We Are Excited To Note
A Brand New Exhibit Curated by
The East Hampton Historical Society Celebrates
150 Years of Picnics and Parties in the East End
With summer winding down, this exhibit comes at a great time, and does a fantastic job of highlighting the history and importance of our collective celebrating in the East End of Long Island. The summer season has the picnic and party market cornered as we pack a lot of outdoor and community fun during these three cherished months of sunshine and warm weather. So much of the history of the lifestyle here in the "Hamptons" is captured in the exhibit, and we have the rare opportunity to see curated collections of vignettes, textiles, objects and "party attire" from community events in the "Hamptons" going back centuries.
As a Puritan town, many first gatherings in East Hampton were religious based since this town has been celebrating since 1648! With the arrival of city-dwelling summer colonists in the late 1800s, the season soon became a time of back-to-back picnics and parties. Festivals of thanksgiving and then the rowdy New Year's Day celebration were popular. By the 19th century it seems every event was an excuse for a party-- birthdays, weddings, clambakes, harvest parties, shore whaling parties, and traveling carnivals. At this time, the older, conservative values were loosening up, and this exhibit channels that history-- from showcasing a 1915 Fourth of July parade float to dozens of rare photographs and artifacts and lots of fashionable garb.
Open now through Columbus Day Weekend, it is a must see, and a bonus, it is free (although donations welcome). Please stop into the Clinton Academy Museum at 151 Main Street in East Hampton. For more information, head to the East Hampton Historic Society website.
Happy Nesting
XO Tamara
