Exhibits & Events

For full details and to register for any of the Suffolk County Historical Society's upcoming events, please call: (631) 727-2881.

BOOK & BOTTLE
featuring Edward A. Sierra on
Enrico Fermi: Voyage to a New World
Thursday, September 29, 2022 – 6:00 pm
The presenter will offer an engaging and informative presentation on the life and work of Enrico Fermi, a world-changing physicist. Born in 1901, Fermi was an Italian and naturalized-American physicist and one of the world’s most brilliant and productive scientists. In 1938 Fermi was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his demonstrations of the existence of new radioactive elements produced by neutron irradiation, and for his related discovery of nuclear reactions brought about by slow neutrons. In 1939, after receiving the Nobel Prize, he moved to Columbia University and eventually to the University of Chicago, where he led the first controlled nuclear chain reaction. Members Free; Non-Members $8. Includes wine & cheese. RSVP Required: 631-727-2881 x100.

BOOK & BOTTLE
featuring author/historian Kerriann Flanagan Brosky & paranormal investigator Joe Giaquinto on
Haunted Long Island Mysteries
Thursday, October 20, 2022 – 6:00 pm
Award-winning author and historian Kerriann Flanagan Brosky, along with medium/paranormal investigator Joe Giaquinto, will delight the audience with tales of their ghostly adventures, which weave local history with the spiritual realm. The presenters will discuss the research and investigations behind the making of Kerriann’s newly released book, Haunted Long Island Mysteries. During their lecture you will see a PowerPoint presentation of the places they have visited, and listen to EVP’s (Electronic Voice Phenomenon) along with fascinating Ghost Box recordings from their field investigations. Books will be available for purchase and a book signing will follow the presentation. Book sales are cash or credit/debit. Non-Member $8; Members Free. Includes wine & cheese. RSVP + prepayment required: 631-727-2881 x100. Reserve early! Sellout risk is high!

BOOK & BOTTLE
featuring author Bill Bleyer on
The True Story of the Culper Spy Ring
Saturday, November 12, 2022 – 1:00 pm
Learn the true story of the Culper Spy Ring from former Newsday reporter Bill Bleyer, author of George Washington's Long Island Spy Ring: A History and Tour Guide. History buffs have long been fascinated by the operation of the Long Island-based Culper Spy Ring during the American Revolution, especially since the airing of the AMC series Turn. Over the years, there have been many legends, such as the role played by Anna Strong’s clothesline, and suppositions about how the spies operated to support George Washington’s Continental Army. This slide presentation and lecture will separate facts from fiction and detail the ingenious operation of the intelligence network that helped the Patriots win the war. This event will conclude with a Book Sale & Author Signing. The author will make all five of his books available for a flat fee of $24 to $26 each. Members Free; Non-Members $8. Includes light refreshments. Registration & non-refundable prepayment required: 631-727-2881 x100. Reserve early! Sellout risk is high!

BEYOND THE GATES:
Long Island’s Grand Estates of Yesteryear
In Our Gish Gallery
From the Gilded Age to Great Gatsby's 1920s, recognizable names like the Vanderbilts, Roosevelts, Havemeyers, and Woolworths enjoyed their countryside vacation estates built across Long Island. Reminiscent of English country homes, these estates are still appreciated today for their architectural beauty and grandeur. With cavernous hallways, soaring ceilings, unparalleled woodwork, and gardens that rivaled the palaces of Europe, these estates were the envy of those outside of the gates. Captured through aerial photography in the 1930s, these images present some of the earliest glimpses of what was found beyond the gates...

INVENTING CHILDHOOD:
Victorian Era Toys, Games, and Dolls, and the Invention of the Modern Child
In Our Weathervane Gallery
The concept of "childhood" has not always been what it is today; in fact, for most of history it was something very different indeed. Children were viewed as mini-adults, and childhood a time for strict moral instruction, or work, or both. Changes in attitude came slowly, with the final great shift towards "modern childhood" blossoming in the Victorian Era. Childhood finally became seen as a time of carefree innocence, whimsy, imagination, and, most of all, fun! Come see dozens of Victorian Era childhood wonders from our collection - toys, dolls, card games, boardgames, puzzles. and more - all in our Weathervane Gallery, Dec. 11 thru April 3. See life through the eyes of a child living a century or more ago! We guarantee you'll find something that will warm your heart.

