Street Bridge and rebuilt in the late 20th century.  From the Archives of the Stamford Advocate, September 5, 2010:

Sept. 12, 1985: The Pulaski Street bridge was being sold by the city to make way for a new bridge to be built in the following two years. The bridge, which crossed the Rippowam River and connected Waterside to the South End, was composed of 150 feet of wrought iron. It was built in 1887 and, according to the city's engineers, was no longer functional. The weight limit had been reduced from 15 to four tons, and heavy trucks were banned.

Renee Kahn, director of Stamford's Historic Neighborhood Preservation Program, was spearheading the sale.

"It is easily dismantled. That's the joy of it," Kahn said.

Whitman Bailey Selection for July: The Children's Museum that never was

Download newspaper clipping of July 7, 1934 

This Whitman Bailey Sketch represents the story of the Stamford Children's Museum that never was.  We searched the society's files, and all we found was an incomplete newspaper clipping and a promotional brochure.  Our first thought was that this might have been the forerunner of the Stamford Museum & Nature Center, but our files show that it existed already and was located at the time on Courtland Ave.  This might have been one of the reasons that the above venture never succeeded.  If Mr. Bailey's description is correct, the Children's Museum was designed more as a summer camp, albeit with a permanent structure.  As the newspaper clipping shows, a lot of effort went into the planning.

Anyone who has more information on the museum kindly call us at 203-329-1183 and ask for Ron Marcus or leave a message, or e-mail us at [email protected].

(Reference file: Bailey209.jpg)

Whitman Bailey Collection

The Stamford Public Works Deparment and the Famous Rock Crusher

Public Works Department 1914 – Building Roads with the Rock Crusher

When a search through the Stamford Government section of the photo collection revealed interesting photos of the famous rock crusher, which the town purchased in 1909 to build roads.

read all

Brownstones on Bell Street – a Photo Selection of the Month Reprise

Still tied down working on the new website, I came across this Photo Selection of the Month of June 2007:

Brownstones on Bell Street

Enjoy!

Whitman Bailey Selection for June: Artist's View of Suburban Avenue and Main Street

All gone now …(current Google satellite view)

Artist's View of Suburban Avenue and Main Street

Download newspaper clipping of June 13, 1925

Downtown Stamford Urban Renewal
related map

This is how Main Street looked around 1967: The Holly House is gone.

Map and photo courtesy
The City of Stamford, Connecticut, Urban Redevelopment Commission.

We do add the usual warning:

"At times, the accompanying vignettes are mostly folklore passed on to Mr. Bailey by residents of the areas where he was sketching.  In those instances he had no way of determining the truth of the story.  Nor have we.  It is presented as a sidelight to the sketch.  Therefore, researchers are cautioned to regard these tales as local color, interesting, thought provoking, but sometimes not entirely factual."

(Bailey Sketch Reference file: Bailey267.jpg)

Whitman Bailey Collection

"Cozy Sundays" Event Reminder, Sunday, May 16

You are cordially invited to sign up today for our next
"Cozy Sundays",  Sunday, May 16
What Was This Used For?
(Antique Kitchen Utensils and Household Tools)
with Executive Director, Dr. Thomas Zoubek
 
2:00 P.M. -- Informal "show and tell" presentation of some of
Tom Zoubek's favorite things from the Society's special collections
3:00 P.M. -- Informal social hour with light refreshments
EXHIBITION GALLERIES & THE DOWNSTAIRS SHOP WILL ALSO BE OPEN
___________________________________________________________________________
 
To make your reservation, kindly send your check by May 12 payable to
The Stamford Historical Society, 1508 High Ridge Road, Stamford, CT 06903
 
Members, $15.00, Non-members $20.00, Students (8-18) $5.00.    

WhitmanBailey Selection for March Artist's Sketch of Stamford's Central Fire Station

Artist's Sketch of Stamford's Central Fire Station

Download article of March 17, 1928

Station #1 - Central Fire Station (HQ) is still in the same location at 629 Main St. The above structure was built in 1915.  Below is a photo of the current station. from the Home Page of Stamford Fire & Rescue.