7PM, Thursday April 15th 2010 at Westport Public Library Community Room
408 Old County Road, Westport MA 02790
Temperance – the campaign to curtail the consumption of alcohol – was an important reform movement in the 19th century. Westport had a number of active temperance groups, and one of the most effective and controversial was the Washingtonians, who shot to prominence in 1840, only to be crowded out by competing abstinence groups by mid-century. Their building at the Head of Westport, Washingtonian Hall (c. 1842), still exists near its original location. Tony Connors, President of Westport Historical Society, will relate the story of the movement as it transformed into Prohibition in the 1920s, and show how the building has adapted to change over the past 170 years.
This program is free and open to all. Refreshments will be served. For more information please contact Westport Historical Society 508 636 6011
Maryalice Huggins discusses her newly published book Aesop’s Mirror, A Love Story
4PM, Sunday March 14th 2010 at Macomber Community House
930 Main Road, Westport MA 02790
Aesop’s Mirror is the story about an antique restorer’s obsession with a mirror she bought at a country auction in Rhode Island in 1995. The rococo style of the frame is based on a fable, The Fox and the Grapes. In a search to discover the frame’s maker, and what period it was manufactured, the reader is introduced to players in the high-end world of antiques and decorative arts. In the process of seeking documentation, the narrator traces the mirror back to the original owners, the Woods, a wealthy 19th century family from Providence. There are elements of a love story, of mid-19th century politics, of insider gossip about today’s restoration/antiques business, of curatorial education, of a treasure hunt. The book addresses the mystery of why we are attracted to rare and beautiful things.
Maryalice Huggins is a restorer and gilder of antique mirrors. She has worked for museums, interior decorators, and private collectors. For more information please contact Westport Historical Society 508 636 6011