BEMENT ROOM EXHIBIT An exhibit of donations from the last year

“All Aboard” with Hitty: A doll, a book, a conference
June 10-12, 2011
Hitty is a small doll that served as inspiration for Rachel Field’s Newbery award-winning
book, Hitty: Her First Hundred Years. She will be the central theme of this three day seminar
offered by our library (Funded in part by the Stockbridge Cultural Council). Speakers, panels
and participants will explore topics that include children’s literature, historical presentation in
books, folk art and popular culture, and the life and family of Rachel Field. The conference will
include walking tours of Stockbridge sites connected with the Field family, a Hitty Marketplace
of doll/craft vendors, and a private tea at the library. Special arrangements have been made
with a professional photographer for photos of your dolls with the original Hitty.
As part of the conference, an exhibit of the original Hitty and Hitty dolls brought by
conference participants will be presented for the public on Saturday afternoon. This is a rare
chance to see the variety of artistic approaches taken in reproducing a particular doll. Later
that evening, you and your Hitty will be able to take a train ride aboard the Berkshire Scenic
Railway. The public is also invited to join the ride with tickets costing $15 Adults, $5 Children
and Dolls are free.
Anyone wishing information about the conference or would like to volunteer during the
conference, please contact Barbara Allen – 298-5501 or [email protected].
----------------------------------------------------------Note: Many Thanks to Craig Moffatt who has done work on the Hitty case in the Museum and Archives
taking the case apart and replacing the glass sections.
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HITTY EXHIBITS
June 10 – 12 – Hitty and her accessories will be on view in the Bement Room.
June 11 (Sat.) -- The dolls of conference participants will be on display in the Bement Room.
During the month of June -- An exhibit of dolls will be on display in the downstairs lobby. The
exhibit will include International dolls, well-loved dolls and the Hitty and accessories made by Mr.
& Mrs. Ejner Handberg.
A display of materials related to Rachel Field, including a typescript and galley from her Hitty book
along with personal holiday greetings and letters (some of which were illustrated by Rachel), will
be on exhibited in the Museum.
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BEMENT ROOM EXHIBIT
An exhibit of donations from the
last year will be on display during
April and May in the upstairs
reading room.
PO EXHIBIT
The exhibit on the Post Office in Stockbridge will be on display in
the downstairs lobby through the end of May. Some very early
postmarks from Stockbridge prior to the use of stamps, on loan
from Robert and Ruth Markovits, will be on display in the Museum
and Archives room.
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A wooden box (possibly made by Elliot Decker) filled with glass marbles has been donated by
Harold French. Harold has also donated 3 pairs of spectacles, snowshoes, 2 pairs of women’s
shoes, a woman’s hair comb and a gentleman’s collar.
A crazy quilt (dated 1887) has been donated by Barbara Bracknell.
Town Hall research has been donated by Rick Wilcox.
A postcard and information on the Bullitt/Iasigi family was donated by Rick Gabhart.
A pair of child’s double bladed metal ice skates were rescued from the Talbot Center by Kathy
Beebe.
Materials on the Mohican Indians were donated by Warren Broderick and by Shirley Dunn.
A small display case for use in displays was donated by Pat Flinn.
WHERE COULD THIS HAVE BEEN? Jeffrey Bradway, one of our Library’s Shades, who does research
on local architects, unearthed this interesting newspaper clipping. The short article that accompanied the
above picture states “Housatonic, Aug. 4 -- Rangemore Hall, a 114-room hotel that will accommodate 250
guests is being built on the Glendale Road, just over the Stockbridge town line”. The heading states it is
“Now Under Construction”. The article also states that on the “hotel grounds there will eventually be an
18-hole golf course, tennis and handball courts and a swimming pool. In addition a horse stable with
accommodations for 15 mounts will be built. In addition to the hotel proper, 12 cottages will be built, eight
of which will accommodate five persons and the others, four persons. Separate quarters will be
constructed for employees of the hotel.” The spot on which it was being built must have been fairly
spacious to accommodate the hotel, cottages, employee’s quarters, stables and all the amenities.
Does anyone know anything about this place, why it was subsequently never built or where it was
scheduled to be built? If it was under construction, the mere size of it should have been noticed.
The newspaper clipping above is from the Stockbridge Library Museum & Archives files showing the
Wurtzbachs in their electric car 103 years ago. It seems that the automotive industry should have spent a
little more effort in the research and development of an electric car over that period of time than they
have.
DID YOU KNOW?
On the south side of Plain Street (currently Main St.) was a potash works. A deed mentions it in 1795 in approximately
the location of today’s houses at 8 and 10 Main Street.
(Note – Potash is potassium carbonate, especially the crude impure form obtained from wood ashes which is used in
the manufacture of soap, glass and potassium salts.)
To the east, ran a tannery by successive owners who were cordwainers. The tannery is mentioned in deeds in 1794 and
1805 in the location of 12 Main Street. The cordwainers were Isaiah Byington and Elisha Peck.
(Note a cordwainer is “one who makes shoes from cordovan leather – a shoemaker or cobbler” Cordovan leather is “a
soft smooth leather originally made at Cordoba, Spain of goatskin but later made also of split horsehide, pigskin, etc.)
(Information from the Stockbridge Historical Commission’s Files at the Museum & Archives)
MUSEUM & ARCHIVES HOURS
Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 9-5, Thursdays 9-1 and Saturdays 9-2
If you plan to spend time researching, it is always a good idea to call (298-5501) to check for availability.