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portsmouthathenaeum

Non-profit membership library, historical research center, museum & exhibit gallery. #CollectPreserveShare📖 Local History.

May is #nationalbikemonth and today's weather feel

May is #nationalbikemonth and today's weather feels ideal for cycling along the Seacoast.☀️🚲 Here is a group of young men most likely the Portsmouth Bicycle Club, c. 1895 [📸Newell and Co., Dondero Foley collection, P50_056]
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The group are identified as [back row] Ira Newick (holding the #bicycle on the left), Bob Hoyt, Walter Staples (standing in dark shirt), Tom Burke, Joe Foster, Gus Dondero (believed to be holding the bike on the right); [front row] Hod Rowe and Dick McDonough.
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Grab onto your handle bars for this history ride as we've researched a few of these young cyclists. #letsride🚲🤓
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The son of Italian immigrants, Augustine "Gus" Dondero (1878-1967) ran the family fruit & confectioner shop on Congress Street. 🇮🇹🍎🍇🍍 Incidentally, his sister-in-law Mary Carey Dondero was Portsmouth's first female mayor.
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Walter C. Staples (1878-1957) was the photographer for the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard ⚓ where he received a citation from the US Navy for photos integral in the technical report on the salvage of the submarine Squalus. The Athenaeum has many examples of his 📷 work.
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But perhaps the most well known of the time was Ira A. Newick (1879-1951). He loomed large in #PortsmouthNH business, sports and social circles. Newick was brewmaster and part owner of Eldredge Brewery. After retirement, and for 26 years, he was partners with Ralph T. Wood in Newick and Wood, Inc, an automobile dealership on Fleet Street. He was also an accomplished singer and a gifted athlete.
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Newick was well connected with sporting events at the old #bicyclepark off New Castle Avenue (featured in an earlier post). He played football, and for a few semi professional baseball teams, he was known as the "kid pitcher of Lynn." During WWI, he played for the Shattuck Shipyard baseball nine. In 1951, at the time of his death, he was remembered as "the greatest bicycle racer Portsmouth ever produced" having won countless thrilling races across New England.🏆🎽⚾🚴
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Well, we've pedaled up this mountain of information, and it's time to coast down and enjoy the cool wind of the weekend!💨 #nohands
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#staysafe #wearyourhelmet #collectpreserveshare📖 #localhistory #nh #maine #seacoast♥️

This weather!😍🌞 We hope you are all staying

This weather!😍🌞 We hope you are all staying cool during this beautiful stretch of summer in the spring. #sprummer #sumpring #sureissumpringalright😜
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And while the beaches ⛱️ here in NH are temporarily closed, we will once again feel the cool water🌊, taste the salt air and shake out the sand from ourselves (days later even😖). Until then, we are traveling back nearly 40 years ago to Hampton Beach with photographs by Proprietor Peter Randall from his photograph exhibit "Hampton Beach, Summer of '83." In the last photograph, Peter appears in a "selfie."📸
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A professional photographer and publisher, Peter and a friend were archiving his collection in early 2019 when they came across this once forgotten collection of 700 images. Whittled down to about 30 images, the exhibit was featured in our Randall Gallery when the pandemic began. While no timeline for the Athenæum to reopen has been announced just yet, you can still catch the exhibit. Peter created a companion photobook of his exhibit, available for purchase.
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And if you happen to recognize the people, we'd love to know.
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#hamptonbeach #summerof83 #1983 #rad #unidentified #beachscenes #hamptonnh #peterrandall #exhibit #localphotographer #portsmouthathenaeum #collectpreserveshare📖 #localhistory #MarketSquare #portsmouthnh #maine #nh #seacoast❤️

Happy Memorial Day!🇺🇸 . Today, the Portsmout

Happy Memorial Day!🇺🇸
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Today, the Portsmouth Athenæum honors the brave women and men who died while in military service for the United States. We appreciate their heroic sacrifice. Thank you.🙏🎖️🇺🇸
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To all our friends, we wish you and your family a safe and healthy Memorial Day!
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The first image depicts a young girl holding a flag and lifted to see the Memorial Day parade through Market Square on May 30, 1910. It's actually a small but powerful detail from the second image, the entire scene capturing the crowd and parade in the Square. The men marching are Civil War veterans from the Storer Post, Grand Army of the Republic, of Portsmouth. [PS1337]
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#memorialday #honor #sacrifice #weremember #thankyou #civilwarveterans #parade #marketsquare #portsmouthathenaeum #collectpreserveshare📖 #localhistory #portsmouthnh #nh #maine #seacoast♥️

