Heritage Museums & Gardens Blog Spot

Colors of Heritage: Summer Sun Yellow

Colors, we are told, have meanings.  These days, blue is for boys and pink for girls, though the reverse was true no more than a century ago.  According to popular wisdom, a vivid red, the color of passion, can rev up both the pulse and the appetite, while cooler greens and blues are held to be calming, and lavender can soothe you to sleep.  A recent study  indicates that surrounding yourself with particular hues might even help you to accomplish certain tasks.  And if you haven’t already, you’ll want to find out what your “birthday color” says about you.  Didn’t know you had a birthday color? Congratulations! Let’s hear it for yet another way to navel gaze! 

But science and pseudo-science aside, there’s no denying that color can evoke powerful responses in people.  It may have something to do with the balmy weather and long daylight hours, but here at the height of summer we find ourselves surrounded by that most summery of colors—bright and sunny yellow.  It’s in the gardens and the exhibit cases, in the sundresses of toddlers enjoying a carousel ride and among the busy bees and watering cans of Hidden Hollow.  We can’t help but think it both lightens our mood and widens our smiles.  Summer won’t last forever, so enjoy it while you can.  In that vein, here are some of our favorite sunshine-yellow things at Heritage to brighten your day!   

List of objects from top to bottom, left to right:

1. Hercules Ferris Wheel tin toy, c. 1936. 2. Red-eyed Vireo birdcarving by A.E. Crowell, c. 1910-1960  3. Carousel horse detail from 1908 Looff carousel.  4. 1937 Cord Convertible Phaeton. Photo by Alan Hudson (c) 1983.  5. Dahlia 6. Birthday Game by Parker Bros., c. 1918.  7. Leaping Trout woodcarving, by an unidentified maker, c. late 19^th century.  8. Military miniatures, “Captain Michael Huffnagel’s Company of 8^th Pennsylvania Line (1777),” by Norman & Lisl Cooke, c. 1950s. 9. Dolphin Candlestick, Boston & Sandwich Glass Company, c. 1840-1860.  10. Child’s mug, c. 1840-1850.  11. Child’s mug, c. 1820.  12. Lesser Yellowlegs birdcarving by A. E. Crowell, c. 1949.  13. Hummingbird and sunflower.  14. Schoenhut Humpty-Dumpty Toy Circus (Box), c. 1905-1935.  15. Rhododendron ‘Yellow Gate’  16. Whale Oil, William F. Nye Co., c. 1850-1900.    17. Lizard-shaped fetish, possibly Cheyenne, c. 1900.  18. Carousel horse detail from 1908 Looff carousel.  19. Bicycle Rider tin toy, c. 1910-1920.  20. Blooming ‘Golden Chain’ tree.  21. Glass Compote, Boston & Sandwich Glass Company, c. 1840-1860.  22. 1915 Stutz Bearcat.  Photo by Alan Hudson (c) 1983.  23.  Daylily  24. License plate, New York, c. 1915.  25.  Early Sandwich Factory Ruins, by Eliott Orr, watercolor, c. 1980. 26.  Tally-Ho Coach & Four Cast Iron Toy, c. early 20^th century.  27. Hibiscus.  28. “Bloomer” Puzzle Toy, c. 1896.  29. The Josoelyn Brothers, by J. G. Chandler, oil on canvas, c. 1851.  30. Robinson Crusoe tin toy, c. 1883. 

Hidden Hollow’s Treehouse Debuts!

The treehouse, Hidden Hollow’s most anticipated new feature, will open its leafy heights to visitors on August 18th! 

Planning for the treehouse began in July of 2008, when staff met with Pete Nelson, master treehouse-builder and co-founder of The TreeHouse Workshop, Inc., based in Seattle, WA.  He is widely recognized as the nation’s foremost authority on treehouses. It was designed based on one of his renderings. Mr. Nelson’s philosophy is that “each tree or group of trees has within its natural shape a perfect treehouse design that will fit safely and efficiently.”  Each treehouse should, therefore, be unique.

He worked with Heritage Arborist Gary Childs to choose two oak trees that would thrive with a treehouse among their branches.  The design he presented for HH’s treehouse was inspired by Norwegian stave churches, medieval wooden churches with post and beam construction related to timber framing.

Architect Greg Jones (who also designed the new wing of the Auto Museum) modified Pete Nelson’s design, creating the final design and working blue prints.  Jones worked with the instructor at Upper Cape Tech to create a design that was buildable for the students.

