The exhibit is the third in the ongoing Marblehead 101 series.
Life in Marblehead as the 18th century ended and the 19th century began was distinctly different from the colonial and revolutionary periods. The United States was new, full of excitement and pride at its success, and earnest in its striving for high ideals.
The war of independence had made the United States a new nation, but English influences on architecture and style remained strong, and would never be removed from the culture. As the 18th century drew to a close, Georgian architecture began to change in England and in the United States, reflecting new ideas.
The Federal period, from 1780 through 1830, was a time of political and cultural development of the United States in every aspect of life. The founding generation chose to associate with the ancient democracies of Greece and Rome. The new Federal style was associated with America’s national identity. Independence, and democratic ideals were affirmed in government, politics and the arts and culture. The new America was to be the Athens of the new world, a center of democracy.
The Federal style was associated with America’s national identity. New state and national buildings reflected the philosophical goals of the United States. Details inspired by the world’s greatest democracies, Greece and Rome, were incorporated, using swags, garlands, urns and columns. The styles in architecture were reflected in furniture, fashion and all the arts, as America strived to create a new kind of society.
March 15 through September, 2012
Marblehead in Black & White: Recollections 2010. An exhibit of early photographs documenting daily life in 19th century Marblehead – when bicycles ruled the byways and life by the seaside seemed a little less complicated. The exhibit is sure to evoke nostalgia for some visitors, and daydreams for others.
The Masons in Colonial Marblehead. The Marblehead Lodge, originally known as St. John’s Lodge was chartered in 1760, and is the 3rd oldest Masonic Lodge in the Massachusetts. The organization’s name was changed to Philanthropic Lodge in 1797 when Paul Revere was the Grand Master of Masons in Massachusetts. Since the 18th-century, the Masons have assembled at various locations throughout Marblehead.
Saving the Lee Mansion. This exhibit celebrates the Centennial of the Marblehead Historical Society’s purchase of the Jeremiah Lee Mansion. Many of the Lee Mansion’s rare and exceptional features can still be seen because the Marblehead Historical Society’s ongoing commitment. Learn about the people who made it their mission to preserve this magnificent colonial Georgian home.
Gingerbread Festival 2009. Each December, the Museum partners with the Marblehead Family Fund, to host the Gingerbread Festival at the Jeremiah Lee Mansion. Since 2007, the event has grown by leaps and bounds. The entries – by both children and adults, businesses and schools — showcase extraordinary creativity in design and materials.
Show Me A Sign. Included in the exhibit are signs from local businesses spanning the past 100 years. Through those years, Marblehead has seen a thriving mix of shops, meeting the needs of residents and tourists, by supplying both simple and sophisticated goods and services.
Marblehead Decoys. It’s a craft turned art form. In Marblehead, decoy of waterfowl are known from the mid 19th century. The decoys on display represent both known and unknown carvers. Three of the best known and recognized carvers are 19th-century artisans Captain S.A. Fabens, William Harris and 20th-century craftsman, Captain Gerald Smith.
Gingerbread Festival 2008. Once again, the Museum partnered with the Marblehead Family Fund for this family-friendly event. The Lee Mansion was transformed into a “gingerbread wonderland,” with this year’s record 61 entries in 5 categories.
Marblehead Watercolors. Ingrid Selmer-Larsen, (1913-2005) was an accomplished decorative artist, and the youngest founding member of the Marblehead Arts Association. Selmer-Larsen rarely exhibited her paintings during her lifetime. On loan from her family, these watercolors have never been shown before.
Pirates & Privateers of Marblehead. Marblehead was vulnerable to pirates from its earliest settlement, and pirates often plundered the town. Legends and tales of pirates, and their evil deeds are part of the history and charm of Marblehead. Seafaring patriotic privateers are also part of Marblehead’s lore. They fought and captured ships, men and treasure to help the revolutionary war cause. Privateers were like pirates in many ways, except they had letters of marque, which gave them permission to steal. The exhibit will explore the similarities and differences between pirates and privateers.
The Art of Coupling. View three centuries of Marblehead couples through images, ceramics, paintings and silhouettes. Learn the stories of Marblehead’s husbands and wives. Compare clothing, portraiture and styles through the centuries — from the 1700s to the mid-20th century.
Gingerbread Festival 2007. Throughout Christmas Walk weekend, the first floor of the Lee Mansion was decked out with unique displays of Gingerbread Houses, available for bid via a “penny raffle”. This event was a benefit for the Marblehead Family Fund and the Museum.
Celebrating 75 Years of the Marblehead (M50/800) Class Model Yachts. Organized by the Marblehead Model Yacht Club (MMYC), the exhibit features models, artifacts, posters and pictures documenting the history of the M-Class model yacht.
Off the Wall: Wallpapers from the Lee Mansion. The Lee Mansion’s magnificent scenic wallpapers are famous as the only hand-painted 18th-century English mural papers still in place, and one of only two sets surviving in the world.
Marblehead Summer Whites. Summer is a state of mind, as well as a season. The exhibit presented paintings, clothing, furniture and decorative arts that are icons of summer.
Treasures from the Marblehead Museum Collection. This magnificent exhibit featured a choice selection of 18th and 19th century items – many from Boston’s North Shore.
Burgess of Marblehead: People, Places and Planes. The exhibit explored the pioneering aviation work of Starling Burgess, whose Marblehead airplane factory produced some of the most innovative airplanes and sea-planes of the early 20th-century.
Marblehead Pottery: A Centennial Celebration. The exhibition featured more than 100 pieces of the hand-crafted pottery, which are among the most prized examples of the Arts and Crafts design movement in America in the early 1900s.
From Marblehead with Love. An exhibit of Valentines featuring cards, jewelry and other romantic-themed decorative objects, spanning two centuries — from the late 19th century to today.