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Archive for August, 2008

Moffatt-Ladd House Built in 1763

Thursday, August 14th, 2008

Today, we visited the Moffatt-Ladd House in Portsmouth, NH, built in 1763 and with a long history. Above is a side view. We were not allowed to take photos inside the spacious and well-decorated home. You can see a few pictures of the interior at this website, managed by the Colonial Dames of New Hampshire:

http://www.moffattladd.org/home.html

Ideas I took home with me: The bed hangings, etc. in the yellow (bedroom) are made of wool damask. The spools of the main stairway consisted of hand-turned wooden designs, set in repeats of three, with each set having a different style of design. This house was built and owned by a rich, shipping magnet of the day, and his home reflects high-style wall-coverings and furniture. The opulent interior was decorated in direct contrast to the sparsely-furnished quarters where the black servants lived on the 3rd floor, with a short, rope bed, and broken or mismatched pottery in the room.

The garden was absolutely lovely. A Horsechestnut tree, planted in 1776, stands on one edge of the property. With a spread of about 70 feet, according to a postcard, this tree is the “Milennium Landmark Tree for the State of New Hampshire.” What I also noticed right away was the gift shop with its enticing items, including one that is a constant lure for me:� books.

The staff was pleasant, and our guide, Gwen, was very knowledgeable. There were many painted portraits on the walls and she knew the names of everyone and how they were related, and moreover, how many children they� had, and all the internal workings of relationships.

We thoroughly enjoyed seeing the interior furnishings. It was surprising to learn that James Whipple was one of three people from New Hampshire who signed the Declaration of Independence. This historic site is well worth the trip, as is Portsmouth, in general, with its ocean views, Portsmouth Fabric Co., Strawbery Banke Museum, and seafood restaurants. We love the old architecture there, and we especially note the wide doorways to accomodate flowing skirts of the era, and the “Widow’s Walk” that you can see atop the roof in the first photo here.

Patricia Cummings

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Putting Life on Hold

Tuesday, August 12th, 2008

At one time or another, we are all guilty of putting our lives on hold, sometimes because we have to, and sometimes because we want to do so. I say to myself, I’d like to start swimming again and in the next breath, I figure that I should buy a new bathing suit. How many of us have said that we will do such and such “after we retire?” My father wanted to travel to Ireland. He didn’t. He died before he could retire.

For the last six months, I’ve put my life on hold, pretty much, saying that when I finish a certain manuscript, things will get back to normal. I’m still awaiting that completion and that thought.

My point is this:� Sometimes it is important to wait until another time, and sometimes, we should enjoy life while it is here. I’m sure that both of my brothers thought they had more time, yet both died of a heart condition at 50 and 53. I’ve already outlived them, and I have the same medical condition.

For that reason, I value my time, and I dislike other people wasting it. As the TV commercial says, “I have just this one life to live.” I second the motion. In fact, I’d add that I am glad that I only have to go through this life once. I hope that I’ve absorbed some good lessons along the way. Somehow, I don’t stop making mistakes. Call it being human. You are allowed the privilege, too.

I came across a quote that I like a lot, especially in regard to history. “You are entitled to your own opinions, but you are not entitled to your own facts.” = Daniel Patrick Moynihan

We’d best keep that in mind. A fact is what actually happened and a story is your opinion of what might have happened, or could have happened, but did not necessarily happen.

I am a workaholic and it is no secret that I could make a whole career out of correcting the stupid misrepresentations of the facts, as presented by other so-called historians and quilt historians. Yes, they mean well. So did Hitler, or so he thought.

My message is two-fold. Build some enjoyment into your life or you will soon become bitter and resentful. Find fun things you used to do, and reinvent the process. Part of fun is getting the facts straight. There is accountability in this life … and the next. Enjoy every moment. We never know how many are left. As we take our last breath, I can guarantee you that we will not be saying that we wished we’d cleaned the oven more often. Personally, I am looking for a quality life, as I know I may not have as much time as others. There is no expectation to live to 101 for me. In the meantime, I’ll contribute what I can, and try less and less to put the things that make life worthwhile … on hold. I hope you do the same.

Patricia Cummings

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Madison Historical Society News

Monday, August 11th, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

11 AUGUST�2008

�

VISIONS OF A WHITE MOUNTAIN PALLETTE, THE LIFE AND TIMES OF CHARLES A. HUNT, IS RELEASED; AUTHOR ROY BUBB AND MADISON HISTORICAL SOCIETY ANNOUNCE TALK AND BOOK SIGNING, THURSDAY, AUGUST 14, 2008, 7PM.

The Madison Historical Society will hold a talk and book signing with Roy Bubb, author of Visions from a White Mountain Pallette, The Life and Times of Charles A. Hunt, on Thursday, August 14, 2008, at 7pm, at the MHS Building at the corner of Village Road (Route 113) and East Madison Road. The program is free and open to the public. Copies of the book will be available for purchase for $40. Mr. Bubb will contribute 100% of the sale of each book to the Madison Historical Society Building Restoration Fund.

