We don’t know if the gathering in this top photo took place on New Year’s Eve, but one thing we’re sure of is that Mary Williams Wood, the proprietess of the Shagwong Tavern, knew how to throw a good party. Kathleen Warren donated these two gems. She identified the celebratory group as “Nell (Wilson), Frances,… Read more »
John Gordon was a “Student Pastor” when he came to Montauk in 1936. He appears to have held that designation for about a year, until some time in 1937 when his name appeared in the “Churches” column of the East Hampton Star without the designation “Student.” The peaceful scene of cozy domesticity that emanates from… Read more »
A recent gift of Viking Fleet material to the archives at the Montauk Library felt like an early Christmas present bestowed by Santa himself. The donation includes important documents relating to the evolution of the fleet, such as a 1978 Certificate from the Department of State (N.Y.), stamped with the Great Seal of New York… Read more »
Nellie Windsor is the woman standing underneath the pointing arrow, one of the women involved with the American Women’s Voluntary Service in Montauk. It was important to AWVS members, like other female volunteers in organizations such as the Red Cross and the Office for Civil Defense, to participate in the war effort. Throughout World War II, writes… Read more »
Photograph of sheep at Second House, John Van Siclen collection, donated by James Schwartz. For more than two centuries, sheep and cattle were driven to and from Montauk during the months of March and December. The keepers who tended the livestock in Montauk lived in three houses, two of which still exist today, Second House… Read more »
A before-and-after duo are the highlight of this week’s Throwback Thursday, in which we celebrate the newly restored tower of the Montauk Manor, its coppery roof glinting in the sun. Joseph Brensnan, Montauk resident and Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, shot that digital image. The Manor’s Tower, he says, is one of its characteristic… Read more »
This shot from Jane Leibell’s collection of photographs donated to the Montauk Library in 2005 says everything about seasonal celebrations in November: the Girl Scouts are at the Firehouse, and have just cooked a delicious Thanksgiving turkey! (Although “the proof of the pudding is in the eating,” as they say). We know that a Boy… Read more »
By the time you read this, Montauk resident and WW II veteran Pat DeRosa will have been inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame for the year 2021. A saxophonist extraordinaire whose comprehensive talent includes mastery of other musical instruments like the oboe and clarinet, Pat DeRosa embraces music of every style and… Read more »
Pictorial maps enjoyed great popularity from the 1930s to the 1950s, and partnered beautifully with tourism and the travel industry. This gem was designed by Harry A. Chandler, a popular creator of bird’s eye views and pictorial maps whose ads could be found in NYC papers during the early part of the 20th century. This… Read more »
Joan Lycke conducted an oral history in 1995 with Elizabeth Job, a Montauker who, along with her husband, became a caretaker for the Carl Fisher estate after the war. Job spoke of Fisher’s brilliant mind, overflowing with ideas to bring wealthy vacationers to Montauk. The carriage with white horses that strode down to the Montauk… Read more »