We are inspired by all the frontline workers in su

#waybackwednesday takes us nearly 150 years back t

#waybackwednesday takes us nearly 150 years back to the Portsmouth & Dover Railroad and the Dover Point Toll Bridge, the predecessor for the General Sullivan Bridge (1934-1984) and recently completed Little Bay Bridges, spanning the waters where Little Bay meets the Piscataqua River.🏞️🌉
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A rail and travel pile bridge, the Dover Point Toll Bridge was completed in December 1873 and opened for rail service a few months later. President of the Portsmouth & Dover Railroad was Frank Jones, a local business tycoon, who was on hand at its opening on February 9, 1874. An estimated 4,000 people took advantage of the complementary rides in one of the eight train cars travelling throughout the day between Dover and Portsmouth.🚂🛤
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In April 1931, the NH State Senate approved $1.25 million to construct a new bridge (the General Sullivan) and also to purchase the Dover Point Toll Bridge from the Boston & Maine Railroad, which had acquired the Portsmouth & Dover Railroad in 1900.
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In March 1934, during construction on the new bridge, the Portsmouth Herald reported the old toll bridge was "menaced by ice." The tollkeeper Harry deRochemont had discovered a deep sag in the middle of the bridge as a result of the pressure of tons of ice breaking off a number of piles. Previously, in March 1918, the bridge had given way but had been rebuilt. Thankfully, the "menaced by ice" bridge held enough to make repairs before the new bridge opened later that summer. In early 1935, the old toll bridge was dismantled.
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The first image is a postcard of the Newington Station and the approach to the Dover Point Toll Bridge. The 1873-depot served both passengers and freight as well as the residence of the stationmaster and toll collector. Still standing, the building is owned by the State and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010. You can still find the approach to the old bridge. The second image is a photograph of the Dover Point Toll Bridge, c. 1920. [PC0333, PS1858.1]
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#bridges #pilebridges #doverpointtollbridge #railroad
#portsmouthanddover #newingtonnh #doverpoint #portsmouthathenaeum #collectpreserveshare📖 #localhistory #marketsquare #nh #maine #seacoast♥️

🌷🌷The tulips are blooming outside the Athena

🌷🌷The tulips are blooming outside the Athenaeum on this busy and beautiful Saturday afternoon in Portsmouth.☀️ .
#marketsquare #tulips🌷#springishere #ageofCovid #portsmouthathenaeum #collectpreserveshare📖
#localhistory #PortsmouthNH #nh #maine #seacoast♥️ .

Inspired by all the "thank you" signs for healthca

Inspired by all the "thank you" signs for healthcare employees and other essential workers across the Seacoast, Athenaeum Archivist Susan Kindstedt travels back to the 1918 Spanish Flu epidemic and the importance of the Red Cross Emergency Hospital.⏳⛑️
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On October 1, 1918 the Elks Home on the corner of Pleasant and Court streets was opened as an Emergency Hospital to meet the growing need for medical care created by the 1918 Spanish Influenza epidemic in Portsmouth. According to the October-4-Portsmouth Herald, “The Elks, with their usual generous spirit, offered the Home to the Public Health Service.” Within hours the new hospital was outfitted with cots from Fort Constitution in nearby New Castle, NH, and patients were moved in. (Image #1 PC1401)
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Two of the volunteer nurses on opening day were school teachers, Madeline Toner and Annie L. McDonough, who had taken the Red Cross home nursing course. Anna (Alpaugh) Blaisdell volunteered to take charge of the hospital and worked as the business manager. Anna Blaisdell had served as superintendent of Portsmouth Hospital from 1898 to 1907. Although the identities of these individuals is not certain it is possible that one of the women is Anna. (Image #2 P0017_026)
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Staff stand in front of the newly constructed Portsmouth Cottage Hospital on Junkins Ave. ca. 1900. (Image #3 P0017_002)
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Patient ward inside Portsmouth Cottage Hospital ca. 1930. (Image #4 P0017_032)
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#thankyouhealthcareworkers🙏 #portsmouthhistory #redcross⛑️ #spanishflu #seacoastresponse💪 #elksclub🦌 #volunteerism #community #cottagehospital #hospitalhill #annablaisdell #madelinetoner #anniemcdonough #weareinthistogether #portsmouthathenaeum #collectpreserveshare📖
#localhistory #PortsmouthNH #nh #maine #seacoast❤️

