East Hampton From the Church Belfry from Picturesque America, William Cullen Bryant, 1872-1874
Gift: Gerson & Judith Leiber
From the permanent collection.
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The 2021 Online Winter Lecture Series:
In Their Own Words
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Friday, January 29, 2021
I Remember When: John Howard Payne’s Memories of Old East Hampton & His Life, 1791-1852
Speakers: Hugh King & Kenneth Collum
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Friday, February 26, 2021
Life in a Small Town: Lyman Beecher’s Reflections on East Hampton from 1798 to1810
Speaker: Richard Barons
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Friday, March 26, 2021
When Neighbors Were Neighbors: Character Studies by Cornelia Huntington (1803-1890) from Her Diary
Speaker: Barbara Borsack
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Friday, April 30, 2021
Turn-of-the Century Tales: from “Wainscott Dumplings” by Alice E. Osborn Hand (1879-1968)
Speaker: Hilary Osborn-Malecki
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Make it Mondays – Activities You Can Do at Home!
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Quill Pens
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Imagine it is the late 1700s in East Hampton, and you’re at school practicing your spelling – what do you think you would have written with? Join the Society as we launch our virtual “Make it Mondays – Activities You Do at Home”, on January 25 to find out.
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In this session, Director of Experience, Marianne Della Croce, will demonstrate how to write with a quill pen with ink you create with some common household items!
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Registration for “Make it Monday: Quill Pens” includes a kit containing fresh berries, a mason jar, and a quill pen. From home, you will need a strainer, vinegar, and a spoon. The cost is $25 per person.
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Pick up your kits on January 22, from 2pm-4pm at the Osborne-Jackson House, 101 Main Street in East Hampton. Call 631-324-6850 ext. 4 to set up your time.
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And then join us on January 25, via zoom, at 3pm from the comfort of your own home as we learn how to make ink and write with the pen together!
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Registration is required by January 15 – zoom link will be sent with registration confirmation.
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$25 per kit
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From the Collection
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Black and white photograph of two men preparing ice for refrigeration. The man at the front of the photograph is wearing wading pants and boots and holds a saw designed for cutting into the ice. The man in the rear is pushing snow from the surface of the frozen pond, Montauk, circa 1910.
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From the permanent collection.
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Your Help is Needed!
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The East Hampton Historical Society, like so many other non-profits, relies on public support to continue our mission of the preservation of the history and the culture of our community, and we need your help!
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Please consider supporting our Annual Appeal as we move into our centennial year of 2021 as YOUR historical society.
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Your generous donation goes to preserving these important landmarks for future generations and ensuring we can continue to offer an exceptional calendar of events and programs.
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Thank you in advance for your support!
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Membership Matters
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Museums are just as important to the future as the future is to museums. Not only can our museums bring history to life, but they can also shine a light on both our present and our future.
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The East Hampton Historical Society has a responsibility and duty to provide a sense of community and place by celebrating a collective heritage, offering a great way to get to know the history of East Hampton, as well as inspiring the next generation to be stewards and caretakers of these wonderful buildings and artifacts.
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As we head into 2021, we look toward transforming our museums from spaces of looking and learning to spaces of interaction, participation, and engagement. As the world evolves, so shall we with innovative programming and new ways to utilize technology to improve the visitor experience.
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A great way to be apart of the excitement, is to join the Society as a member. Your membership helps us continue to tell the remarkable stories of East Hampton, and to ensure we will be standing for years to come – and entitles you to great benefits!
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Join (rejoin) today!
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Happy New Year postcard to Miss Nettie Osborne, East Hampton, Long Island. Postmarked December 26, 1905.
From the permanent collection.
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With every New Year, a NEW BEGINNING!
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This is a commonly held belief throughout the globe. It is fun to explore how cultures around the world have historically celebrated New Year’s. Many practices are resolution focused; to discard bad habits and create good ones, to make peace with others, and to start anew, moving away from the past year’s ills. The new year is marked in many ways through actions, some shared, some unique.
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For instance, fireworks were adopted from the Chinese, who used such displays (and the sounds) of firecrackers to ward off evil.
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Over 4,000 years ago on the vernal equinox, the ancient Babylonians promised the gods they would pay debts and return objects they had borrowed.