Students from the Carpentry program at Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School, a regional school district in Bourne that serves the towns of Bourne, Falmouth, Marion, Sandwich and Wareham.  Teachers in this program instruct students in mill and house carpentry planning and construction projects. Carpentry students develop their expertise at off-campus community building projects such as this one.  The goal is to broaden students’ occupational capabilities by providing practical and relevant cooperative work experiences that connect their academic and technical experience to the real world.

The carpentry students also built the stage in Hidden Hollow and the pump house for the Flume Fountain. 

Under the supervision of instructor Kevin McFayden, nearly two dozen students volunteered many hours of hard work on the treehouse during the 2009/10 and 2010/11 school years. Kevin describes this as a spectacular opportunity for his students, “the kind of project that would only come along once in two lifetimes.” We think they’re the kind of people who only come along once in two lifetimes!

During the first school year, the students completed the footings and the first floor decking.  Kevin describes creating the footings as the greatest challenge of the two year project.  It was critically important that they be structurally sound to provide a solid base for the treehouse. Digging the deep footings and setting the brackets while working on a steeply sloped hillside with concern for not damaging the surrounding vegetation was challenging.  The upper floors and roof were constructed during the second school year. 

 

Weather was a constant challenge. Kevin quickly realized that some of the fabrication would need to be done at the school.  He came up with the ingenious solution of drawing a full scale treehouse on the floor of their carpentry shop at the school.  The students did the measuring and precut the wood in the shop, then assembled the pieces at HMG.  Kevin reports that this method worked beautifully – “like a well-designed jigsaw puzzle” – and that there was never one piece that did not fit perfectly on site, a great lesson in prefabrication for the students.

The treehouse decking is made of ipê (EE-pay) wood, from a tropical tree also called poui or trumpet tree. Ipê is very durable and resistant to insect damage. The boardwalk through Hidden Hollow is made of ipê. The treehouse’s framing is red cedar, the support posts locust and the handrails mahogany.  Unique to a treehouse, the first floor is completely accessible to visitors with disabilities.      

Treehouses bring out the kid in all of us.  They represent freedom and inspire dreams.  This treehouse provides an incredible vantage point for surveying the unique landscape of Hidden Hollow from a bird’s eye view.  We envision it being used in many ways: as an observation tower, a family play space, a retreat, or just a place where kids can let their imaginations run wild!

 

Free Fun Fridays

Who got free admission to Heritage on Friday, July 1^st? This friendly little guy and 2300 friends! (Note: they weren’t all rabbits, but just imagine if they had been…wow. Okay, moving on.)

With a generous grant from the Highland Street Foundation, Heritage was able to offer free admission to visitors that day and, boy, did they take us up on it! 

The Highland Street Foundation is doing some great work for the public this summer.  They’ve made it possible to visit THREE DOZEN museums, zoos and cultural destinations for free with their Free Fun Friday program this year.  Each Friday from July 1^st to August 26^th, a new group of destinations is featured.  Get the list here and make plans to spend some quality time with your family this summer. 

Check out the fun we had on Heritage’s Free Fun Friday:

All day Hidden Hollow was packed with kids and their adults. 

Kids of all ages enjoyed a musical performance by Jackson Gillman in Hidden Hollow.

The carousel, as always, was the highlight for many visitors.  

Thanks to Highland Street Foundation for all the free fun!

Flag Day

Old Glory, by Nicolas Nobili, c. 1991

June 14^th is Flag Day!  On that date in 1777 the United States officially adopted its national flag. The first U. S. flag had thirteen stars on a blue background and thirteen stripes in red and white, one for each of the thirteen original colonies. The number of stars and their placement has changed as our nation has grown, but the red, white and blue has always been with us in one form or another. 

Shield with Eagle, artist unknown, c. 19^th century

The stars and stripes can be found on objects in all three of our museum buildings.  See how many you or your family can find with our Flag Day Scavenger Hunt.  Print it out (color is best) and bring it with you on your next visit.  It’s a fun way to explore the collections in a way you haven’t tried before! 

Click here to view and download a PDF version of the scavenger hunt. Then get hunting!

Family Day Trip: Historic New England Carousels!