The Portsmouth Athenaeum wishes all you wonderful

The Portsmouth Athenaeum wishes all you wonderful mothers a Happy Mother's Day!💐
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Whether in person, on the phone or in our hearts--we thank you for your kindness, patience, support and unconditional love.💕
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Pictured is Etta Buzzell Clough (c.1862-1939) posing with her two sons: Jonathan E. Clough on her lap, 11 months, and Arthur B. Clough, three years and five months. Originally from Brookfield, NH, Etta and her husband, Edward, raised their family in Portsmouth. Etta would later marry Clifford A. Lowd. [Davis Brothers cabinet card, PS3048]
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Many of you may remember Etta's grandson Arthur C. Clough Sr., who was the coach and custodian at Haven School and later Little Harbour elementary. A role model to many Portsmouth youths, Coach Clough volunteered much of his time with Portsmouth Youth Recreation and was instrumental in the formation of sports in elementary schools. Little Harbour named the Good Citizenship award after him. Arthur's family donated his photo and scrap albums to the Athenaeum for the P0062 Haven School Project, over 1,000 images available online.
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#happymothersday🌻 #lovetomom♥️ #ettabclough #legacy #arthurclough #community #weareallconnected #portsmouthathenaeum #collectpreserveshare📖 #localhistory #marketsquare #PortsmouthNH #nh #maine #seacoast❤️

#throwbackthursday brings us the Treadwell-Cutter

#throwbackthursday brings us the Treadwell-Cutter House *formerly* on the corner of Congress and Middle Street in Portsmouth, c. 1938. #demolished😞
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Built c.1750 for Charles Treadwell's son Jacob, the mansion house was bought by Dr. Ammi Cutter for his daughter, Dorothy, who married Col. Clement Storer. In 1817, Col. Storer welcomed President James Monroe there. In 1956, the mansion was demolished by Charles Dale, a businessman and lawyer who had happened to be the mayor of Portsmouth twice (1926-1927, 1943-1944) and also governor of New Hampshire (1945-1947). Dale was said to favor modern buildings, and he replaced the mansion with the current commercial property, which at one point was a drug store and also a bowling alley.
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The demise of the Treadwell- Cutter also happened to be the last straw 🌾for historian Dorothy Vaughan (1904-2004) who had witnessed the destruction of other historic property throughout the city. Vaughan saw the demolition first hand across the street as the city librarian. In the late 1950s, during the South End urban renewal project, her dedication to preservation helped save many of those buildings from being razed. Today, you know this site as @strawberybankemuseum
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Image 1 comes from Arthur l. Harriman photograph collection. [P0007_57] Harriman was also a historian and the image comes from his unpublished manuscript "In and Around Portsmouth: Historical Facts and Shrines." This manuscript included the architecture, history and change in Portsmouth at the time (1932-1941). The manuscript [S0213] is also in the archives.
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Image 2 is a detail of the 1920 Sanborn map of the Treadwell-Cutter House. 👉Dartmouth College hosts online its vast digital collection of Sanborn fire insurance maps of NH cities & larger towns. A great resource for researching in place.
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Image 3 is the current commercial building taken from Google Street.
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#preservationmonth #whatwasthere #treadwellcutterhouse #congressstreet #laststraw #dorothyvaughan #arthurharriman #preservation #historian #portsmouthathenaeum #collectpreserveshare📖 #localhistory #marketsquare #PortsmouthNH #nh #maine #seacoast❤️

"Be good and you will be lonesome." --Mark Twain .

