Press Information

Contact 203-222-1424, bbrauner@westporthistory.org

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On Thursday, July 24, the Westport Historical Society will host a “Birthday Bash” from 6 to 8 p.m. to celebrate the 100th birthday of the Westport Library and the WHS special exhibit tracing the library’s history. Titled “Remember-Celebrate-Imagine,” the exhibit in the Betty and Ralph Shaffer Gallery invites visitors to take a step back in time through photos, articles and memorabilia. A charming vignette set in 1908 features a librarian of that vintage with a little girl having her library books hand-stamped -- a reminder of how far we’ve come with new technology. Also included are selections of illustrations from the pen of Howard Munce, whose creative artwork promoting library events spans 27 years, and a look back at Westport’s 1976 Bicentennial Celebration showcasing the scratchboard illustrations by Leonard Everett Fisher.

A second exhibit, “A Town’s Treasures: Spaces & Places, Seen & Unseen,” displays photographs by Tom Kretsch in the Little Gallery. His work reflects his love for Westport and his ability to capture visual images that evoke a soothing calming moment in time.

Both exhibits will be on view at the Historical Society, 25 Avery Place, through September 1.

Westport Library Director Maxine Bleiweis is pictured with a much earlier predecessor from 1908, part of the Historical Society exhibit tracing the Library’s 100-year history.

The Westport Historical Society has titled its new exhibit, opening on Memorial Day, “Remember-Celebrate-Imagine: The Westport Library Looks Back at 100 Years.” The public is invited to the exhibit opening in the WHS Betty and Ralph Sheffer Gallery immediately following the Memorial Day Parade. “We hope everyone will stop by 25 Avery Place as part of their holiday celebration,” says Katie Chase, WHS president. “Not only do we have two new exhibits to visit, but weather permitting, we’ll be serving lemonade and cookies under the trees.”

The exhibit committee has gathered hundreds of photographs, newspaper articles and memorabilia to tell the library’s story. There are photos of the seven women who served as head librarians. A charming vignette set in 1908 features a stern librarian of that vintage with a little girl having her library books hand-stamped. It’s a step back into the past and a reminder of how far we’ve come with our new technology.

Visitors will learn how 140,000 books got moved to the new library. They will also find out the story behind the famous Amy Vanderbilt Tea on the Dump and find an answer to the question of whether or not men could smoke cigars in the library.

Also included are selections of illustrations from the pen of Howard Munce, whose creative artwork promoting library events spans 27 years, and a look back at Westport’s 1976 Bicentennial Celebration showcasing the scratchboard illustrations by Leonard Everett Fisher.

A second new exhibit, “A Town’s Treasures: Spaces & Places, Seen & Unseen,” displays photographs by Tom Kretch in the Little Gallery also following the Memorial Day parade.  Kretch’s photographs reflect his love for Westport and his ability to capture visual images that evoke a soothing calming moment in time. His photo essay of the Saugatuck River recently appeared in Westport Magazine.  Both exhibits will be on view until September 1, 2008.

Rachel Carley, nationally-known author specializing in historic preservation and regional history will speak at the Westport Historical Society on Saturday, April 26 from 11AM to 12:30 PM. Her subject will be The Substance of Style: an illustrated talk exploring the history of Westport as told through its buildings.

“Every building has its place in history” says Carley, “and I will use examples of local houses to trace the town’s evolution from colonial settlement and seaport to artists’ colony, country retreat and 20^th century suburb.”

“What’s in your neighborhood?” she asks. “Come to the lecture and learn to ‘read’ a building and identify the distinct architectural styles and building types - from farmhouse to Sears Roebuck bungalow - that reflect the local and regional influences of their times. In addition, Carley invites participants to bring digital photos of their houses to the lecture. She will choose a few to talk about at the end of her lecture.

Carely, who holds a master’s degree in historic preservation from the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture and Planning, is also a former member of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission and the author of many books and articles dealing with historic preservation. Her book, The Visual Dictionary of American Domestic Architecture will be available for sale and signing on the day of her lecture.

This lecture is sponsored by Dorothy E. Curran of Weichert Realtors and is the third seminar to be held in association with the well-received Westport Preserved - Westport Lost exhibit currently on view at the Westport Historical Society. Admission is $20, $18 for WHS members and lunch is included. Reservations are required; call 203-222-1424. If seats are still available they can be purchased at the door the day of the lecture.

The Westport Historical Society, Westport Center for Senior Activities and Beaux Chapeaux Productions are pleased to announce a joint one-day character workshop for daughters, mothers and grandmothers who wish to reflect on the deepest meaning of character through studying some of history’s greatest female characters. 

Susan Tanner Meisel

Relive the words, accomplishments and essences of style for some of life’s most memorable women  – Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosa Parks, Golda Meir, Mother Teresa, Jackie Kennedy, Madame Curie, Sylvia Plath, Peggy Guggenheim, Katharine Hepburn, Helen Keller and Princess Diana – as you take part in a history-making production composed by Suzanne Tanner Meisel (of Westport and Los Angeles).  The show, which will premiere Mother’s Day weekend at the conclusion of the Workshop, is titled VOICES OF HERSTORY: Inspire!  It is a one-woman musical whirlwind reviving the timeless wisdom offered by each of these immortal women through dramatic songs, engaging narratives and period hats from Tanner-Meisel’s prized millinery collection. 