So many of our favorite summer pastimes are rooted in the nostalgia of childhood, and few things say childhood like a carousel.  If you’ve been to see the new Flying Horses exhibit at Heritage this season, it may have brought back memories of your own childhood, or made a new memory for a child in your life. If so, you might be feeling inspired to check out some other historic carousels nearby. Pack a picnic, grab a camera and take your family on a whirling, whirlwind tour of two or three carousels this summer!  We’ve put together all the info you’ll need for two different day trips:  one that explores some fantastic Connecticut carousels should you find yourself out that way, and another closer to home but no less memorable.

 CONNECTICUT CAROUSELS

These three historic carousels in central Connecticut are must see attractions. Between them are represented four different carousel carving workshops, all of them done in the flamboyant and decorative Coney Island carving style. 

Bushnell Park Carousel, Hartford, CT

This 1914 carousel was constructed by partners Solomon Stein and Harry Goldstein of Artistic Carrousel Manufacturers. Stein and Goldstein were known for the large scale of their horses as well as their realistic features including ears in various positions, flared nostrils and sometimes tongues hanging out. This ride is one of only three Stein and Goldstein carousels still operating in the United States! Bushnell Park is a beautiful spot in the heart of downtown Hartford and a great place to take in a summer concert. 

Lake Compounce Carousel, Bristol, CT

Lake Compounce is America’s oldest operating amusement park, dating back to 1846. With the expansion of a trolley line to the park around 1900, Lake Compounce quickly grew in popularity and needed additional rides to serve its increasing numbers of visitors. In 1909 the park purchased a new ride, a beautiful carousel assembled by the Murphy brothers and populated with animals carved by Charles Carmel, Charles Looff and Solomon Stein and Harry Goldstein. The carousel opened to the public on Memorial Day 1911 and has been delighting visitors ever since.

Lighthouse Point Park Carousel, New Haven, CT

This carousel, in its beautiful ocean-front location, was assembled in 1911 by the Murphy brothers in their Connecticut workshop. It is a very large carousel containing 71 horses carved by Charles Looff, Charles Carmel, and the Murphy brothers themselves. It also has two dragon chariots. Take a walk on the beach while you’re there!

EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS/RHODE ISLAND CAROUSELS

These four carousels are by two makers: Charles Looff and the Philadelphia Toboggan Company.  Looff’s style is more embellished, with flashing mirrors and romanticized carvings.  The Philadelphia Toboggan Company falls, not surprisingly, in the Philadelphia carving style, which tends to focus on more naturalistic animals.  Visit one or all of these carousels merely a stone’s throw from the Cape!

Fall River Carousel, Fall River, MA

Whisper the word “carousel” to anyone from the South Coast and you will undoubtedly evoke fond memories of this carousel. Built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company in 1920, it was shipped to North Dartmouth where it served as the crown jewel of Lincoln Amusement Park for seventy years. It is now located in the second floor (to protect it from potential flooding) of a building overlooking the Taunton River at Battleship Cove Museum. 

Crescent Park Carousel, Riverside, RI

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and as a National Historic Landmark, this 1895 carousel was constructed by Charles Looff. Originally built as a showcase for prospective buyers, it is the largest and most elaborate of Looff’s carousels. The carousel features 62 hand carved animals and four chariots. Elaborately embellished with decorative panels, beveled mirrors, faceted glass jewels, electric lights and the original band organ, it provides a complete carousel-riding experience.

Looff Carousel at Slater Memorial Park, Pawtucket, RI 

This 1894 carousel was also built by Charles Looff. Constructed in 1894, it is the second oldest carousel in Rhode Island. It features 44 horses plus six menagerie animals including three dogs, a camel, a giraffe and a lion. The original band organ also plays during the ride. The carousel is located in Slater Memorial Park which features miles of trails, playgrounds and picnic facilities. 401-728-0500

Paragon Park Carousel, Hull, MA

Once a star feature in the sprawling Paragon Amusement Park, this Philadelphia Toboggan Company carousel was saved by a group of concerned citizens. Now it is painstakingly cared for by the same restorer that works on Heritage’s carousel. Situated on a long stretch of beach and old-fashioned boardwalk, this is the perfect spot for a golden summer afternoon in New England. 

Take a spin and make some memories!

With A Little Help From Our Friends!

Hidden Hollow is abuzz in its first week of our spring season! Crocus are blooming, the spring peepers are “peeping,” and families are filling our space with sounds of joy! Heritage’s commitment to creating spaces where people can get outside and explore is growing exponentially as we continue to work with our talented community partners.

