Exhibits & Events

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

BLACK HISTORY MONTH EVENTS!
HARLEM BLUES & JAZZ BAND comes to Suffolk County!
"The Trilogy of Jazz" Three-Month Exhibit and Events!
Join us for a three-month exhibit detailing the band's history, that will be celebrated with ongoing scheduled programming throughout February, March, and April. FOLLOW US as new calendar dates are added for lectures, programs, and live music performances! Registration is required for each event by calling 631-727-2881 x100.

WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH
Women in Jazz: Lecture and Performance featuring Ladies Have Chops, led by pianist Bertha Hope
Saturday, March 8, 2025 – 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Members free; Non-Members $5. Includes light refreshments. RSVP at 631-727-2881 x100.

As an accompanying program to our current "Harlem Blues & Jazz Band" exhibit: In celebration of Women's History Month we present this lecture and performance on "Women in Jazz" on Saturday March 8th, 1pm - featuring "Lady Got Chops" led by famed jazz pianist Bertha Hope. These talented women will offer a discussion about the joys and challenges of being women in this field, sharing both life experiences and the stories of women performers through history. This talk will be highlighted with actual performances from these incredible musicians.

ABOUT Harlem Blues & Jazz Band: Harlem Blues and Jazz Band was formed in 1973, when a passionate music aficionado, Dr. Al Vollmer, recognized that a significant pool of the great NYC jazz musicians of the 1920s and 30s had retired as musicians. Motivated to revive their talents, Vollmer encouraged these talented artists to pick up their instruments once again, and Harlem Blues and Jazz Band was formed. The band was established not only to continue the legacy of the country’s greatest jazz ensembles but also to pay homage to the genre's roots: The Blues.

OTHER EVENTS FEATURING the HARLEM BLUES AND JAZZ BAND:
"Blues Concert Live Performance"
featuring Bernice Brooks and Friends
Saturday, March 22, 2025 – 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
$5 non-members. RSVP 631-727-2881 x100.

JAZZ HISTORY MONTH CONCERT
"Harlem Blues and Jazz Band" Jazz Concert
Saturday, April 26, 2025 – 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
$5 non-members. RSVP 631-727-2881 x100.

ONGOING EXHIBIT
The Harlem Blues and Jazz Band: A History
The Trilogy of Jazz
Now open in our Gish Gallery through May 2025
$5 non-members

BOOK & BOTTLE LECTURE:
Long Island and the Legacy of Eugenics: Station of Intolerance
with author Mark Torres
April 5, 2025 – 1:00 pm

In the early 20th century, eugenics was at the forefront of scientific discourse in the quest to understand human genetics. On Long Island and throughout the nation, eugenicists were granted unfettered access to conduct experiments on prisoners, psychiatric patients, Coney Island circus performers, and at Native American reservations—all in an effort to legitimize a false science. The origins of the eugenics movement can be found in the Eugenics Record Office, an otherwise nondescript administrative building at Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island, NY, under the direction of Charles Benedict Davenport, from 1910 to 1939. The work conducted there directly led to the forced sterilization of thousands of American citizens, the passage of anti-immigration laws, and sparked a deadly global movement that directly inspired the murderous Nazi regime to commit heinous acts under the banner of eugenics. Author Mark Torres will explore the local characters, influences, landmarks and ghastly consequences that emanated from this small Long Island facility for decades and spread throughout the world. Members Free; Non-Members $8. Includes light refreshments. Registration and prepayment required. Call 631-727-2881 x100 to register.

This event includes a book sale and signing!

STRIKING A CHORD
Suffolk County's Early Music Identity
Featured in our Weathervane Gallery through 2024

Music has always been an integral part of life among Suffolk County residents. By the mid-1800s, formed music organizations such as the Suffolk County Harmonic Society were established with the purpose of supplying music for community events and theatrical productions. By the late nineteenth century, opera houses emerged as community centers that hosted charity events and recreational competitions. Immigrants arriving to Long Island brought the music and instruments that reminded them of home, introducing new sounds to Suffolk County. At the turn of the century, Thomas Edison became a regular guest at the Vail-Leavitt Music Hall in Riverhead, showcasing new developments in music and sound recording technology. Amidst the outbreak of World War I (1917-1918) Irving Berlin, stationed in Camp Upton, began publishing numerous Broadway-worthy music revues, helping to fund the war effort.

Through examples of early instruments, early composers, immigration influence, recording technology advancements, and wartime home front efforts, this exhibit celebrates the many ways music has been interwoven into the social fabric of Suffolk County.

A SPORTSMAN'S PARADISE:
Man and Nature in Suffolk County's Past

From New York City's wealthy elite to the resident locals making a living here, Long Island has been recognized as a mecca for sportsmen (and sportswomen) for over 150 years, earning its own exhibition at the National Sportsman's Show from 1895 to the 1940s. Illustrating how hunting evolved from necessity to popular sport, eventually leading to the introduction of protective conservation laws, this exhibition will explore how the "sporting life" – through job opportunities, increased rail traffic, hotel and resort development, and eventual wildlife conservation – influenced our way of life on Long Island. Through an amazing assortment of hunting equipment, hand-carved decoys, duck boats, fishing gear, themed toys, clothing, magazines, and more, A Sportsman's Paradise explores all that Suffolk County offered to those who were seeking its natural rewards. Exhibit curated by Jamie Reason. Exhibit design by Joshua Cortez. In our Grand Staas Gallery January – October 2024.

SUFFOLK COUNTY: A TIMELINE EXPERIENCE!
New Permanent Exhibit Opens to the Public
June 3, 2023
Gallery hours: 10:00am to 4:30pm
(excluding holiday weekends)
Designed as the new core of the Suffolk County Historical Society Museum, this new interactive permanent exhibit, “a museum within a museum,” provides a comprehensive timeline of over 200 historically significant moments that shaped Suffolk County into the vibrant community it is today. From the geological formation of Long Island, to the arrival of its indigenous people, moving forward through history to modern times, our greatest residents and achievements figure prominently in this exhibition celebrating our history, our heritage, and our people. Our story is told through over 200 artifacts and documents, photos, digital screens, and interactive digital experiences that will delight every visitor, while walking guests through our history, century by century.

This exhibit is funded in part by the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation, with additional support from Roberta Cooper in memory of James B. Cooper III and the Cooper Family.

SCHOOL OF THOUGHT:
The History of Education and Schooling in Suffolk County
A permanent exhibit in our lower level display case.
Curated by Joshua Cortez.
Prior to the nineteenth century, education was limited and localized. "Schoolhouses" were often housed in post offices, public buildings, or the houses of private instructors. The introduction of statewide legislation in the early 1800s by Ezra L’Hommedieu and Jonathan Nicoll Havens, both of Suffolk County, initiated a surge of schoolhouse construction and the hiring of teachers. Within a century, Suffolk emerged from these one-room schoolhouses to become the home of nationally recognized collegiate institutions like Stony Brook University, La Salle Military Academy, and Dowling College. This exhibit explores many facets of education in Suffolk County, including early teacher qualifications, high school athletics, curriculums of the past, and collegiate education.

MASTERS OF METAL:
Suffolk County's Early Silversmiths
In our History in the Hall Display Cases
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.

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.