Portsmouth Historical Society

With your generosity, we've raised nearly $40,000 to support our mission, surpassing last year's total!

Thanks to your help, we will be able to provide educational services to local schools, preserve the items in our 3,000-object collection, put on high-quality exhibitions, continue to provide creative community programming, and so much more.

It's not too late to donate, renew your membership, or shop from our museum store. All of these actions help us carry out our mission. https://portsmouthhistory.org/make-a-donation/

It's now officially our closed season, but we are already hard at work getting ready for the 2024 exhibitions, planning our community programs, walking tours, and more.

Stay tuned for updates!

After more than six weeks there is no longer a single piece of Gingerbread in the museum... until next year that is!

Thank you to the bakers and decorators who provided these beautiful holiday creations and thank you to everyone who helped us dispose of them after the exhibition ended. A special thank you to the team at EnviroVantage for the demolition gear and professional tips and to Mr Fox Composting.

All of your favorite photographs in one place, the 1860s way!

This item in our collection is a Robinson’s Patented Photographicon, introduced to the market in 1865, which displayed carte de visites on a tape. As the the demand for photography grew in the 1850s, affordable prints of celebrities and politicians of the day became popular keepsakes. Viewing boxes, such as this one, allowed Victorians to pursue their new favorite hobby, scrolling through images by turning the k***s on the side.

Interspersed with images of your favorite celebrities, like the Mark Twain present in this photographicon, families would also include photos of themselves or loved ones.

📷 Photographicon, possibly made by Littlefield & Parsons & Co., Florence, MA, circa 1865. Collection of Charles W. Gray. H 6 7/8in x L 12in x D 6in.

Celebrate Portsmouth and the Seacoast every day with this 2024 Calendar by John Gisis Photography! With shipping all over the US, this is perfect for those who are missing the seacoast as well as locals who can't get enough of this beautiful region!

Portsmouth Historical Society and New Hampshire Art Association collaboration on “The Matter of Memory” exhibition is a competitive opportunity to submit work addressing contemporary perspectives on memory and remembrance.

The first floor of this exhibition will display a wide variety of historical art and artifacts that illustrate how some Portsmouth people have reconstructed their own visions of the past. We invite local and regional artists to complement this exhibition—held in the upstairs gallery—by considering the poignant questions below, following the art submission guidelines as outlined, and submitting artwork that is a contemporary response to memory and remembrance.
● What histories do we choose to examine and to share?
● What stories do we consciously or unconsciously create and perpetuate through the things we save,
display, and record?
● How is contemporary society changing our view and interpretation of the past and the role memory
plays?
● Can our collective memory bind us together or can our history be manipulated to distort the past and
keep us apart?
Learn more about “The Matter of Memory” on www.nhartassociation.org and scroll down to the “Calls for Art” section. The online submission deadline is Sunday, February 4 at 11:59 p.m.

The last day of our 2023 season is officially here. We will be open until 2 pm today with massive sales in our gift shop and delectable gingerbread houses on display in the gallery.

Thank you to everyone who has visited the museum this year. We hope to see you again in April when we reopen for 2024.

As we wrap up 2023 we wanted to say thank you to all of our volunteers, you are always such an important part of everything we do. Our volunteers welcome visitors, digitize our collection, lead walking tours, help us at programs, and so much more.
THANK YOU!
(Yes, this photo is from our Halloween party, amazing costumes included)

This year might be winding down, but we are still open for a few more days! Stop by to visit our Gingerbread Exhibition, shop the 50% off sales in our gift shop, and view the abstract art on display in our "Lost Neighborhoods" exhibition.

Open 10-4 today and tomorrow
Open 10-2 on December 30

Help us clear out our inventory with 50% off almost everything in our gift shop! This sale applies to in-store purchases only. Books and select artwork are excluded.

Check out some of the wonderful items in the gift shop by browsing online, then come by in person to see even more products and get 50%.
https://portsmouthhistoryshop.org/

As this year comes to a close we want to thank you for your incredible support of the Portsmouth Historical Society. We're halfway to our $50,000 goal, and with just one week left, we need your help.
Every donation, no matter the size, makes a true difference. History is in your hands. Please take a moment this holiday season to support the Portsmouth Historical Society.
https://portsmouthhistory.org/make-a-donation/
P.S. Memberships, gift shop sales and donations all help support our mission!

