A Convivial Social Feed

portsmouthathenaeum

Non-profit membership library, historical research center, museum & exhibit gallery.
👉Follow us for local Seacoast history👈 #CollectPreserveShare📖

Happy first day of fall! So did Autumn just sneak

Happy first day of fall! So did Autumn just sneak right up, or is it just us?!😳🍃🍂🍁

No matter, we love the Seacoast in any season! Here is c. 1950s autumnal view by artist Charles V. Goodhue (1915-2005) of Howard Street in the South End of Portsmouth.🎨😍
[Oil on artist board, C09.505.28]

The Athenaeum has over 40 Goodhue paintings, mainly watercolors, and in 2001, these were the subject of our exhibit "The Art of Charles V. Goodhue" featured in the Randall Gallery.

A graduate of the Pratt Institution of Fine and Applied Arts, Goodhue became the art director for NH Profiles magazine in 1950. According to Peter Randall, the 2001-exhibit curator, Goodhue "soon realized that most of his work on the magazine was for the last two weeks of the month, leaving him two weeks of slow time. Never one to miss an opportunity to paint, Charlie began to wander the streets of Portsmouth with his watercolors and easel. He captured the city during a unique time. Portsmouth in 1950 had changed little in thirty or forty years."

In 1956, Goodhue and his wife, Eleanor, started Goodhue and Gunther advertising agency in a barn on his North Hampton, NH, property. In 1976, the couple retired to Georgetown, Maine, where Goodhue became a full-time artist. In 2005, Goodhue passed away 12 days shy of his 90th birthday.

Leading up to the 2001-exhibit, Goodhue had donated most of his Portsmouth paintings to the Athenaeum. At the time, Randall stated the wonderful donation was "an artistic and permanent record of a place only a few people can now remember and most of us never knew."💕

#CharlesGoodhue #localartist #southend #howardstreet #1950s #happyfallyall #autumnvibes🍁 #portsmouthathenaeum
#collectpreserveshare📖 #localhistory #PortsmouthNH #nh #maine #seacoast♥️

#onthisdate in 1904, there was a real nice clambak

#onthisdate in 1904, there was a real nice clambake presented by the Portsmouth Fire Department's Sagamore S. F. E. Co. No. 1. And it seems you would have been mighty glad you came. [E 1926E] 👨‍🍳👩‍🍳🦞🐚

We're sure "the vittles they et, were good, you bet" and no doubt "the company was the same."🎶

And before we go belting another round on the #carousel, the 1903 Portsmouth city directory shows us the Sagamore engine house was on the corner of Bartlett and Pine streets in the Creek (pronounced "Crick") neighborhood. Initially settling in the North End, many Irish immigrants and their families had moved to the head of the Islington Creek (now North Mill Pond) as they worked in the nearby breweries and factories.🇮🇪

Built in 1890 and enlarged in 1905, the fire house is still owned by the city, but for over 50 years the Creek Athletic Club has leased the building. In a 2011-article in the Portsmouth Herald, the athletic club's membership was described as having a "strong Irish-American identity" going back several generations, and its principal purpose is to promote and sponsor youth athletics.

#OTD #ephemera #guest #ribbon #clambake #community #portsmouthfiredepartment #sagamorefirehouse #bartlettstreet #creekneighborhood #irish #irishamerican #creekathleticclub #collectpreserveshare📖
#localhistory
#PortsmouthNH #nh #maine #seacoast❤

#throwbackthursday brings us to the corner of Dani

#throwbackthursday brings us to the corner of Daniel and Penhallow streets in Portsmouth.⏳

The Claggett-Hart House was more commonly referred to as Noah's Ark or the Ark, and here it is with @moesitaliansandwiches_official in its original location, c. 1960. [P0067_067] 🥖🥪

Built c. 1740, the Ark became the home of Noah Parker during the Revolution, and the building had become a pretentious edifice and was known as Noah's Ark. Some records indicate that this is how Ark Street (now Penhallow) got its name; however, at the Ark Street intersection with State Street, there once stood John Davenport's public house with the sign of Noah's Ark, and of course, he called his establishment, "The Ark Tavern." 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♀️

