Proprietors Portsmouth Athenaeum

SEE MISSION STATEMENT ON PAGE 2, PART III

THE PORTSMOUTH ATHENAEUM BEGAN ITS PROGRAM YEAR ON JANUARY 24TH WITH THE 202ND ANNUAL MEETING HELD VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM. WE WERE EIGHT MONTHS INTO THE COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS, WITH THE SHAW RESEARCH LIBRARY OPEN BY APPOINTMENT ONLY AND ALL PROGRAMS BEING HELD VIRTUALLY, MANY IN COOPERATION WITH SISTER LIBRARIES.EARLY IN THE YEAR WE PARTICIPATED IN A SERIES OF AUTHOR EVENTS IN COOPERATION WITH THE MEMBERSHIP LIBRARIES GROUP. ON THURSDAY JANUARY 28 THE NEW YORK SOCIETY LIBRARY INVITED OUR MEMBERS TO JOIN THE LATEST PROGRAM IN THEIR SERIES "BLACK LITERATURE MATTERS." FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5TH THE PROVIDENCE ATHENAEUM INVITED OUR MEMBERS TO JOIN THEIR AUTHOR EVENT WITH ANN PATCHETT. THURSDAY, MARCH 11, THE PORTSMOUTH ATHENAEUM AND THE MEMBERSHIP LIBRARIES GROUP PRESENT A DISCUSSION WITH CHARLES VIDICH, THE AUTHOR OF GERMS AT BAY: POLITICS, PUBLIC HEALTH, AND AMERICAN QUARANTINE (PRAEGER, JANUARY 2021), FACILITATED BY ELIZABETH HOWARD. TUESDAY, MARCH 23RD, 7-8:30 PM. THE PORTSMOUTH PUBLIC LIBRARY HOSTED ATHENAEUM PROPRIETOR ANN BEATTIE ONCE MORE FOR HER TALK THE GRAND RESORT HOTEL ERA AT THE ISLES OF SHOALS, TALES THAT INSPIRED THE BUILDING OF THE RENOWNED APPLEDORE HOUSE ON HOG ISLAND AND THE RIVALING OCEANIC HOTEL ACROSS THE HARBOR ON STAR ISLAND. APRIL 1ST, THURSDAY, AT 5:30: AUTHOR HERSCHEL COBB GAVE A VIRTUAL BOOK TALK ABOUT HIS RECENT WORK: HEART OF A TIGER: GROWING UP WITH MY GRANDFATHER, TY COBB. THE BOOK TELLS THE COMPLEX STORY OF ONE OF BASEBALL'S MOST LEGENDARY (AND CONTROVERSIAL) FIGURES FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF HIS OWN FAMILY. THE BOOK DISCUSSION WAS MODERATED BY ATHENAEUM PROPRIETOR JAKE ELWELL.ON APRIL 22 A VIRTUAL TEA FOR NEW MEMBERS WAS HELD VIA ZOOM AND WELL ATTENDED. MEMBERS WERE PLEASED TO BE ABLE MEET AND CONVERSE AFTER A YEAR OF SELF-ISOLATION.ON MONDAY, MAY 10 AT 5:30 P.M. BOWDOIN COLLEGE MUSEUM OF ART CURATOR ELLEN MILES WAS JOINED BY ATHENAEUM KEEPER TOM HARDIMAN AND FORMER PROPRIETOR PAT WALL IN A DISCUSSION OF THE GRANDIOSE PORTRAITS OF THE HEROES OF THE 1745 BATTLE OF LOUISBOURG AND THE ROLE OF THOSE MEN IN THE 18TH CENTURY SLAVE TRADE. HOSTED BY THE BOWDOIN COLLEGE MUSEUM OF ART.ON MAY 23, AUTHOR CHARLES A. COULOMBE GAVE A VIRTUAL BOOK TALK ON THE THEME OF "THE LOYALISTS OF COLONIAL NEW HAMPSHIRE," BASED ON HIS BOOK PURITAN'S EMPIRE. THE TALK WAS FACILITATED BY ATHENAEUM PROPRIETOR JAKE ELWELL. CHARLES COULOMBE IS A PROMINENT HISTORIAN, JOURNALIST, LECTURER, AND AUTHOR OF OVER A DOZEN BOOKS. HE IS A LEADING SCHOLAR AND PROPONENT OF MONARCHY AS A SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT AND HAS LECTURED THROUGHOUT AMERICA AND EUROPE. IN PURITAN'S EMPIRE, HE GIVES A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON THE CULTURAL DIVIDES DURING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.ON THURSDAY, MAY 27, CURATOR AND ARCHIVIST MALLORY MORTILLANO GAVE A VIRTUAL PRESENTATION ON "THE DISCOVERY OF A MASTERPIECE!" MALLORY MORTILLARO SERVES AS THE CURATOR OF COLLECTIONS FOR THE HARTLEY DODGE FOUNDATION IN