The show introduces each character with spoken narrative roles -- to be performed by local females of all ages wherever the show runs -- thus making it an engaging, timeless, living history.  Those attending the workshop will be offered a chance to perform these speaking roles in the production following the workshop.  In keeping with the stylized production, all attendees are encouraged to wear a hat of choice – for personal character.

The workshop itself will explore the inner workings of these great women to unearth their core attributes of character.  What were Eleanor Roosevelt and Golda Meir’s views on physical beauty and world peace?   What inspired Rosa Parks to muster the courage to sit on the ‘wrong’ seat in the bus, leaving behind her modest life to become the Mother of the Civil Rights Movement?  (Hint: she wasn’t tired.)  What did Princess Diana want more than anything, and may have achieved in her premature death?  The workshop will investigate details from each Voice’s private persona to learn her story… and how to gauge and develop our own characters based on the finest role models time has produced. 

Harvard-educated Tanner-Meisel combines her study of Music Psychology with her passion for songwriting, performance and Women’s History to offer this unique class, open to mature females aged 9 to 99.   Multiple generations are encouraged to attend for a gap-defying feminine experience. 

The Workshop will be held at the Westport Center for Senior Activities on Saturday, May 10^th from 10:00 to 2:00 p.m. (lunch will be served at 1:00 p.m.) with the hour-long performance beginning promptly at 2:00 p.m.  Workshop fee is $45 per attendee (includes lunch and performance); 10% discount to WHS members. There is a $20 materials fee (optional); Workshop and performance are both free for all Seniors.

VOICES OF HERSTORY: Inspire!, the musical production, is open to the public and will begin promptly at 2:00 p.m. on Sat., May 10^{th ,} at the Westport Center for Senior Activities, 21 Imperial Ave., Westport, CT.  Show tickets are $10 (free for Seniors).  To register for the Workshop, or to purchase/reserve tickets to the show, please call Susan Gold at the Westport Historical Society (203.222.1424).

Beaux Chapeaux Productions is dedicated to creating progressive programs with a social conscience.  A portion of the proceeds from this Workshop will be donated to WHS. 

On Sunday, January 20, from 3-5 p.m., the Westport Historical Society will unveil its new and very timely exhibit “Westport Preserved – Westport Lost.”  Curated by Bob Weingarten and Dave Matlow, the show dramatically depicts the evolution of the town’s residential and commercial architecture from 1700 to the present.  Committee chairmen Mollie Donovan, Wally Woods, and Ellen Naftalin note that the WHS has long been an advocate of preservation, and the exhibit honors the work of community members whose intent is to preserve Westport’s historic inventory: “It is both an update on what is being done to preserve our town’s character and a trip down memory lane.”

The exhibit in the Betty and Ralph Sheffer Gallery begins with the photographs and documentation of more than 300 vintage houses.  Some have been recycled for a new use without losing their historic identity, others are now restored to their original architectural design, and still others are renovated and reconfigured to adapt them for use today by adding amenities not available when they were originally constructed. Running concurrently in the Little Gallery is an ongoing video featuring photographs by Dave Matlow, whose “Teardown of the Day” feature on the WestportNow website alerts the community to possible building demolition in their neighborhood.

The WHS works closely with the Westport Historic District Commission to prevent demolition of antique housing whenever possible. The exhibit acknowledges with gratitude the work done by the Commission that has led to a progressive and intelligent rethinking of a zoning clause dating from a different era.  The new regulations allow historic barns and outbuildings to be adapted to fulfill other needs, such as a home office or guest quarters.

A special feature of the exhibit is a salute to “Westport’s Old House Angels,” individuals who have saved a historic house from the wrecking ball and restored it to its former glory.  When research is completed on a historic building, a plaque with the name of the original owner and the building date is available through the Society.  Today, 179 houses proudly display this mark of authenticity as a Westport treasure. Bob Weingarten, WHS House History Chairman, notes that “placing a plaque on a historic house recognizes more than just the age of a dwelling.  It recognizes the families that have lived there and the significance of the house to the history of the town.”

Another section is devoted to the restoration of the Emily McLaury House, an HDC project funded by the town and supported by First Selectman Gordon Joseloff, a native Westporter deeply concerned with preservation of the town’s character.

The “Westport Lost” theme in the Little Gallery exhibit shows houses that are no longer standing and have been replaced by new construction. Also included in this exhibit are collages by artist Susan Malloy using the remnants of houses now gone, plus artworks from both the WHS archives and the Westport Schools Permanent Art Collection.

Sponsors for the exhibit are Weichert-Capital Properties & Estates, Aitoro Appliance & Electronics, and Westport Magazine. The exhibit continues until May 4, 2008.