e-Newsletter | December 10, 2021
The MOON Shines Bright over Holiday Open House Weekend

The Museum of Old Newbury welcomed over 500 visitors to December 4 & 5’s Holiday Open House. 

The in-person opening was the first since 2019 and featured an explosion of horticultural creativity thanks to the expertise of the Newburyport Garden Club, the Newbury Garden Club, the West Newbury Garden Club, the Horticultural Society of Newburyport and Lillian Newbert, who contributed the exterior door decorations. Admission was free thanks to the support of our members. (Not a member? Join here.) 

Bob Watts, board member and photographer extraordinaire shares, "We at the MOON are 'Over the Moon' with the beauty that has been created and we give sincere thanks to the Horticultural Society of Newburyport, Lillian Newbert, as well as the Newbury, Newburyport and West Newbury Garden Clubs for their wonderful displays.” A collection of his photos from the weekend are included below.

Lois Walker Valeo, board member and coordinator of this now-returned annual tradition, shares, “This year’s execution is absolutely incredible. We are very grateful for the decorators' spirit, dedication and talent.”
We are ready for our close-up, Mr. Watts. Bob Watts captures the perfect light as it hits the Museum of Old Newbury's High Street entrance. Door decoration by Lillian Newbert.
Dining Room decorations by the Newburyport Garden Club.
Margaret's Parlor decorations by the Newbury Garden Club.
China Trade Room & Fruit Street Hallway decorations by Newburyport Horticultural Society.
Main and Garden Hallway decorations by West Newbury Garden Club.
Rounding out the weekend was the Members' Holiday Party. Delicious food, live music from The Portermen and O’Carolan, Etc., kept spirits bright.

Bethany Groff Dorau, executive director, Museum of Old Newbury, concludes, “This weekend felt like a homecoming for so many of the folks who visited the museum. It is a part of the life of this community in a way that I did not fully understand until now. What a pleasure it was to see friends and neighbors and welcome folks who are new to us and to the community! And of course none of it would have been possible without the work of numerous talented designers, garden clubs, volunteers and dedicated staff, board, and committee members.” 

Many thanks to our volunteers, docents, The Portermen, O’Carolan, Etc. and everyone who helped to make this year’s Holiday Open House weekend a resounding success.
The Portermen (l-r), Ron Schmidt, James Dorau, Jay Iannini, Chris O'Donnell, Shawn Kinneen and Tim Fountain, were joined by O'Carolan, Etc. (l-r), Adrienne Howard, Cynthia McIntire and Richard Luecke, to provide the Members' Holiday Party entertainment.
Graham McKay, Lowell's Boat Shop, and Bethany Groff Dorau, executive director of the Museum of Old Newbury, celebrate his first visit to the museum.
Former Museum of Old Newbury President Jane Wild and Collections Committee Member Monica Reuss enjoy the dining room decor. Members mix and mingle the evening away.
Editor's note: for more photos, click here, here and here. Many thanks to Bob Watts for his keen eye and exemplary photographic skills.
Look no Further, the Perfect Stocking Stuffer is Here: The 2022 "It Could be Worse" Calendar!

Each month of the It Could Be Worse: A 2022 Calendar of Local Disasters features a different image of a Newbury-area disaster. The photos and broadsides span the 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. The block-style calendar is perfect for jotting down appointments and reminders; and a notes section at the end is perfect to keep important numbers and names.

The 12-month calendar measures 11"Wx17"L when opened; 11"Wx8.5"L when closed and is printed on heavy, semi-gloss paper. Informative text and image credits accompanies each month's selection. A preview calendar of 2023 precedes the notes page at the end.

Starting at $18 each for members who stop by the museum to pick up, this calendar is perfect for gift giving. Click here to order.
Annual Fund 2021 – Keep a look out!

William Pitt, the British Prime Minister whose statue graced the parapet of the Lord Timothy Dexter House at 201 High Street, Newburyport, Mass., was best known for efficiency and fiscal responsibility.

And he's looking out the window of the Museum of Old Newbury, hoping to spot your Annual Fund gift on its way to us.
 
Watch your post for an informative and fun mailing from us soon, or if you prefer, make your Annual Fund donation now at: https://www.newburyhistory.org/donate. 

William Pitt says thank you (though he doesn't understand the internet).
Running now through the end of the year, the team at the MOON will share their favorite family recipes, including a blog about its evolution and the significance of the item. Next week, Kristen shares another delicious treat.
Across the Miles...a recipe and guest blog by Susan C.S. Edwards
My mother was an inveterate writer of letters from her youth almost until the time she died. She was a teenager when she began a correspondence with two foreign pen pals, one of whom became a life-long friend. The other, a young Parisian girl, died of tuberculosis in the 1950s.

In this world of instant messaging and social media, this tale may seem strangely archaic, but its impact spanned two generations. Pen pals, popular throughout the 20th century, although less common today, were almost always strangers who built friendships almost solely on their correspondence and, through letters and postcards, shared their cultures and made global connections.

Such was the case with my mother's friendship with Mia Janssen in the Netherlands. They corresponded throughout their young unmarried years and then lost contact during World War II. After my sister and I were born, my mother was able to track down her friend (and growing family) living in Roermond, Netherlands. There were several children, and my mother hoped my sister and I would carry on a tradition of international friendships. And we did, for many years, with constant letters written on thin blue airmail stationery speeding back and forth across the Atlantic.
The Edwards family seated around the reel-to-reel tape recorder speaking to the Janssen family. The reporter/photographer from The Berkshire Eagle, our local newspaper, is seen in the mirror over the sofa. This was breaking news in the 1950s.
Captivated by this cross-cultural experience, my father who was a professor of French, Spanish and German came home one day with a large reel-to-reel tape recorder, and we gathered in the living room around the big box and spoke to our friends, sang songs and shared family traditions.