"Be good and you will be lonesome." --Mark Twain
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This well-known #wednesdaywisdom comes from the frontispiece photograph of Twain in his social commentary travelogue "Following the Equator: A Journey Around the World."
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Published in 1897, this first edition was given to the Athenaeum from the Library of John Elwyn Stone, a gift of Francis Stone Warrick, Proprietor. [Rare Book 39334]
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Of course, we are sheltering in place and aren't embarking on a journey around the world, but hey, our minds can still travel whether it be by books, movies, researching, writing, and *ahem* 👋 social media, etc. And while this quote is subjective, perhaps one pandemic interpretation would be to keep diversifying your habits and your hobbies, not to settle on expectations or to be hindered by perceived limitations. Maybe you've perfected your bread baking 🥖, so why not pick up a drill and a circular saw 📐and build a garden box? You never know what adventure awaits!
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But we would love to hear your thoughts?🤔
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#marktwain #samuelclemens #frontispiece #shelfie #firstedition #rarebook #keepmoving #letthemindflow #portsmouthathenaeum #collectpreserveshare📖 #localhistory #marketsquare #PortsmouthNH #nh #maine #seacoast💪

During the current pandemic, local schools are del

During the current pandemic, local schools are delivering lunches to students and local food pantries, filling in the gaps for Seacoast residents in need, and today on #manuscriptmonday, Athenaeum Archivist Susan Kindstedt explores the MS036 North Church manuscript collection to find that same spirit of volunteerism. During the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic, the North Church chapel was transformed into the Red Cross Diet Kitchen.⛑️👨‍🍳
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According to a notice in the Portsmouth Herald on October 4, 1918, the Red Cross opened the “Diet Kitchen” at the rear of the North Church Chapel on the corner of Middle and Porter streets in #PortsmouthNH. [Image 1, PS1365_06]
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#Volunteers ran the #redcross diet kitchen, and they sought donations of cooked food from the #community for those afflicted during the #SpanishFlu. The food from the kitchen was “proper for the sick and convalescent...such as broths, gruels, custards, etc.” Physicians, nurses and others caring for those who were ill were encouraged to make use of the food from the kitchen.
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Three women ran the kitchen: Helen Thayer, Dorothy Emerson and Alice Griffin. Helen (Rand) Thayer was a graduate of Smith College and was active in numerous philanthropic efforts as well as the Women’s Suffrage Movement. Helen is pictured with her husband, Rev. Lucius Thayer, the minister of the #NorthChurch. The Rev. Thayer volunteered alongside his wife in the kitchen. [Image 2, MS036 B20 F22 North Church Papers.]
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On Oct. 6, 1918, Rev. Lucius Thayer noted the church was closed and he worked at the Hospital and the Red Cross Diet Kitchen. [Image 3, MS036 B19 F05 North Church Papers]
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In his 1918 Pastor’s Review, Rev. Thayer wrote, “The year of 1918 which has been perhaps the greatest year or recorded history was a year of war and pestilence, bringing with it these halt experiences of anxiety, dread, suffering and sorrow and yet marked by such reactions as to make it many respects a glorious year.” Rev. Thayer also wrote of the North Church's vital support of those affected by the influenza. [Image 4 & 5, MS036 B20 F12 North Church Papers]
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#collectpreserveshare📖 #localhistory

A moody afternoon view outside the Athenaeum on th

A moody afternoon view outside the Athenaeum on the last day of a very, rainy April.🌧️☔
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Even with the rain (so much rain), Market Square and Pleasant Street would normally be somewhat busy this time of year. Are you documenting your experiences during the pandemic? The Athenaeum is looking to create a digital photograph collection of the Portsmouth community response to COVID-19. If interested, contact our photograph collections manager James at jsmith@portsmouthathenaeum.org 📸
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#communityarchives #byeApril👋 #liveduptoyourname #andthensome #Maycomethrough🌺 #ageofCovid #shelteringinplace #MarketSquare #pleasantstreet #portsmouthathenaeum #collectpreserveshare📖 #localhistory #PortsmouthNH #nh #maine #seacoast❤️

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