Exhibits & Events

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

FROM ARCHIE TO ZANY:
65 Years of Comic Book Art by Stan Goldberg
Presented in our Weathervane Gallery by the Jewish Historical Society of Long Island and curated by Brad Kolodny, this exhibit showcases the nearly 70 years of work of the comic book artist Stan Goldberg— from his work as a colorist in the 1940s to his helping to create Marvel superheroes in the 1960s to another 40 years of drawing Archie and his pals at Riverdale High. Exhibit will run to May 20, 2023.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH LECTURE & POP-UP EXHIBIT
History Through Dolls of Color: Silent Witnesses in Time,
with April S. Marius
Saturday, February 11, 2023 – 1:00 pm
Presenter and exhibitor April S. Marius will take us on a journey through time with a lecture and pop-up exhibit of her historical collection of antique dolls of color. Dating from the early 19th to the early 21st centuries, most of the collector's dolls are homemade one-of-a-kind dolls that were not sold in shops. They tell stories of different people, centuries, and standards of living. This is a unique area of doll collecting due to the scarce number of vintage dolls of color that have survived. Generations of children of color had only Caucasian dolls to play with. This began April's quest to understand history through dolls of color. Her collection, part of which will be exhibited on the day of the lecture, has developed into a myriad of historical images through different European and American artisan renditions of African Americans and people of color globally.
Members Free, Non-Members $8. Includes refreshments. Registration + non-refundable prepayment required. Space is limited! Call 631-727-2881 to reserve your spot! Or reserve at Eventbrite for a small surcharge:

A MUSICAL MORNING SPECIAL EVENT
JK Hodge with the
Hauppauge High School Chamber Orchestra
Friday, February 17, 2023 – 10:00 AM (doors open at 9:30 AM)
Join us for this special musical event as contemporary classical composer J.K. Hodge is accompanied by the Hauppauge High School Chamber Orchestra for a beautiful morning of music.

Raised in Bayport, Long Island, John Kenneth Hodge’s Chopin-inspired contemporary classical compositions have earned him much acclaim as a New York-based concert pianist. The Hauppauge High School Chamber Orchestra students are proud to be performing on this local tour.

This concert is free, but reservations are requested at (631) 727-2881 x100.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH MINI POP-UP EXHIBIT
History Through Dolls of Color: Silent Witnesses in Time,
Curated by April S. Marius
On Display in Our Gish Gallery February 15-17 & 22-25, 2023
A selection of April S. Marius's historical collection of antique dolls of color will be exhibited in our Gish Gallery on February 15-17 & 22-25, 2023. Dating from the early 19th to the early 21st centuries, most of the collector's dolls are homemade one-of-a-kind dolls that were not sold in shops. They tell stories of different people, centuries, and standards of living. This is a unique area of doll collecting due to the scarce number of antique dolls of color that have survived. Generations of children of color had only Caucasian dolls to play with. This began April's quest to understand history through dolls of color. Her collection has developed into a myriad of historical images through different European and American artisan renditions of African Americans and people of color globally.

BOOK & BOTTLE
with Mary Korpi on
The Lady Lighthouse Keeper
Saturday, March 18, 2023 – 1:00 pm
For Women's History Month, local author Mary Korpi will share her research journey for her book The Lady Lighthouse Keeper, historical fiction based on the life of Stella Prince (1867-1927) of Southold, the only woman to serve as a lighthouse keeper at Horton Point Lighthouse. The author’s journey included pouring over the journals kept by Stella's family—Henry and Edith Prince, in the Collection of the Suffolk County Historical Society’s Library, and her father, George Prince—and delving into 19th-century newspaper stories to piece together the life of this remarkable woman who took on a role traditionally held by men, and who did so even in the face of hardship and family conflict. At this event the author will make her book available for purchase at $20 each.
Members Free, Non-Members $8. Includes refreshments. Registration + non-refundable prepayment required. Space is limited! Call 631-727-2881 to reserve your spot! Or reserve at Eventbrite for a small surcharge:

MASTERS OF METAL:
Suffolk County's Early Silversmiths
In our History in the Hall Display Cases Now thru January 2024
In March 2020, the Suffolk County Historical Society secured a significant acquisition of over 100 pieces of silver crafted by Suffolk County's earliest known silversmiths. With works by Joel, John, and Paul Sayre, Elias Pelletreau, B. Coleman, and Col. David Hedges, this display case exhibit glistens with the handcrafted work of these fine eighteenth-century artisans. The SCHS Board of Trustees is proud to present this notable collection, exhibited for the first time.

Silversmithing was one of the earliest arts practiced in the American colonies. As early as 1638, just eight years after Boston had been settled, fourteen-year-old from Boston named John Hull is documented to have been apprenticed to his half-brother Richard Storer to learn the art of crafting in silver. The increase of silver coins available in the colonies added to the growing importance of silversmiths. Early American silversmiths were influenced by both Dutch and English designs, but eventually there evolved an “American” style – simple and sturdy in design, substantial in weight, and well crafted.

BEYOND THE GATES:
Long Island’s Grand Estates of Yesteryear
LAST CALL! EXHIBIT CLOSING FEB. 4.
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...

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.

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.