Most incredibly, the Ark was a survivor of three historic conflagrations. In 1761, the building was badly damaged during a fire that burned down the original Stoodley's Tavern. In 1802, it came within several feet of extinction during a fire that wiped out much of Market Street. This dangerously "close call" happened again during the Great Fire of 1813, which destroyed an area approximately from Pleasant Street and east down to the Piscataqua River including the southside of Daniel Street, most of Court Street and all of State Street. Included is a detail of the 1813 Hale map (hanging in our Reference Library) that shows how close the Ark came to both of these calamities.🔥

In April 1961, the luck ran out, unfortunately. The New Hampshire National Bank purchased this building and adjacent property from the Gerrish family for a bank parking lot. Presently, a building is under construction on the site inspired by its own modern interpretation of Noah's Ark. #historyusedtoparkhere

The P0067 Howard T. Oedel Dissertation collection is newly added. Oedel's dissertation "Portsmouth, New Hampshire: The Role of the Provincial Capital in the Development" was published in 1960 & is Rare Book 37612, Volume 1-5. The dissertation itself has been at the Athenaeum since at least 1991.👉Link to 📷 in bio.

#noahsark #danielstreet #penhallowstreet #demolished😞 #collectpreserveshare📖 #localhistory #portsmouthnh #nh #maine #seacoast❤

Welcoming the season 🍂 ahead in style.💅💃🎩

This appears to be four generations of one family in historical fashions in the gardens of @moffattladd on Market Street, c. 1940s. The girl in the top hat is a whole vibe.🥰

This photographic print comes from the new Douglas Armsden photograph collection. Armsden (1918-2009) was a prolific commercial photographer from Kittery Point, Maine. Judging from a few other shots, we believe this was taken in the Moffatt-Ladd gardens. There is no identifying information on the back. As we work to process the 25,000+/- Armsden negatives, we will match up the prints (such as this one). This one just happened to catch our eye.👀 The original envelopes for the negatives often have more information...but not always. In time, we should find the answer unless you recognize the people.🕵️🕵️‍♀️

The Armsden collection was donated by Douglas Armsden's three daughters in the loving memory of their father.♥️

And tonight, please consider dining at @flatbreadportsmouth for our Armsden & Archives bake benefit (second photo). From 5 to 9 p.m., for every pizza sold, a portion of the proceeds will go towards the purchase of archival supplies for the Armsden collection. Dine in, carry out, or delivery--just bring your appetite for history! And no need to dress up, but we hear a top hat always completes an outfit.🍕🎩💫

#douglasarmsden #kitterypoint #moffattladd #fourgenerations #women♀️ #mothers #daughters #grandmothers #greatgrandmothers #marketstreet #fundraiser #flatbreadportsmouth #community #thankyou🙏 #collectpreserveshare📖 #localhistory #PortsmouthNH #nh #maine #seacoast♥️

Happy Labor Day! This membership card for William

Happy Labor Day!

This membership card for William Irving Randall was for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, dated 1921. Randall was part of Local Union No. 502. [E 2991] ⚡🔌

William was the son of John D. Randall and Ella M. Wiggin, and he lived at 419 Lincoln Avenue. After his first wife, Alice House Randall, passed away--William married Gertrude Bridle Neely. He had three children: John D., Ruth, and Ann E.

William was an electrician in Portsmouth for more than 50 years, retiring in 1958. He was a president and charter member of the Tri-County Electrical Associates and for many years superintendent of the Portsmouth Fire Alarm system, and was a call fireman. His father, John D., had been the Portsmouth fire chief.

William ran his electrical business out of his Lincoln Avenue home; however, in the early years, he operated his shop downtown.