Happy Holidays!

We will be open today, December 24. until 2 pm Stop by for those truly last-minute gifts and to enjoy the Gingerbread exhibition with friends and family.

We will be closed tomorrow, December 25.

Our final week of the season runs December 26-30. Our hours will be 10 am– 4 pm for most of that time, but we will close at 2 pm on December 30.

When we had our staff smash last year we heard from so many of you that you'd love to take a literal swing at it. Join us this year to work out any post-holiday feelings you might have or to just have fun causing some helpful destruction.

All proceeds help keep the gingerbread exhibition free and open to the public. Gingerbread "construction" debris will be composted by Mr Fox Composting. Thank you to EnviroVantage for the safety equipment and the big hammer.

Register for this smashing good time today! https://portsmouthhistory.org/event/gingerbread-smash/

"Lost Neighborhoods" artist feature on Tom Glover.

A revenant usually refers to a being that has returned, often from the dead. In Glover's "Waterfront Revenant," the revenant isn't so much a being, but the memory and the spirit of the lost neighborhoods and ways of Portsmouth's past. The main figure is a fisherman, paddling their punt, a traditional type of fishing that you can still occasionally see in Perkins Cove. This echo of an older age is also reflected in the Italian flag hanging in the background, recalling the once bustling Italian neighbor in Portsmouth's North End.

Come see more artwork by Tom and the other members of the Abstract 4 at the
Portsmouth Historical Society before December 30.

And with that, the final award in the Gingerbread Contest is announced! Congratulations to Richardson's Market for winning People's Choice for the Best Downtown House.

Scavenger Hunt winners have also been drawn at random and contacted. Houses that will return to their makers for the holidays will be leaving the building over the next day or two. While we will have a few less houses, many incredible builds will still be on display at the Historical Society until December 30.
Holiday Hours:
Christmas Eve, open until 2 pm
Christmas Day, closed
December 26-29, open 10 am–4 pm
December 30, open until 2 pm

What amazing coverage in The Boston Globe for the head of our Gingerbread Committee, Kait Smith.

She's a font of knowledge on all things gingerbread! Read the article to hear about some of the coolest Gingerbread entries she's seen over the years.

This restaurant manager, gingerbread house expert, and Taylor Swift podcast host is living her wildest dreams - The Boston Globe Kait Smith, the GM at Cure, sweetens Portsmouth, N.H.’s cultural scene in many ways.

With your help, we can preserve important items of Portsmouth's history for generations to come. This year, we launched the Adopt an Artifact program. This program directly supports the restoration and professional care of our 3,000-object collection. While funds were raised to care for some objects, there is still more work to be done.

If possible please consider Portsmouth Historical in your gift-giving this year. While donations are the most direct way to help our mission, shopping in our store (online and in-person); liking, commenting, and sharing on socials; and telling your friends about us are other great ways to show your support.
https://portsmouthhistory.org/make-a-donation/

Tune into New Hampshire PBS on Saturday, Dec 23 at 7:00 pm; Sunday, Dec 24 at 6:30 pm; or Monday, Dec 25 at 6:30 pm to see our Annual Gingerbread Exhibition featured in Elemental Media's Christmas in New England.

We are so excited to see our exhibition showcased alongside other great New England holiday activities.

"Lost Neighborhoods" artist feature with Peter Cady.

Warm reds and yellows jump out in contrast to a dominant, mysterious green door with no handles. The quasi-historical door appears slightly ajar. What does it open out to?

Perhaps some of Cady's connection to Portsmouth's now mostly gone North End adds another layer of meaning to the artwork. His mother was born to an Italian family on Russell Street in Portsmouth's North End. While the family moved out before major demolitions in the North End, the house his mother was born in was preserved and relocated to "The Hill" where it still stands today.