About the Book

Who was Charles A. Hunt? Roy Bubb, Madison Historical Society docent, was often asked that question from visitors, and so he began researching the life and work of this little-known artist. Bubb uncovered Hunt�s life in Nashua, New Hampshire, and his ties to Madison families.� He found old photographs related to Hunt and his family. Interviews with Hunt�s cousins shed light on unanswered questions. The author discovered other paintings, not in the MHS collection, that were attributed to the artist. Bubb visited many Madison homesteads that were subjects of Hunt paintings. Subsequently, he uncovered history on the early settlers in town, who struggled to farm the rocky hillsides.

A native of Madison, Charles A. Hunt (1852- 1930) painted the farms of his hometown. In the manner of other White Mountain artists, he painted views of Mount Chocorua, the Saco River Valley, and Mount Washington. Bubb�s book includes critique from art historian, Charlotte Colby Anderson, who describes Hunt�s �wonderful sense of color� and �his excellent feel for composition.� All of this skill shows �a painterly ability in a supposedly untaught painter.�

Bubb located 20 paintings, some privately owned, and others from several museums. Perhaps this publication will uncover more works of art by Hunt, and he will once again be known for his artistic talents. Upon his death in Nashua, where he lived for 60 years, he was described in his obituary as �a landscape artist of considerable note.�

Visions from a White Mountain Pallette, The Life and Times of Charles A. Hunt, was published in 2008 by Peter E. Randall Publisher LLC, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Book cost is $40, which includes shipping and handling in the continental United States. Copies may be obtained through the Madison Historical Society, PO Box 505, Madison, NH, 03849; by e-mail at ghostduster@roadrunner.com; or through their website, http://madisonhistorical.us/.�

About The Author

Roy Bubb was born in Orleans County in western New York State of a farm family. Educated in the New York State University system, he taught in Niagara Falls, New York, later spending 25 years as Assistant Professor at the College of Brockport, State University of New York.

Upon retiring to Silver Lake, New Hampshire, he became interested in the artistic works of Charles A. Hunt, an unknown White Mountain painter, who spent many years in the Madison area between 1852- 1930. The author, in his research, relied on the recollection from distant cousins for information on this reclusive artist.

Prior to this book, Roy Bubb wrote his memoirs, Memories of Manning Corners, which was published by the New York Historical Society.

��

MHS PRESENTS CAROL FOORD IN �DOLLY COPP� ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 21, 2008, 7PM.

The Madison Historical Society presents local historian, Carol Foord, in the theatrical program, �Dolly Copp,� on Thursday, August 21, 2008, 7pm, at the MHS Building at the corner of Village Road (Route 113) and East Madison Road. The program is free and open to the public. Donations are gratefully accepted. Refreshments will be served.

�

For more information, contact:

Robin M. Tagliaferri Ferreira

Madison Historical Society Secretary

Madison Historical Society

PO Box 505

Madison, NH 03849

(603) 367-8684

ferreirarobin@yahoo.com

http://madisonhistorical.us/�

�

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Sunday Thoughts

Sunday, August 10th, 2008

On Sundays, my thoughts often turn to putting life in perspective. I don’t dwell on the hereafter, but I often wonder how many more days will be my allotment. I mourn all the quilts I did not have the time to make, but were �good ideas.� I struggle with a sense of isolation that any serious writer, painter, or quilter would have. One cannot work effectively when there are a lot of people milling around. I think about lost opportunities, and I wonder what other chances lie ahead. I consider what people will say about me, when I’m gone. Then I laugh and tell myself that whatever is said can’t be any worse than the chatter that has occurred while I’m still above ground.

I ponder the relationships I’ve had. Some, in fact, many, have turned sour, sometimes because of my intolerance for laziness, drunkenness, and fornication. People choose their �sins� and often try to disguise them by writing them off to narcissism and ego. This past week, we had an example of that flaunted under our noses, just for turning on the TV news. The pretty boy of the primary just committed political suicide. Or did he? Washington seems to overlook these little personality quirks like cheating on one’s wife while she is undergoing a serious illness.

So, you see, thoughts about the here and now, and the hereafter, as they affect me, quickly slips to an analysis of the behavior of other people who have seemed to have missed the boat in a far greater way. Yet, they are them, and I am me. At the end, we are told that we shall all be responsible and accountable for our own behavior, not anyone else’s.

Those are a few of my thoughts this Sunday morning, as I again turn to the project that has overwhelmed practically every waking minute for more than six months now. I have been reading and studying the lives of those who were morally upright and who did make a positive difference due to their beliefs and their actions. You see, both belief and action are necessary to be effective in this world. Anyone is sadly mistaken if entrapped by the notion of getting ahead, via devious means, or beating the other guy down. Yet, this happens, even within the realm of the �quilt world.� I would rather give away everything I have than to be caught in the web of greed that seems to overshadow the souls of many.

Have a wonderful day today! Do something nice for yourself … like taking a bubble bath! Do something nice for someone else … like baking a cake! In this life, we only regret the things we did not do.

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

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Nice Textile Exhibit at ATHM

Sunday, August 10th, 2008