In 1924, he worked out of 39 Pleasant, and an ad (second image) in the Portsmouth Herald indicated he was handling the Coffield electric washer, which was described as "simple, easy to understand, and operate."🤔

That same year, the Herald reported William was one of the independent contractors at the Electrical Show the Portsmouth Power Co. at the Freeman Hall, on the corner of Ladd and High streets. The four day and night show was described as "mingling a resplendent and sparkling exhibit of the very latest electrical appliances with some of the finest entertainment ever shown on a local stage." And the Westinghouse Lamp booth was said to be "a most alluring affair." #lettherebelight💡

#williamrandall #randallfamily #electricians #unions #laborday #ephemera #lincolnavenue #collectpreserveshare📖 #locslhistory #PortsmouthNH #nh #maine #seacoast❤

Labor Day weekend usually coincides with the Hopki

Labor Day weekend usually coincides with the Hopkinton State Fair, NH's largest agricultural fair; however, with the pandemic, all fairs were cancelled for the year.🎠🎡

But if you are missing the fair feels, here are two slides from a long ago Portsmouth street fair: the Ceres Street Fair, summer c. 1976. [PS3095_08 & PS3095_04] #justprocessed

The first slide shows the crowds along Ceres Street with vendors and raffles. Looks like you could win a dory!🚣‍♂️

The "helicopter ride" sign actually leads to the second slide, an aerial (no doubt taken on one of those helicopter rides) of the fair and downtown Portsmouth. What a view!🚁👀😍

If you noticed the "Theatre by the Sea" sign in the first slide, the Ceres Street Fair actually began in 1967 as a fundraiser for the theatre, which was founded in 1964. In 1979, Theatre by the Sea moved to Bow Street (site of today's @theseacoastrep), and for a time, the annual summer fair continued on both Bow and Ceres streets. The theatre closed in February 1987, and the fair eventually was renamed the Bow Street Fair.

#ceresstreetfair #bowstreetfair #theatrebythesea #crowds #helicopterrides #socialdistancing #aerials #slides #collectpreserveshare📖 #localhistory #PortsmouthNH #nh #maine #seacoast♥️

#happyfriday🎶 Here's to the long weekend! Whil

#happyfriday🎶

Here's to the long weekend! While the bulk of material in the new Douglas Armsden (1918-2009) photograph collection appears to be commissioned work--Armsden's personality can still be found throughout the collection.

An example of this comes from these four negative proofs set to video. Armsden, of Kittery Point, Maine, referred to these as the 'Bridge of Life" series, and he used the four French suits found when playing bridge to take a humorous approach on the stages of life: in love (❤️), engaged (♦️), married (♣️), and dead (♠️).

On the reverse of these proofs, we find handwritten notes as Armsden planned to perfect each image such as a "little dodging will bring ring out." On the back of the "Spades" image, he wrote: Gotta reshoot this. (Watch on a gravedigger?)💀

Armsden cataloged these c.1940-images as "IM-28 Series of Hands" with no further information beyond the reverse of the proofs. As part of his cataloging system, the IM stood for "Ideal Miscellaneous." Not sure what the "ideal" exactly meant to Armsden, but with 25,000+/- images, we have time to figure it out.⏳

Whether the images were for personal use or perhaps a photography challenge--these experimental shots inject a little humor into the processing and offer us an opportunity to glimpse the man behind the lens.📷

We have been sharing various unprocessed images from the new Armsden collection leading up to Tuesday, Sept. 8th fundraiser @flatbreadportsmouth from 5 to 9 pm. Bring your appetite for history and pizza!🍕We hope you can make it. Thank you for your support!

Link in bio for more on the Armsden Photographic Project.

We hope you have an IDEAL long weekend! #happylaborday

Video: Photographic Collections Manager James Smith
Music: Ice Tea
Musician: Not The King. 👑

#douglasarmsden #photographer #photographcollection
#hands #bridgeplayer #funfriday
#kitterypoint #nonprofit #collectpreserveshare📖 #localhistory #PortsmouthNH #nh #maine #seacoast❤

For #throwbackThursday we're heading to the North

For #throwbackThursday we're heading to the North End of Portsmouth. And we are bringing the receipts!⏳🧾

In the center of the first photograph is the Market Street House at 120-122 Market on the corner of Market and Green streets, c. 1895. 🍻 [PS0820_08]

At this time, the business was run by Thomas Leary. A few years earlier, the saloon was operated by Irish immigrant George Scott (1842-1892) who happens to be the subject of a new and fascinating manuscript collection of mostly business receipts, the MS138 George Scott collection.🇮🇪🍀

Archivist Susan Kindestedt writes in her latest blog about Scott's life and business using these receipts. Around 1869, Scott arrived in Portsmouth, and from 1870 until his death in 1892 he ran the saloon on the street level while he and his family lived in the house above.