MADISON, NJ. WHILE SHE WAS CATALOGING THE ARTWORK HOUSED INSIDE OF THE HARTLEY DODGE MEMORIAL SHE UNCOVERED A MASTERPIECE THAT HAD BEEN LOST TO THE ART WORLD SINCE THE 1930'S.AFTER A YEAR OF RESEARCH THE PIECE WAS AUTHENTICATED AS AN OFFICIAL WORK BY AUGUSTE RODIN.MALLORY SHARED THE STORY OF HOW A SIMPLE ART CATALOGING PROJECT EVOLVED INTO A SEARCH FOR AMYSTERIOUS PIECE'S PROVENANCE, AND BECAME ONE OF THE BIGGEST ART FINDS IN RECENT HISTORY. ON JUNE 9TH AND 10TH, THE ATHENAEUM HOSTED HISTORIC TOURS FOR THE 4TH GRADE CLASSES OF DONDERO AND NEW FRANKLIN SCHOOLS. ON JULY 13TH, WE HOSTED THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE NEW HAMPSHIRE COUNCIL FOR THE SOCIAL STUDIES.ON JULY 16, THE EXHIBIT "THE GEORGIAN GARDEN IN PRINT AND IN PORTSMOUTH 1714-1830" OPENED IN THE RANDALL GALLERY. THIS WAS THE EXHIBIT IN THE GALLERY SINCE JANUARY OF 2020. IT SHOWCASED THE ATHENAEUM'S SUPERB COLLECTION OF 18TH CENTURY BOOKS ON GARDEN DESIGN, INCLUDING GEORGE LE ROUGE'S EXTRAORDINARY DETAILS DES NOUVEAUX JARDINS A LA MODE. LES JARDINS ANGLO-CHINOIS (1775-1789), ONE OF ONLY 26 COPIES IN PUBLIC COLLECTIONS IN THE WORLD.AS OF JULY 17, WE WERE BACK TO BEING OPEN TO THE PUBLIC REGULAR HOURS FROM 1 TO 4 TUESDAY TO SATURDAY. JOHN DIKA, CHAIR OF THE READING ROOM COMMITTEE, MARSHALED VOLUNTEERS TO REOPEN THE READING ROOM TO REGULAR TOURS.ON AUGUST 31 WE HELD THE 28TH ANNUAL ATHENAEUM PICNIC AT THE SEACOAST SCIENCE CENTER. THE EVENT DREW A RECORD ATTENDANCE OF AT LEASE 120 MEMBERS EAGER TO GATHER IN A SAFE OUTDOOR SPACE.ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2021 AT 5PM THE RANDALL GALLERY OPENED FOR ART ROUND TOWN WITH THE EXHIBIT "THE GEORGIAN GARDEN IN PRINT AND IN PORTSMOUTH."ANOTHER VIRTUAL ATHENAEUM TEA FOR NEW MEMBERS WAS HELD ON TUESDAY OCTOBER 5. NEARLY 30 MEMBERS JOINED IN TO MEET THE TALENTED NEW PEOPLE WHO HAVE SIGNED ON AS PROPRIETORS AND SUBSCRIBERS.AFTER A HIATUS OF NEARLY TWO YEARS, THE PORTSMOUTH ATHENAEUM CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES RETURNED ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10 AT ST. JOHN'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH.THE ASMI CHAMBER ENSEMBLE, WITH VIOLINIST EMIL ALTSCHULER, PIANIST THOMAS PANDOLFI (HTTPS://WWW.THOMASPANDOLFI.COM) AND CELLIST ALLISON ELDREDGE HTTPS://ALLISONELDREDGE.INSTANTENCORE.COM) PERFORMED THE BEETHOVEN PIANO TRIO NO. 2 IN E-FLAT MAJOR, OP. 70, AND BRAHMS PIANO TRIO NO.3 IN C MINOR, OP.101.ON OCTOBER 14TH, ACCLAIMED HORTICULTURIST JOHN FORTI GAVE A WELL ATTENDED VIRTUAL TALK ON HIS POPULAR NEW BOOK THE HEIRLOOM GARDENER.THE PORTSMOUTH ATHENAEUM CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES RESUMED SUNDAY, OCTOBER 24 AT ST. JOHN'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH. THE NOREE CHAMBER SOLOISTS ARE AN ELITE ROSTER OF NEW YORK-BASED YOUNG CLASSICAL MUSICIANS, WHO THEMSELVES ARE ON PRESTIGIOUS WORLD STAGES AND WINNERS OF TOP INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS. THEY TEAM TOGETHER TO PERFORM CHAMBER MUSIC PROGRAMS THAT HAVE WON SUCH PRAISE AS "MUSICALITY OF HIGH ORDER AND "EXQUISITE SENSITIVITY" FROM THE NEW YORK CONCERT REVIEW. EMILIE-ANNE GENDRON, VIOLIN; EMMA FRUCHT, VIOLIN; SUNG JIN LEE, VIOLA; AND YI QUN