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Many cultures do deep cleanings of their homes for the new year as in South Africa and Puerto Rico. A new beginning, a clean one! In Ecuador, people burn effigies symbolizing the past year, letting go of the bad and moving on. In Denmark, folks run around smashing plates on doorsteps to ward off evil…you get the point!
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Color also plays a big role in New Year’s traditions, especially the color red in many cultures. The Turkish wear red underwear and the Chinese paint their doors for good luck. In Brazil, folks wear white for good fortune and peace for the new year.
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Foodways are especially important for the celebration. In Spain people will eat 12 grapes, one on each stroke of midnight to symbolize prosperity for the year to come. In France, food is of course partnered with lots of champagne, Austrians enjoy peppermint ice cream, and in Brazil they partake in lentils. All food traditions are tied to good luck and sustenance. I am sure you have some of your own which were passed down.
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One of my favorite traditions comes from Columbia. People run around the block with an empty suitcase at midnight so the coming year will be filled with travel! That is something I missed in 2020. So, if we can only “travel” online for now, I encourage you to explore the world’s new year’s traditions, too many to share; and perhaps adopt some, which have meaning to you.
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Although various cultures celebrate the new year at different points other than January 1, the collective BEGINNING is the same. What is fascinating, is how here in the United States, all these traditions and more have been adopted, adapted, and transformed. We all desire to say “out with the old and in with the new.”
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New Year’s is a reminder that time marches on; it allows us to ponder personal improvement, gratefulness for what we have, and to celebrate together the hope the future offers.
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From your friends at the East Hampton Historical Society…we celebrate new beginnings with you toward a bright 2021!
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Feliz Ano Novo!
Happy New Year!
Xīnnián kuàilè!
Yeni Yılınız mutlu olsun!
Blwyddyn Newydd Dda!
Godt nytår!
Gelukkig nieuwjaar!
navavarsh kee shubhakaamana!
Shine jiliin mend khürgeye!
S Novym Godom!
E ku odun, eku iyedun!
Maria Vann
Executive Director
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Volunteer Spotlight
Barbara Borsack
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Barbara’s family roots originate with the founding members of East Hampton. She says there is truly no place she would rather live. Every day, she feels as though she lives in a family-built home on land that has been in her family for generations.
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Barbara began volunteering with the Society in the mid-1980s. In 1986, she attended an event at Mulford Farm called the “Mulford Farm Festival” with her children and fell in love with both the event and the Society. As a mother of four young children at the time, she realized how important it was for them to learn about East Hampton’s history. She immediately knew she wanted to become involved with the Society and began volunteering with the Program Committee, soon after she was promoted as chairperson of the festival! She enjoyed the role for three consecutive years and then joined the board of directors. She has been closely involved with the Society ever since.
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Barbara loves being part of the Society – the mission is an important one to her. She feels great fondness for all the people she meets and has enjoyed the opportunities she has had for service. Through the years, she has been a House Captain on the “Annual House and Garden Tour,” assisted the Chief Curator with the collections, created and organized the “Winter Lecture Series,” managed registration tables at numerous special events, and served on the executive committee of the board of directors. “I’ve learned so much about our history and our collection and have new appreciation for those things all the time,” said Barbara.
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She also volunteers at her church, at the Southampton Hospital, and with the East Hampton Village Ambulance Association. “I love giving back to my community in so many ways. I’ve always chosen volunteer opportunities in areas I am particularly interested in. I find volunteer service to be a very rewarding part of my life. It’s actually what I do for fun!” Barbara also enjoys writing, knitting, and spending time in the art studio where she works with kiln-formed glass.
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Save the Date for the New Summer Drop-Off Program!
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East Hampton Lil’ Explorers
August 2-6, 2021
9:30am-12pm
Children ages 7-12 will explore a different theme each day of the week:
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Monday – Young Writers
Tuesday – Forces of Nature
Wednesday – Games Galore
Thursday – Time Travelers
Friday – Concoctions and Potions
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From the Collection
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Black and white photograph of men breaking through the ice on Westhampton Pond. The photograph was taken by Eunice Juckett Meeker (1914-2000), circa 1970. Meeker was a travel writer who lived in East Hampton.
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From the permanent collection.
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