🖼Skylines by Peter Cady, 2023
16x16" oil on panel

Come see this work and many more in person, seven days a week, 10am-5pm at the Portsmouth Historical Society. Exhibition ends December 30. https://portsmouthhistory.org/exhibitions/lost-neighborhoods/

As early as the 1820s, picture puzzle blocks became a popular toy for children. Each of the six sides had a different image pasted to it. As the child turned and matched the blocks, the image would be completed. A popular manufacturer of the time was the McLoughlin Bros. of New York, whose focus on children's literature poured over onto their toys and games, often showing fairytale scenes much like this one.

Picture Puzzle Blocks, American, 1870s-1880s, wood and paper. Gift of Charles Tredick Brewster.

The people have spoken! We are pleased to pile even more accolades on these incredible entries.
People's Choice for Best in Show AND Most Attention to Detail goes to Make-A-Wish New Hampshire's "Yuletide Palace" made by Libby Giordano.
Most Whimsical goes to Libby Giordano's "Candyland at Christmas"
and Most Creative Use of Materials goes to "Water Wheel Castle with Textile Mill" by Natalie, Rachel, and Xander Little

Congratulations and thank you to everyone who came to the exhibition and voted!

We are nearly 1/3 of the way to reaching our $50,000 goal for this year's annual appeal! Please consider adding the Portsmouth Historical Society to the list of organizations you support by making a donation or sharing our mission. https://portsmouthhistory.org/make-a-donation/

Your generous donations help in many ways, including opening our doors to all members of the community.through programs like Museums for All and Blue Star Museums. In addition to these nationwide programs we have reduced admission rates for Portsmouth residents and provide free museum visit passes through the local libraries, encouraging seacoast residents to engage with history.

Whether it's the Ugly Sweater Cookie Swap, a group visit to the Gingerbread exhibition, or joining us for one of our Friday late-nights, our galleries have been merry and bright this December!

People's Choice voting continues until December 13, so stop by and rock the gingerbread vote. You have a little bit longer (December 19) to finish our downtown scavenger hunt or get your raffle tickets to take home a stunning gingerbread centerpiece. We hope to see you soon!

"Lost Neighborhoods" behind the artwork featuring Dusty Knight.

When starting her mixed medium pieces Dusty begins with a square board, offcuts of wood, and other objects she finds in her studio. Without imagining the painting, she fits the 3D elements onto the background and then lets the shapes influence the subject matter. For "Nightime Puddledock" the two triangles became overhead lights, the curve of wood shaped the hull of a boat, and a thin long vertical piece of wood stretched the fisherman's body. The story then begins to form.

📷 "Nightime Puddledock" 20x20 mixed medium by Dusty Knight

Stop by the historical society between now and December 30 to see this artwork and more by the Abstract Four.

It's the most wonderful time of the year and the Gingerbread Exhibition is only a part of the holiday magic in Portsmouth. Along with several other partners, we are a part of Vintage Christmas in Portsmouth. Give them a follow to find out about all the best holiday events!

We hope to see you tonight for our Evening Artists Chat. Join the Abstract Four and learn what inspired them to create their show “Lost Neighborhoods.” Discuss how romantic nostalgia, old Portsmouth folk stories, city history, and generational housing issues are expressed through the art work in this exhibition. This event is a discussion that will inspire us all to think about what our Lost Neighborhoods mean to us. Come to share your stories and enjoy the artwork.

Tonight, Friday, December 8, 5–7 pm in the upstairs gallery.

Have you spotted these Gingerbread Houses scattered around downtown? Find all 20 gingerbread houses, collect the stamps, vote for your favorite downtown house, and be entered to win a prize full of goodies from these downtown shops.
You can download a sheet off our website or pick up a hardcopy from our front desk.
https://portsmouthhistory.org/exhibitions/gingerbread2023/ -hunt

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Put on your ugliest holiday sweater and bring a batch of your favorite cookies to celebrate the season with us at 1 pm on Saturday, December 9.
This is the final part of our Read it and Eat series. We can't wait to try your favorite holiday cookies and learn new recipes.
https://portsmouthhistory.org/event/ugly-sweater-cookie-swap/