~  Something New  ~

Daguerreotypes including one depicting Nathaniel Corwin

Recent Acquisitions to the Permanent Collection 2005-2006

The exhibition will open to the public on Saturday, March 3, 2007 and will run through Sunday, May 6, 2007.

"Every year numerous objects, papers, photographs, and other items make their way to the Society by gift or purchase," stated Geoffrey Fleming, the Society's Director.  "This exhibition will give the public a chance to view a selection of items accepted over the past two years that they might not otherwise see," he continued.  According to Fleming many of the objects would not normally go on view as they often are placed directly into storage to be preserved.  In the future many will be used by visiting researchers and for coming exhibitions.

2005 and 2006 were very good years for the acquisition of items relating to local history.  Between the two years over 100 gifts were received totaling more than 750 individual albums, photographs, letters, diaries, paintings, furniture, and other kinds of materials.  There are several highlights, including:

- An American Powder Horn, made at Southold c. 1760-1790.  The rarity of powder horns that are associated with Long Island is well known.  But it is especially rare to locate a horn that is directly associated with a particular village, hamlet, or township.

The horn is inscribed "Conkling - Made at Southold - Made by GB."  The Conkling (also spelled Concklin and Conklin) name is connected to one of the Island's oldest and most distinguished families.  The question of which member of the Conkling family owned and used this horn may never truly be known though there are many possibilities - though it is likely the horn saw service during the Revolutionary War.  Around the time of the War of 1812 the powder horn was cut down.  This was because the long horns that had been popular at the time of the Revolution were no longer in fashion.  Even with this alteration the surface decorations and inscriptions - including depictions of naval ships and small houses - survive today in excellent condition.

- A collection includes 13 books and ledgers that document nearly three-quarters of the history of Horton Point Lighthouse, beginning in 1871 and completing in 1934, the year the Southold Park District acquired the Lighthouse from the U.S. Government.  The Lighthouse opened in 1857 and these records cover all but the first 14 years of its original period of operation.  They include materials for the terms of Lighthouse Keepers Daniel Goldsmith (1871-1877), George S. Prince (1877-1896), Robert E. Ebbitts (1896-1903), Stella Prince (Acting Keeper, 1903-1904), Robert E. Ebbitts (1904-1919), and George Erhardt (1919-1933).

- A collection of 19th century clothing owned by members of the Carpenter family of Southold.  The family was very prominent in the community and these pieces are in excellent condition with unusually complete ensembles.  Most of the clothing was made for the women of the Carpenter family, and includes skirts, bodices, cummerbunds, coats, etc.  The Society is lucky to also own one of the only known wooden looms that was built in Southold (c. 1800) by one of the Carpenter family's ancestors.  The clothing is a wonderful addition.

There are many other objects that will be on display during this exhibition, including examples of letters, diaries, documents, photographs, paintings, furniture, pottery, porcelain, etc.  This exhibition will run from March 3, 2007 through May 6, 2007 and will be open on Saturdays and Sundays, 1-4 pm and by appointment.

The exhibition will be on display in the Mayne Gallery, located in the Society's Ann Currie-Bell House at the Museum Complex on the Corner of Maple Lane and Main Road, Southold.