EHHS: History Matters / July — Whale Skeleton / Design Luncheon / Mulford Farmhouse Open / Corner Chairs ….

Dear Friend, 

In early 2022, just after I started working at the Historical Society, I received a telephone call from Ray Hartjen. A member of the East End Classic Boat Society that neighbors the Marine Museum, Ray especially wanted to speak with me about “getting our whale back.” He explained that in February 1907, a North Atlantic Right Whale had been spotted in the ocean just off the coast of Amagansett and a crew of local whalers led by Josh Edwards had hunted it down. After rendering the whale’s blubber, the whalers sold the skeleton to Roy Chapman Andrews from the American Museum of Natural History for a reported $3,200. Ray implored me to help bring the skeleton back to Amagansett to exhibit at the Marine Museum.

I learned that the “Amagansett whale” quickly became iconic in East Hampton Town. The hunt for the whale made front page news in the local press and was featured in newspapers across New York State, including the New York Times, the Brooklyn Sun, and Buffalo News. In August 1907, it inspired a poem entitled, “The Whale” performed at the Namagansett Field Club on Indian Wells Road in Amagansett. The chorus of the poem began, “Whale, Whale, here is one for sale!” Everett Edwards and Jeannette Edwards Rattray (Joshua Edwards’ son and granddaughter) made the Amagansett whale a centerpiece of their 1932 book, Whale Off: The Story of American Shore Whaling. Two years later, the “Capture of the Amagansett Whale” was showcased in a radio program presented by WNYC. The story was told not just once, but in two articles that appeared in the New Yorker magazine.

What I find fascinating about this whale tale is that it touches on so many aspects of East Hampton history. It features shore whaling, which was first practiced by the Indigenous peoples of Long Island. The European settlers on the South Fork learned what became known as the “whale design” from the Shinnecocks and Montauketts. Shore whaling also established East Hampton’s wealth in the 17th and early 18th century. Samuel “Fishhooks” Mulford, who lived at Mulford Farm, led an early colonial protest against taxation when he went to England in 1704 to advocate for the repeal of a tax on whale oil. By the early 20th century, spotting a whale was a rarity in East Hampton Town due to overfishing, so the Amagansett whale also helps illustrate how we have often depleted our fisheries.

On Friday, July 17, I’m delighted that we’re hosting Sean Decatur, who serves as one of Roy Chapman Andrews’ successors as president of the American Museum of Natural History. He’ll be speaking about how the whale skeleton – which weighed several tons and was reported to be the largest of its kind ever caught – was transported to Manhattan and exhibited at the American Museum. My only regret is that Ray Hartjen passed away earlier this year and can’t join us. In Ray’s memory, I remain eager to find a creative way to bring back the whale. 

Sincerely,

Steve Long, Executive Director 

Photo of Jake and Josh Edwards in 1907 courtesy of the Long Island Collection at the East Hampton Library

Join us for a special presentation by Sean Decatur,

President of the American Museum of Natural History

July 17, at 5 PM

The presentation will now take place in the Baldwin Room at the East Hampton Library, 159 Main Street. 

Reception to follow at Clinton Academy. Admission is free, but reservations are strongly encouraged.

10th Annual Design Luncheon

Thursday, August 6, 11AM

Maidstone Club

Special thanks CHUBB for serving as our title sponsor, Doyle as our presenting sponsor.

Congratulations to our Scholarship Winner!

Cesar Galindo

Beginning this year, the East Hampton Historical Society will present a scholarship award to an East Hampton High School senior who plans to study history in college. Executive Director Steve Long was thrilled to award our inaugural scholarship to Cesar Galindo who will matriculate at Syracuse University this fall. The Historical Society’s Education Committee was particularly impressed by how Cesar described Mulford Farm not just as a historic site, but as a community gathering place that hosted local events like ARF’s Stroll to the Sea and Bonac Lights. Caps off to Cesar as he embarks on his college career!

CELEBRATING AMERICA’S 250TH

Newly Restored Mulford Farmhouse now open

Thursday – Monday, 11 AM to 4 PM

Thanks to the hundreds of people who visited the newly restored Mulford Farmhouse and took our Revolutionary War walking tour on July 4!

If you didn’t have a chance to visit the Farmhouse yet, please stop by anytime between 11 AM and 4 PM from Thursday to Monday.

TOM TWOMEY SERIES

This year, the East Hampton Historical Society is thrilled to partner with the East Hampton Library on the Tom Twomey Series. On Thursday, July 23 at 5:30 PM, the Rev. Jon D. Rodriguez, Pastor of The First Presbyterian Church of East Hampton, presents The Convict Pastor: Thomas James and the Puritan Roots of Christian Nationalism, exploring the life of East Hampton’s first minister whose faith defined a community and ultimately landed him behind bars.

Watch Historic Gardens in East Hampton and the East End

May’s Tom Twomey Series presentation by Blue Carreon

WATERCOLOR CLASSES

IN OUR HISTORIC GARDENS

Join our watercolor workshops in our historic gardens. Each workshop is led by a skilled instructor who will guide students from beginners to experienced painters in color mixing, sketching, composing, techniques for laying in layers of background color and building detail, to create an expressive garden painting.

Wednesday, July 29, 3:00-4:00 PM: Watercolor Painting in the Moran Garden with Janet Jennings

Movie Night at Mulford Farm

National Treasure

Presented with HamptonsFilm

Wednesday, July 29

The Declaration of Independence at the center of a fantasy adventure!?

Yes, join us on Mulford Farm for a free outdoor screening of National Treasure to find out all about it. Co-presented with HamptonsFilm, the doors open at 7:15 PM with the screening beginning at 8:15 PM.

Catch the latest edition of our podcast

Spirit of ’76: East Hampton in the American Revolution

Entitled “The Declaration of Independence in East Hampton,” this month’s episode of the Spirit of ’76 explains how July 1776 became a turning point in East Hampton’s Revolutionary experience. No longer was East Hampton simply resisting British authority. It was now part of a new nation declaring its independence. Researched, written, and narrated by recent East Hampton High School graduate Colin Kelley, the Spirit of ’76 podcast is available on WLIW.org, the Historical Society’s website, and our mobile app on www.BloombergConnects.org. It can also be found on most streaming apps.

From the Collections

Corner Chair

Recently, summer intern Chloe Cairns investigated a corner chair that has long been in the collection of the East Hampton Historical Society. It was believed to have belonged to the first minister in East Hampton, Reverend Thomas James, who will be featured in this month’s Tom Twomey Series. Here is what Chloe wrote about her discovery –

A corner chair features a square seat oriented diagonally, with the two adjacent sides forming a backrest, supported by four legs. These chairs were historically made only of wood, but could also have fabric or leather added for extra comfort. This type of chair originated in the early eighteenth century in Europe, though its design was inspired by Chinese chairs with six to eight legs. 

True to its name, corner chairs were often placed in the corners of sitting rooms and brought out when additional seating was needed. The design allowed the sitter to easily swivel between conversations, while also providing comfort for women in hoop skirts. As popularity grew, the chair began appearing in dressing rooms, bedchambers, and studies, where it served as a desk chair, due to the fact it encouraged good posture. By the early 20th century, corner chairs had largely fallen out of fashion, becoming a reminder of the past. 

The connection between this chair and Thomas James is dubious. Since James died in 1695 before corner chairs became widely used, it raises questions about whether it actually belonged to him. Despite its provenance remaining a mystery, corner chairs like this one remain an important part of East Hampton’s history, not just about those who owned them, but also the local carpenters who created them.

East Hampton Historical Society

www.easthamptonhistory.org