The Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) biological collections’ oldest specimen is the Wood Fern (pictured above). Maria Louisa Owen, an expert in mosses and moss-like plants, collected this fern in 1879. This was during the height of “Pteridomania” – also known as the Victo- rian fern craze – which was sweeping […]
Recent Posts
A Taste of Summer Sunshine
~ by Jessica Taryn Daub ~ Fresh tomatoes are a taste of summer sunshine, and the farms on Nantucket grow many varieties of delicious vine-ripened tomatoes: standard, heirloom, cherry, plum, and more! Our favorite way to partake is a tomato sandwich: thick, juicy slices sprinkled with sea salt and pepper […]
Follow the Yellow Brick Road
More than 50 children ranging in age from 6 to 14 are reveling in the joy of performance as they follow the yellow brick road in the Children’s Theater production of the beloved family musical adventure The Wizard of Oz. These participants in The Dreamland’s Young Performers troup take audiences […]
Mer’s Anchored Artists at Samuel Owen Gallery
Nantucket is one of the most beautiful and picturesque places in the world. If there isn’t a scene fit for a painting in front of you now, you probably just have to turn your head. To most of us, though, painting is an art form left to the professionals. Now, […]
A Pair of Shows Filled with Fun
There are just a few more performances at Theatre Workshop of Nantucket of two fun musicals: Annie Get Your Gun and The Full Monty. Showcasing comedy on different ends of the spectrum, these shows are playing in repertory, so there’s still time (but not much) to see both! Irving Berlin’s Annie […]
Antiques Snippets – Ships Logs
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 […]
Print Collaborative & Artist/Patron Exhibit This Week
This Saturday, August 20, the Artists Association of Nantucket (AAN) is hosting their second annual Donn Russell Print Collaborative at their Visual Arts Center, 24 Amelia Drive. Free and open to all, this day of events will be held from 10 am to 3 pm. The print collaborative provides printmakers […]
Getting So Close – Autism Speaks
~ by Robert P. Barsanti ~ I am trying to get my son to shave. Ever since he was in seventh grade, he has grown a phenomenal beard; a dense thicket of wiry red bristles. After eight hours, a shadow appears. In two days, a low growth spreads across his […]
A Look Back … Segregation on Nantucket
by Amy Jenness Despite its reputation as a 19th century antislavery stronghold, Nantucket’s first generations of European settlers owned slaves and the process of integrating the island has at times been a difficult one. In 1659, nine English families purchased large portions of the island and came here to establish […]
Family Excursions – Nantucket Field Station
by Corinne Muffly, Educator A series of articles dedicated to helping parents find places and activities on Nantucket to enjoy with their children. I’m going to let you in on a little island treasure. The Nantucket Field Station just may be one of the best-kept secrets on island. The sprawling […]