👉 Link in bio to read Susan's full article.

Receipts related to the saloon include purchasing gin, bitters, whiskey, brandy and ale (such as Frank Jones) as well as routine operating expenses such as water, coal, wood, and delivery of alcohol via railroad. The receipts also document everyday expenses including the sprinkling of the streets with water to keep the dust down and accessing water provided by the Portsmouth Aqueduct. Receipts also show Scott was a landlord operating nine other properties, and he invested in at least two schooners.

By the mid-19th century, the North End had transformed from a colonial neighborhood with narrow streets and densely clustered houses into a bustling gateway with the advent of the railroad and it's depot on Deer Street, and George Scott was one of the many of the Irish immigrants to call the North End home. During the 1900s, Scott's saloon was the home of the Italian Republican Club as the neighborhood was predominantly Italian immigrants. The North End was demolished during the Vaughan Street Urban Renewal Project (1968-1972). Presently, the Sheraton Hotel, built in the 1980s, occupies part of this site.

#georgescott #irishimmigrants #irish #merchants #saloons #northend #marketstreet #northendneighborhood #collectpreserveshare📖 #localhistory #PortsmouthNH #nh #maine #seacoast♥️

Welcome to the weekend! We'll have what she's havi

Welcome to the weekend! We'll have what she's having!💃🕺

This feel-good image of an unidentified party reveler was captured during the 1951-reception of the Lorenz-Taylor wedding by prolific commercial photographer Douglas Armsden (1918-2009). #thisvibe🥰 #goals

Robert Lorenz (1930-2013) of Kittery, Maine, and Bernice "Bunny" Taylor (1932-2010) of Milford, NH, were married on Sept. 25, 1951 at St. Raphael's Catholic Church in Kittery. The wedding reception was then held at Robert's parents' house on nearby Laurel Avenue. You can see the happy couple in the next photo.☺️👰💒

Robert, a graduate of Traip Academy, was stationed in the US Air Force. Eventually, he and his wife, Bunny, and their five children would travel the world while he served his country. Settling in Florida, Robert and Bunny were married for nearly 60 years.♥️💍♥️

This is one of 25,000 images in the new Armsden collection, and we are sharing a range of these unprocessed images leading up to the fundraiser @flatbreadportsmouth on Sept. 8, 2020. It's getting closer ⁉️ #soexcited

From 5 to 9 p.m., a portion of the proceeds for each pizza sold will go towards purchasing archival supplies for these fantastic images. Plus, the delicious pizza could also make you dance!🍕😋

For more information on the Douglas Armsden photograph collection, link in bio.

#DouglasArmsden #lorenztaylorwedding #kitterymaine #laurelavenue #weddings #receptions #justdance #fridayfeels #fundraiser #collectpreserveshare📖 #localhistory #PortsmouthNH #nh #maine #seacoast♥️

Victory!💪♀️🗳️ Pictured is Virginia Ta

Victory!💪♀️🗳️

Pictured is Virginia Tanner Green (1881-1950) of New Castle dressed as "Victory" leading a Suffrage Victory parade through downtown Boston, dated May 3, 1914.

Today marks the centennial when the 19th Amendment was officially added to the US Constitution allowing women the right to vote. #100years

As the photograph from 1914 indicates, the fight for equality was many years in the making, a decades long struggle by suffragists that culminated with this historic victory, formerly certified on Aug. 26, 1919.

In 1905, Virginia Tanner graduated from Radcliff. In November 1914, she married Louis Green, a 1905 Harvard Law graduate and Portsmouth High alum. The family split their time in Cambridge, MA, and New Castle at their estate Greentan, a combination of their surnames.

