New Acquisitions for Old Newbury (Originally published September 27, 2024)

by Bethany Groff Dorau, Executive Director

"Hey, let's go to the Annual Meeting!" is not a phrase that is generally met with great delight, in my experience. It generally lands somewhere between listening to a long sermon and watching paint dry, in my experience.

Between financial reports and procedural votes, for the average member of a small museum, these meetings can feel like an obligation rather than a pleasure. And yet, we must have them.

If you were to ask any one of the staff members or volunteers at the Museum of Old Newbury what they most enjoyed over the past year, however, they would tell you about a special object, a meaningful experience, a new connection, and it is this passion that guided our September 11, 2024 Annual Meeting. Well, new acquisitions and great food.

So now, sit back and enjoy a short recap of the program, with special thanks to the guest presenters and to Bob Watts for these images. Not pictured - Sierra's presentation of the "masterpiece" cane, which you can read about here.

Operations Manager Shelley Swofford laid out a feast for our members, much of it donated by our board members, as James Dorau from Ipswich Ale Brewery and board member Eric Svahn tended bar.

Noah and Sam Clewely, our Future Leaders Interns, spent the summer cataloguing our military collection, focusing on artifacts from the American Revolution. Of particular interest is Long Tom, a gun whose extraordinary size - over 9 feet long - made it an interesting flagpole in this article from April 24, 1861. While this is not a new acquisition, their research brought its long and fascinating history to light.

Collections assistant Sierra Gitlin presented images from the Scott Nason Glass Plate Negative Collection, a very large group of images from Plum Island and Newburyport, donated in 2024. Sierra brought out other examples of glass plate negatives so attendees could get a sense of their size (see image of unknown man at the beginning of this article).

Family member Keith Lunt donated this daguerreotype of Samuel Henry Lunt and his daughter Sarah, along with a miniature painting on ivory and other records of his life. Shortly after this image was taken, Lunt died of "brain fever" or meningitis, in Mobile, Alabama, on July 28, 1865, while serving in the Union Army.

Archivist Sharon Spieldenner shared two important new purchases; a letter from Joseph Lunt aboard the prison ship Chatham in 1814, and a rare glimpse of Lord Timothy Dexter from a man who was passing through town in 1802.

This wedding dress, veil, and memory book, complete with receipts, photographs, and notes compiled by the bride's father, was a very recent gift to the museum, and costume historian Lois Valeo and yours truly shared it with the membership.

Harriett Currier married Leon Noyes on October 10, 1953 and the collection was given to the museum by her daughter. She recalled that her mother was "a kind, caring person and a great friend to many. She sang in the church choir at Belleville and was very close to her parents being the youngest at their Chapel Street home." Harriett (Currier) Noyes died in 2002, and is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery.  

Board and collections committee member Monica Reuss, an American Art specialist, introduced three new paintings of the Newbury salt marsh. Lilian Wescott Hale (1880-1963) painted the larger work in the early 20th century. It is one of only two marsh paintings by women in the collection. The two smaller pieces are by Henry Curtis Ahl (1905-1996), who lived in Byfield and is best known for his coastal scenes.

Finishing out the presentations, the audience was introduced to one of the largest - and strangest - gifts received this year by the museum. This large section of an oak stump was used to hammer out punch bowls in various sizes by the Moulton family of silversmiths. It resided in the Towle offices for many years, and was left behind when the company was sold in 1994. As one of the oldest examples of silver working devices in the United States, it holds a place of honor in the carriage barn.

Bob Watts, board member and friend, caught us hamming it up behind the bar! Thanks to all of you who came out to celebrate another year of change and growth at the Museum of Old Newbury, and thanks especially to our presenters, board members, and volunteers. We love sharing some of our many new acquisitions with you!