XU, CELLO, PERFORMED TWO OF THE MOST BELOVED EXAMPLES OF THE STRING QUARTET REPERTOIRE: MOZART'S DISSONANCE QUARTET IN C MAJOR, ONE OF THE SIX QUARTETS DEDICATED TO JOSEPH HAYDEN, WHICH EARNED ITS NICKNAME FROM ITS SLOW AND CHROMATIC INTRODUCTION; AND DVORAK'S AMERICAN QUARTET IN F MAJOR, WRITTEN DURING THE COMPOSER'S TIME IN THE U.S. WITH OPEN, SIMPLE CHARACTER BASED ON ITS UNIFYING PENTATONIC SCALE AND FREQUENTLY IDENTIFIED WITH AMERICAN FOLK MUSIC.LIVE AUTHOR TALKS RETURNED TO THE SHAW RESEARCH LIBRARY ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, WHEN PROPRIETOR J. DENNIS ROBINSON GAVE A TALK AND AUTHOR SIGNING FOR HIS BRAND NEW NOVEL: POINT OF GRAVES: A NEW HISTORY MYSTERY. JUST IN TIME FOR HALLOWEEN, ACCLAIMED LOCAL AUTHOR DENNIS ROBINSON UNVEILED HIS FIRST HISTORICAL NOVEL IN WHICH MUSEUM CARETAKER LEVI WOODBURY'S SOLITARY LIFESTYLE IS SHATTERED WHEN REPORTER CLAIRE CASWELL ENLISTS HER EX-LOVER TO UNRAVEL A MYSTERIOUS DEATH IN A HISTORIC NEW ENGLAND SEAPORT. COULD THE DEAD MAN AND HIS MISSING "MANIFESTO" CONNECT TO GROWING FEARS THAT AN ANCIENT CEMETERY LIES BENEATH THE SITE OF THE CITY'S NEXT HIGH-RISE PARKING GARAGE?WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 5 P.M. THE SHAW RESEARCH LIBRARY SAW A DISCUSSION SESSION WITH THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE ON THE PROPOSED RESTRUCTURING OF THE ATHENAEUM'S BYLAWS.THE NEXT DAY, NOVEMBER 10, WE HAD A VIRTUAL AUTHOR TALK WITH ROBERT THORSON IN CONVERSATION WITH PROPRIETOR JAKE ELWELL ON THORSON'S BOOK: STONE BY STONE, THE MAGNIFICENT HISTORY IN NEW ENGLAND'S STONE WALLS. THERE ONCE MAY HAVE BEEN 250,000 MILES OF STONE WALLS IN AMERICA'S NORTHEAST, STRETCHING FARTHER THAN THE DISTANCE TO THE MOON. EVEN THOUGH MOST OF THEM ARE CRUMBLING TODAY, THEY CONTAIN A MAGNIFICENT SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL STORY. NOVEMBER 14 WAS THE ANNUAL ATHENAEUM MEMORIAL CONCERT AT NORTH CHURCH WITH PETER SYKES, BOSTON'S RENOWNED HARPSICHORDIST. THE CONCERT HONORED THE ATHENAEUM MEMBERS WHO PASSED AWAY IN 2020.IN A VIRTUAL PROGRAM 0N NOVEMBER 30, PROPRIETOR ELIZABETH HOWARD, HOST OF THE SHORT FUSE PODCAST, WAS IN CONVERSATION WITH LOCAL AUTHOR MEREDITH HALL ON HER RECENT NOVEL BENEFICENCE, WHERE A FAMILY MUST OVERCOME HEARTBREAK TO RECLAIM GOODNESS AND PEACE IN THEIR LIVES.REVIEWERS AND READERS HAVE CALLED THE BOOK A "HAUNTINGLY BEAUTIFUL" NOVEL, "HARD TO PUT DOWN," "A PAGE-TURNER AND AN ARTISTIC TRIUMPH," "A MASTERPIECE OF COMPASSION." WRITTEN BY A MASTERFUL STORYTELLER, BENEFICENCE ILLUMINATES THE JOURNEY WE MAKE FROM LOSS TO HEALING.ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, LIVE IN THE SAWTELLE READING ROOM, PROPRIETOR JANE C. NYLANDER GAVE A BRIEF TALK AND SIGNED COPIES OF HER BRAND NEW BOOK: THE BEST EVER! PARADES IN NEW ENGLAND, 1788 -1940. THE LAVISHLY ILLUSTRATED BOOK REVEALS THE RICH DIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND PARADE TRADITIONS FROM THE TIME OF THE RATIFICATION OF THE CONSTITUTION TO THE EVE OF WORLD WAR II. PARADES OFFER EXCITING PUBLIC MOMENTS OF SPECTACLE AND LEAVE LASTING MEMORIES OF REASSURING SYMBOLS. JANE NYLANDER IS A LEADING SCHOLAR OF EARLY NEW ENGLAND LIFE AND DEMONSTRATES HOW PARADES REFLECT THE REGION'S S