The Nantucket Historical Association (NHA) is hosting two special presentations this weekend in their Whaling Museum, 13 Broad Street. This Friday, September 15, at 7 pm, The world-famous Walden Chamber Players returns for a Nantucket performance. Founded in 1997, the Walden Chamber Players are considered one of the most exciting …
Commonly asked questions and misunderstandings about antiques… and the odd or end fascinating bit! What are those little brass torpedoes attached to long ropes? They are ship’s logs and were used by sailors to measure their speed under weigh at sea. Ever since sailors first ventured out of sight of …
Commonly asked questions and misunderstandings about antiques… and the odd or end fascinating bit! We have been making models of ships for thousands of years…wonderful examples have survived from ancient Egypt. Miniature models of a ship in a bottle have fascinated us since the 18th, perhaps even 17th Centuries. What …
Commonly asked questions and misunderstandings about antiques… and the odd or end fascinating bit! In the dark ages, homes were lit by horribly smoky and evil smelling fat lamps and grease candles. The superior and extremely expensive beeswax candle was reserved for churches and nobility. The success of the whale …
Commonly asked questions and misunderstandings about antiques… and the odd or end fascinating bit! The wee cousin to a marlin spike or fid, these little ivory or bone carved “needles” are the most common form of scrimshaw. Sailors crafted bodkins in an endless variety of forms and sizes, presents for …
The Nantucket Summer Antiques Show is back for it’s second year, opening in the Nantucket Boy’s and Girl’s Club at 61 Sparks Avenue this Friday, August 11. According to Kaye Gregg, Director of Shows, “We were delighted with the reception to last year’s show, and this year the show promises …
Commonly asked questions and misunderstandings about antiques… and the odd or end fascinating bit! On board ships (and now in antiques shops) one often finds whale oil lamps, candleholders, compasses and barometers held by hinged circular frames that pivot so that the instrument remains ever upright and even, no matter …
Commonly asked questions and misunderstandings about antiques… and the odd or end fascinating bit! If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it must be a duck… except when it comes to pool tables. As various outdoor ball games were brought inside from the 15th Century onwards, …
The Nantucket Historical Association (NHA) is pleased to announce the return of the silent film Down to the Sea in Ships (1922), with live piano accompaniment by Grammy Award-nominated pianist Jennifer Maxwell at the Whaling Museum, 13 Broad Street, on Wednesday, July 19 at 7 pm. This one-night only performance …