Investment in the future of outdoor learning comes in many forms. Just look at how the seeds we’ve planted are growing!

• Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical School is busy working on our two-story tree house, due for completion in summer 2011. The structure already has a roof and stairs!
• Cur-metals, a local business in Mashpee, has worked hard during the winter months to build musical-metal sculptures, called “Musical Woods,” for the expansion of our Perform area. Co-owners Shaun and José will be installing their artwork this week.
• Kristoffer Brown, from Brown’s Green, Cape Cod, stopped by Hidden Hollow to donate 2,000 red wigglers to our worm farm. That’s a lot of wiggle!
• Local carpenter Tom Kolton gathered donated materials to build a nature kitchen complete with wooden handles and faucet crafted out of a recycled tree parts.
• Last weekend Emerson College students, under direction of Ross Lippman, began work on a Hidden Hollow video focusing on the unique and surprising possibilities that await visitors here.
• On Monday mornings this spring, local teens, under their teacher’s direction, will be creating a people-sized nest in our Dream area!
• Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical School horticulture students will be working with Hidden Hollow’s lead educator to create a learning garden where visitors can discover native New England plants.
• Six local scout troops are working on a variety of community service projects that focus on growing awareness of nature and getting outside. The projects range from building a bird bath for our feathered friends to helping with trail clean up and garden preparations.
• Four local educators have donated over 500 hours this spring to help write curriculum and prepare materials for the weekly themes in Hidden Hollow. 

Our list of supporters grows each day as we continue our journey towards getting families outdoors to explore, discover and enjoy our beautiful and ever-changing planet! Interested in joining us on this adventure?  Please contact Tobey Eugenio, Hidden Hollow Lead Educator at teugenio@heritagemuseums.org, 508.888.3300, ext. 158.

Gardens Aglow: Holiday Warmth and Sweet, Sweet Treats

Every year at Heritage, we get out the glitter and greenery, the silver bells and shiny baubles and deck our halls.   We start early;  our grounds crew was busy stringing up hundreds of thousands of lights way back in October, before we’re even closed for the season.  And every year our hard work is rewarded by the sight of families sharing some time together—little ones whispering to Santa in the Model T, proud parents watching their kids perform in a community chorale group, even  grandparents taking a whirl on the carousel—everyone smiling and laughing in delight at the sights and sounds of Heritage during the holidays.  This kind of thing warms the hearts of museum people like us, who spend so much of our time creating exhibits and programs that we hope will engage families and help them make memories together.  But this year, we got another little reward that makes us want to come to work every day:  THE BUILDING SMELLS LIKE GINGERBREAD.


There’s a reason for the gently wafting aromas of baked goods.  This year we asked some creative culinary pros to wow us with their genius.  And, boy, did they ever!  Each entry is a work of art, with an attention to detail that invites you to look again and again for things you missed the first time.  Look closely and you’ll find glowing lifesaver lanterns, candied anise seed shrubs, marzipan snowmen, sugarpaste elves with tiny cupcakes, Rice Krispie wreaths, goldfish crackers floating in a goldfish pond, white chocolate seashells, cinnamon stick fences and wood piles, hazelnut stone walls, and a couple of very sweet (literally) little dogs.  We’re asking visitors to Gardens Aglow to vote for their favorite, but how can you choose among such fantastic entries? 

Check them out on our Flickr photostream here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/heritagemuseumsandgardens/sets/72157625384297233/

Then bring your family over for a cup of cheer and see them for yourself!

Fancy Dress and Falling Leaves

Darth Vader here is ready to take on all those Jedi knights we saw.

On a recent weekend Heritage opened its doors to several hundred ghouls, goblins and a surprising number of Jedi knights.  Our annual Halloween Carnival, now extended to two evenings due to incredible public response, was a huge success again this year, drawing our maximum capacity of 400 visitors both nights.

 Thing 2 makes a pumpkin-themed picture frame.

A very convincing Snow White made an appearance, to the delight of lots of smaller princesses.

Kids and their parents went all out in their costumes for the event, which features performances, games, crafts, scavenger hunts, facepainting and a nighttime hayride.  Unlike a lot of Halloween happenings, the carnival at Heritage is strictly a non-spooky, non-candy event (parents tell us they like this) with loads to see and do — including the requisite carousel ride in the Art Museum. 

But our visitors and staff aren’t the only ones in fancy dress this time of year. 

