The popular phrase “nothing lasts forever” tells us that, as time goes by all things change. With the passage of time, exposure to variable light, heat, changing humidity, poor storage, and rough handling can damage objects. We see damage environmental conditions cause to objects when, for example, they are covered with dust, yellowed, and crackled. Part of the solution to preserving objects for future generations is providing a stable environment for them. In the case of some objects that have deteriorated, we must try to restore some of the loss or at least halt decay by having them conserved.

The Society’s painting collection was recently surveyed and a prioritized list of portraits and landscape paintings needing conservation treatment was developed. One high priority painting from the Society’s portrait collection is presented here. This portrait of Portsmouth merchant John Fabyan Parrott was recently cleaned, stabilized, and preserved by the Williamstown Art Conservation Center with monies from the Society’s Katharine Prentis Murphy Fund. This is one of the ways the Society is working to preserve New Hampshire material history for future generations.

Conservation early in 2007 of this painting, bequeathed to the New Hampshire Historical Society in 2006 by Margery Hall Fawcett, has made this important New Hampshire history object exhibitable. The painting received a detailed examination by the Williamstown Art Conservation Center. This revealed that the painting had been relined and placed on a new large stretcher during the 1960s. The original frame was cracked, broken, and covered with bronze paint.

A puncture hole was secured, and dirt and grime removed from the surface. The painting was removed from the newer large stretcher and returned to its original stretcher. Splits in the frame were glued, gaps were filled and smoothed, and a reversible black paint duplicating the original was applied, returning the surface to its original c. 1804 appearance. Forty-nine hours of cautious and time-consuming cleaning has made this treasure exhibitable.

The Library Collections Showcase will feature two separate exhibits this summer. In June and July “General Lafayette Visits New Hampshire” will be on display in the glass case outside the entrance to the Reading Room. In 1824 and 1825 the Marquis de Lafayette, hero of the American Revolution and aide to General Washington, returned to the United States for a triumphal government-sponsored procession that covered over 6,000 miles and included two separate visits to New Hampshire. On display are memorabilia from Lafayette’s highly publicized visits to the Granite State including: a commemorative fan, the wine glass he used when visiting Concord, a piece of bark from the “Lafayette Elm” planted on the State House grounds during his visit, and seven other items from our collection.

Samuel Morey’s Steam Engine Courtesy of the Vermont Historical Society The piston on top of the drum pictured in this photograph shows a model of the original Morey steam engine in the collection of the Vermont Historical Society. This is the engine for which Morey received the patent on March 25, 1795. The model was presented to the Vermont Historical Society in 1902 by Mrs. Amelia S. Kibbey, the grand niece of Samuel Morey.

In August, “Samuel Morey: The Edison of New Hampshire” will be reinstalled after appearing briefly in the Showcase for the Annual Meeting. Morey, of Orford, New Hampshire, experimented with steam power in the late 18th century. He is widely credited with the first practical invention of a steamboat which he used on the Connecticut River. On display will be the original 1795 patent for Morey’s steam engine, signed by George Washington, from the NHHS collection, and a photograph of that steam engine from the collection of the Vermont Historical Society.

Mill Town Memories: The Drawings and Watercolors of Marian Cannon Schlesinger is on view at the Society's museum from June 14, 2008, through February 15, 2009.

The landscape of New England is ever changing, constantly reshaped by natural and human forces. Beginning in the early nineteenth century the textile industry transformed New England, as enterprising investors dammed rivers, built mills, created villages, attracted workers, and supplied textiles to the world. As mill towns grew up across New England they became a prominent feature of the landscape of the region, like its mountains, forests, harbors, and seashore. At the same time the region’s mill towns also became the birthplace of industrialization in America, feeding the marketplace and fueling the economy for more than a century.

Artist Marian Cannon Schlesinger created views of twenty-seven mill towns that grew up on the inland rivers and streams across New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts, as they appeared during the 1970s and 1980s. Fifty-six atmospheric drawings and watercolors arranged alphabetically by community name capture New England mill communities during a period of change, as the textile industry was declining and mills were beginning to disappear from the landscape. These unique drawings and watercolors have been selected from a collection of eighty-three works recently presented to the New Hampshire Historical Society as a promised gift by the artist.

Mill Town Memories is made possible by grants from Public Service of New Hampshire and RiverStone Resources LLC.

The New Hampshire Historical Society will mark the 85th anniversary of the Loudon Classic, the oldest continuing motorcycle race in America, by offering free museum admission each day of the 2008 Motorcycle Week (June 14-22). Also to mark Motorcycle Week, the Society’s museum shop will debut limited edition t-shirts featuring vintage Loudon Classic photographs.

Laconia Motorcycle Week is the oldest and one of the largest motorcycle rallies in the United States. Its roots date back to 1916 when motorcycle enthusiasts first traveled to New Hampshire’s Lakes Region. Today the nine-day event attracts up to 400,000 visitors to New Hampshire each June and includes hundreds of motorcycle-related activities throughout the state. The Loudon Classic began in 1923 and races were held at the Belknap Recreation Area until the mid-1960s. The New Hampshire Motor Speedway is the current home of the Loudon Classic which this year will feature 27 races over two days (June 14-15). For more information on the Loudon Classic visit nhms.com and for a complete list of all Motorcycle Week events visit laconiamcweek.com.

E-Newsletter is best viewed in Internet Browser v. 6.0 or higher.

To subscribe to this service provided by the New Hampshire Historical Society, send us an e-mail to newsletter@nhhistory.org and note "subscribe" in the subject line. Just be sure to include your first and last names along with your current postal address.

Let us know what you think about this service.  Suggestions are appreciated.

The mission of the New Hampshire Historical Society is to educate a diverse public about the significance of New Hampshire's past and its relationship to our lives today. In support of this mission, the Society collects, preserves, and interprets materials pertaining to New Hampshire history.

All of the New Hampshire Historical Society's programs and services are made possible by dues and contributions from individuals, foundations, and businesses.