Mia's husband Jo was also a professor, and the entire Janssen family spoke impeccable English. At Christmastime, we learned about Sint Nicolaas whose feast day is December 6, and we sent photos, small gifts, and books and magazines back and forth.

In the 1970s and 1980s, my mother traveled to England to see family every few years, and she reached out to Mia to see whether they might meet. So many times, when pen pals meet, there is a concern whether they will like each other. No need to worry in this case. The two women became even closer, and Mia and one of her daughters traveled to Massachusetts to stay with my parents in 1996.

Another thing that was shared were treasured recipes. One of the favorites was Gehakt, loosely translated, Dutch meatballs. These were a favorite of my father. When he moved to Maine after my mother died, I made Gehakt every year for a birthday treat.

Today would have been his 104th birthday.
Robert Edwards (1917-2012). The pen pals in 1996, their last visit together, Elizabeth Edwards (left), Mia Janssen (right).
Gehakt

1 pound ground beef and 1 pound of ground lean pork, mixed together
1 onion chopped fine and sautéed in butter until lightly brown
4 slices of bread soaked in 1/2 cup milk
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg, pepper to taste, 1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix all ingredients together and form into patties. Roll in flour and brown well in 2 tablespoons butter in an iron skillet. Add water to partially cover and simmer for 1 hour. Add one can good quality tomato paste and heat to make a gravy. Serve with buttered mashed potatoes with a pinch of nutmeg. Note: The cooking time is calibrated for a meatball the size of a plump hamburger. Adjust if you are making small meatballs.
Gehakt (Courtesy image.)
Learn about upcoming programs, register, find Zoom links and catch up on previous presentations here. All of our virtual programs are free, however donations are gratefully accepted to help defray speaker fees.
December Programs
Newburyport's Annual William Lloyd Garrison Lecture featuring Edward Carson
Friday, December 10, 2021 | 7:00 p.m.
Old South Presbyterian Church | 29 Federal Street, Newburyport, MA

Every year, Newburyport celebrates William Lloyd Garrison's legacy on his birthday with a lecture from a well-known author, historian, or public speaker about Garrison's life, and how it is still relevant today.

This year the talk is “The Gospel According to William Lloyd Garrison: Anti-Racism and the American Truth” and will be given by Edward Carson, the Dean of Multicultural Education at the Governor’s Academy and a leading organizer and activist in the Greater Boston area. Carson will discuss Garrison’s relevancy in twenty-first century issues like voting rights, Critical Race Theory, and Black political thought.

Join us in-person (masks required for attendees) on December 10, 2021 at the Old South Presbyterian Church in Newburyport at 7:00 p.m. For more information and to watch live go to lecture.porthistory.com. No registration required.
Museum of Old Newbury joins AJH Aid Association Holiday House Tour

Enjoy festive holiday vignettes and scenes on neighborhood home porches, front lawns and driveways.

The Museum of Old Newbury is excited to be a part of this fun, outdoor-only (contactless) twist on the AJH Aid Association's traditional event!

Tickets can be purchased here for a discounted price of $30, or day-of for $35. 

Photo credit: Bob Watts; decoration by Lillian Newbert.
The Civil War: Crucible of American Christmas
In-person Event | 98 High Street, Newburyport, MA 01950

Bill Hallett, a former radio announcer covering Baltimore to Boston, as well as locally at 100.3 WHEB and 92.5 the River, has always had a passion for the past with an emphasis on Civil War history.

A re-enactor and board member of two Civil War Roundtables, he’s given talks on various Civil War topics from Maine to Maryland. He stumbled upon some small stories of soldiers at Christmas and further digging brought him to his topic, “The Civil War: Crucible of American Christmas.”

He will take us through the early years, when Americans did or didn’t celebrate Christmas, depending on their location in the new country. But with European immigrants arriving in the early 19th century, the American Civil War accelerated the customs and manners nationally bringing the holiday to what we know today. 

When the Civil War began, Christmas was slowly on the verge of becoming what we see now, but as with many parts of our culture, the war accentuated and promoted such a holiday. We owe so much of our American Christmas customs to the years 1861-1865, as the country fought itself. Small customs in various corners or part of the country, emerged with new national traditions that are still carried on today.


This is an in-person event. Free for members of the Museum of Old Newbury; $10 for non-members. Not a member? Join now by clicking here.
LAST CHANCE: Be sure to play "Yeat Yeat, Don't Tell Me!" before end of day, Dec. 10

An extra week has been added to participate in this month's "Yeat Yeat, Don't Tell Me!" quiz.

Enjoy Jack Santos and Colleen Turner Secino's witty riposte here or skip right to the questions by typing joinmyquiz.com/pro into your browser, then enter the code 5771 9233 to join. As of today, Chrunch is in the lead with six correct answers.

Remember to hit "SUBMIT" in the bottom right corner after making your selection for the answer. NOTE: this is a timed quiz, so read the questions and get your choice made as quickly as possible.
Puzzle Me This...

C.S. Harrison Milk Wagon

This photograph of the milk wagon of C.S. Harrison, Newbury, portrays a delivery being made at the corner of Fair and Prospect Streets in Newburyport.

From the collections of the Museum of Old Newbury.

Click on image to begin.
During this difficult period of COVID-19, we rely on your support more than ever. We continue to develop new, online programs for you to enjoy and keep us connected and look forward to in-person events as protocols for safety loosen. We hope, if you are able, that you will consider a donation to the museum. Thank you for your continued support.

Museum e-Newsletter made possible through the
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Museum of Old Newbury
98 High Street
Newburyport, MA 01950
978-462-2681