Autumn is in full swing and recently we made some time to get out and enjoy it on a sunny afternoon.   Click here to see more autumn gems from the Heritage grounds on flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/heritagemuseumsandgardens/sets/72157625224042765/.

Museums Are For Everyone!

Museums are for everyone. But what does that mean in practice? Museums have spent decades trying to shed their stereotypical image as dry, musty places that are only for adults, where kids will be “shushed.”  Kids, as we know, are some of our most important visitors.

We try to include something for every age group in our exhibits, gardens, programs and events so that all our visitors feel welcome and engaged. Reaching a wide range of people means including elements that appeal to younger visitors as well as adults and that will spark conversation across generations. But it isn’t enough to just aim our efforts at “kids,” because even within childhood there is a range of audiences. The exhibit or craft that engages a twelve-year-old won’t appeal to a six-year-old or to a toddler. We have to take a layered approach in order to serve as many people as we can. 
 
Recently we saw a need to focus on some of our youngest visitors—those between the ages of 3-5 years. Our Education staff used what they know about how this age group learns to create three new interactive clubs that focus on different themes each time they meet.

The Little Museum Explorers Club is a fun way for young children and their families to get up-close and personal with our collection. Instead of reinforcing silence and barriers in a museum, we start conversations and look closely at historic objects and artworks to get children to actively relate to objects.

The Nature Explorers Club uses Heritage’s newest feature, Hidden Hollow, to help kids appreciate outdoor environments. Our gardens and trees are beautiful, but they are more than just a photo op! In this club, families can discover nature’s details both big and small to understand how various systems make up a habitat.

The Dirt Diggers Club celebrates a child’s love of getting down and dirty to foster hands-on learning about the world beneath our feet. Great for mud pies, dirt is also useful to plants, animals, and even humans. During this program, children get a little messy as they investigate such things as dirt, seeds, rocks, fossils and much more!

Find out more about these clubs here. Can’t make it? Here are some ways to help a child of this age have an amazing experience on your next museum visit:

• At this age, children can name familiar objects and animals. When walking around an art gallery, make a game of finding animals or other objects like toys, cars or flowers in the artwork.
  
• This is the perfect age to begin playing make-believe. Get their imaginations rolling when looking at objects in the museum. A model of a whaling ship could lead to a game of pretending to be aboard a ship at sea. What creatures would you see? Can you practice swabbing the deck? Be on the lookout for pirates!
  
• This is also the age when kids begin to understand contrasts. When looking at objects like bird carvings, ask your child to find one that is larger and one that is smaller.
  
• The emergence of literacy skills is extremely important at this age. Many museums have children’s books right in the gallery for families to enjoy. Even reading an exhibit label to your child can provide literacy skill development for them and a better understanding of the object for both of you!
  
• Finally, ask questions! A simple question asked of your child about a museum object, such as “What do you think the small box is on the side of that antique car?” can spark a discussion that leads to improved memory and comprehension for them and a more memorable experience for you both.

 

Why We Feel Like Rock Stars

Parents aren’t the only ones who look forward to the start of a new school year.  Our Education Department certainly does, too.  Soon they’ll be welcoming preschoolers, high school students and everyone in between to the museum to participate in one of 23 engaging programs.  Our museum educators and docents also take the museum on the road, visiting over 50 public and private schools on the Cape and Islands each year.  The eight different lessons they teach feature real artifacts from the museum’s teaching collection. 

The staff and volunteers who teach these programs say it is an incredibly rewarding experience.  They witness students who struggle in a traditional classroom setting excelling during a hands-on lesson, amazing their teachers and classmates, or share in those “lightbulb moments,” when a student makes the connection between history and his or her own life. 

Those wonderful moments don’t end with the conclusion of the lessons, however.  Some of the most fun our staff has at the office is when they receive fan mail.  Okay, they’re really student thank-you notes and, yes, perhaps their teachers made them write them, but their delight, enthusiasm and occasional weirdness (see:  4 Potato Sean) sure make us feel like rock stars.    

Here are some of our favorite pieces of recent fan mail:  

Aidan wants to go back in time to when knights fought dragons, when his grandpa was nine:

Kyle liked the military miniature collection best:

Kaleigh, a budding artist, does a beautiful job capturing our antique carousel:

 Sean really enjoyed the tiny sharp thing.  Whatever it was.

Heritage rocks!  Independently confirmed!

And finally, Luz wrote this note about our auto museum…and also her intense devotion to bacon.