AMERICA IN PRINT
Prints, Lithographs and Etchings from the SCHS Collection
In our Staas Gallery
Before the 1800s, art was largely reserved for the wealthy, but with the invention of lithography in 1796 - and particularly color lithography in 1837 - printers were able to mass-produce beautiful color prints that were cheap enough for anyone to buy. Suddenly, art was available to all and everyone could decorate their homes and offices with any of the thousands of images offered by such notable printers as Louis Prang, Napoleon Sarony, and Currier and Ives. Featuring themes of nineteenth-century life in landscapes, cityscapes, ships, racehorses, scenes from literature, politics, Civil War battle scenes, and rare examples of "lithographic Long Island," this exhibit captures the evolution of an American art form.

SILVERBROOK ART GLASS WORKS (1943 - 1976)
Hand-blown glass art manufactured with centuries-old techniques by the Kreutz brothers of Riverhead
Now in Our History in the Hall display cases
For the first time in over 30 years our entire Silverbrook Collection will be showcased in our museum! After fleeing their native Czechoslovakia in 1937 in fear of a Hitler invasion, the four Kreutz brothers came to the United States as fifth-generation glass-blowers, settling in Suffolk County and establishing their glassworks company on Flanders Road in Riverhead. Unlike most other glassware manufacturers using machines at the time, Joseph, Henry, Frank, and John Kreutz used the traditional centuries-old hand-blown glass techniques they had learned in their homeland to create extraordinary glass art pieces.

LONG ISLAND IN CONFLICT
a Newly Interpreted Permanent Exhibit
This newly renovated and permanent exhibit, "Long Island in Conflict," offers uniforms, weapons, medals, and other objects from our permanent collection, honoring Long Island's contribution to our country's defense.

UPCOMING BOOK & BOTTLE LECTURES
Member Free; Non-Member $8
Limited Seating. Reservation Required: 631-727-2881 x100

Saturday, July 16, 2022 - 1:00 PM
Cold War Long Island, with Christopher Verga & Karl Grossman

Thursday, August 4, 2022 - 6:00 PM
Maritime Smuggling on Long Island: From Pirates to Rumrunners, with Bill Bleyer

Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022 – 6:00 PM
Enrico Fermi: Voyage to a New World, with Edward A. Sierra

Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022 - 6:00 PM
Haunted Long Island Mysteries, with Kerriann Flanagan Brosky & Joe Giaquinto

Saturday, November 12, 2022 - 1:00 PM
The True Story of the Culper Spy Ring, with Bill Bleyer

BE A WITNESS TO HISTORY!
The Suffolk County Historical Society invites you to be a witness to our living history. Please consider sharing your COVID-19 experiences for our historic archives. Email your stories to: librarian@schs-museum.org. Be sure to put "COVID-19" in your subject line and to include your location and contact information.

ONGOING

MEMBERSHIP DRIVE!
Please join the Suffolk County Historical Society and support local history preservation. Founded in 1886, SCHS is a non-profit organization that collects and preserves the rich history of Suffolk County. We operate a history museum, an expansive library and archives, and a multitude of events, programs, and educational lectures and workshops. Our unique and ever-growing collection of artifacts reflects more than three centuries of local history. Visit our website or call 631-727-2881 for more information.

SCHS PHOTO OF THE WEEK SERIES!
To subscribe to our popular Photo of the Week Series, send an email to librarian Wendy Polhemus-Annibell: wannibell@schs-museum.org.

OFF-SITE EXHIBITIONS

SUFFOLK COUNTY PINE BARRENS PICTORIAL EXHIBIT
On display at the Suffolk County Water Authority Education Center in Hauppauge. A standing display on loan from the Suffolk County Historical Society provides an overview of the history of the Pine Barrens and the critical role this region plays in the protection of Suffolk County's precious groundwater. The SCWA Education Center is located at 260 Motor Pkwy, Hauppauge, NY.