Virginia is perhaps best known as the author and director of "The Pageant of Portsmouth," the city of Portsmouth's tercentennial celebration in August 1923.

The photograph, taken by the Boston Photo News Co., comes from the Virginia Tanner Green scrapbook donated by her daughter to the Athenaeum in 1997. For more info, read Sherry Wood's May 2020 "At the Athenaeum." Link in bio.

#virginiatannergreen #victory #womensrightstovote #suffrage
#19thamendment
#boston #newcastle #collectpreserveshare📖
#localhistory #nh #maine #PortsmouthNH #seacoast❤

Next stop Rye and Hampton beaches?! Yes, please!🥵👋 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️🚎🏖️😎

Pictured are the Rye-Hampton Beach and Christian Shore trolley cars with employees and passengers in Market Square, c. 1900. [PS0198]

Some of the conductors are identified or partially identified as followed from l to r in the front row: Mr. Moore, Frank Hill, Clarence Smart, Mr. Taylor, Frank Claire, Thurston Smart, Frank Willand, and Mr. Doolittle.

The Christian Shore is an early name for the neighborhood north of the North Mill Pond (also known as Islington Creek).

On the right, you can see the edge of the North Church and underfoot looks like the early cobblestone streets.🕵️‍♀️🕵️‍♂️

👉#pannify for detail effect with original photo last.

#portsmouthelectricrailway #clangclangwentthetrolley 🛎️ #hamptonbeach #rye #christianshore #marketsquare #conductors #sundaydrive #instyle #collectpreserveshare📖 #localhistory #portsmouthnh #nh #maine #seacoast♥️

Strike up the band! #happyfriday🎺🥁🎶 We a

Strike up the band! #happyfriday🎺🥁🎶

We are here in Market Square for the opening ceremonies of Portsmouth's Jubilee Week, August 1968. #flashbackfriday #52yearsago

This image comes from prolific commercial photographer Douglas Armsden (1918-2009), and we've used #pannify to get a little closer to the action with Moulton's coffee shop and Eberle's stationery store in the background. We've also included the original negative to capture the open pavement of Market Square as well as another view of the event.

According to the "Portsmouth Herald" on Saturday, August 3, 1968, Jubilee Week officially started with the opening ceremonies at 1 p.m. with the Coast Guard band concert to follow, documented here in Armsden's photograph. That year, the Coast Guard training ship "Eagle" was docked at Port Authority and opened for tours. Jubilee events also included a 10-mile road race, a Miss Universe-New Hampshire pageant, baseball games, junior sailboat race ⛵, antique auto parade, #CoastGuard search and rescue demonstration, a firemen's muster, a "water thrill" show, softball, horseshoe pitching, banjo sing-a-long🪕, clambake, and concerts. And that was just the weekend!!🤯 #thatsalot

Festivities happened every day of the week based off the day's theme. Monday was Marine Corps Day followed by Colonial Portsmouth Tuesday, Army Wednesday, Downtown Merchant Thursday, a food day Friday, and Air Force Saturday. Jubilee Week concluded with a dance at the Wentworth-by-the-Sea.💃🕺

These Armsden images come from an additional 5,000 negatives recently donated to the collection. The unprocessed Armsden collection now is estimated to be about 25,000+ images, essentially half the total of the current photographic collection. [Where did the mind-blown emoji go?😉] Don't forget our Bake Benefit at @flatbreadportsmouth on Sept. 8, 2020. For every pizza sold, a portion of the proceeds will go towards the Athenaeum's Armsden fundraising project. For more information, check our bio.🍕

#marketsquare #JubileeWeek #1968 #moultons #eberles #DouglasArmsden #collectpreserveshare📖 #localhistory #PortsmouthNH #nh #maine #seacoast❤

Load More... Follow on Instagram

Athe-NEWS-eum

Join the Portsmouth Athenaeum community and receive the latest news weekly.

Never miss the next exhibit, lecture, concert, and program. Learn more about the library and special collections.