June 11th, 2011
The Legend of Mary Gregory, Colorful Glass, Zwaanendael Museum, Lewes, Delaware, Chautauqua, June 19 – June 23, Delaware Beaches
It is so funny how you only visit certain places when you have guests. I had not seen Rosalyn in probably 29 years or so. Maybe even more. We have reconnected; definitely very nice. For the past week we have been all over the place; from Lewes to Berlin.
Thursday was the last tour; a walk through Second Street, Lewes, and the Zwaanendael Museum. I have been meaning to write a post on this beautiful museum but for some reason or another, I don’t know but I only mentioned it in passing.
The Delaware Beaches have a few museums and this one is definitely worth seeing. It is a small museum. Built in 1931 by the State of Delaware in memory of the Dutch settlement of 1631. The Dutch selected the point of land separating the Atlantic Ocean from the Delaware Bay 22 years after it was discovered by Henry Hudson in 1609. They thought it would have been an ideal site to establish a whaling station. Those 32 settlers were massacred by a local tribe of the Lenni Lenape Indians because of a dispute over a Dutch coat of arms the settlers had mounted on their settlement.
The Museum contains permanent and loaned exhibits dealing with the history of Lewes and Delaware, as well as Dutch gifts and exhibits.
As we came in the girl at the desk was weaving.
Then my attention went to the exhibit of Colorful Glass – The Legend of Mary Gregory, 1856 – 1908. Blues, reds, greens, light pinks and browns.
Mary Gregory had been an employee of the Boston and Sandwich Glass Factory from 1880 – 1884. “Legend” says that she painted thousands of portraits of children on colorful glassware, using white enamel.
Miss Gregory did not marry; did not have children. Painting this artwork was said to have been her way to fulfill her “maternal” longing.
Stop by so you can see it for yourself. It really is delicate and so pretty.
The first floor’s exhibit is “Maritime History on the Delaware”. It showcases 11,000 years of Lewes culture.
At the Museum you will also find the HMS DeBraak exhibit. This was a 16-gun brig-rigged sloop-of-war of the Royal Navy that capsized and sank in a storm at the north of Delaware River in 1798. In 1984 the wreck was located and identified….
The second floor of the Museum has a smaller exhibit and tables are set up for classes and discussions.
Save the Date – The 13th Annual Chautauqua Tent Show – Life on the Delaware Homefront during WWII. It will take place on Sunday, 6/19 until Thursday, 6/23. Locations? Zwaanendael Park, Stango Park and the Lewes Historical Society.
I hate to admit it but I did not know what Chautauqua meant. It is an educational movement in the U.S. that was very popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries. They were assemblies that spread throughout rural America until the mid 20’s. Chautauqua brought entertainment and culture for the whole family; speakers, teachers, musicians, entertainers, preachers and the specialists of the day.
Chautauqua – “The Most American Thing in America” is what President Rossevelt was quoted as saying.
The Zwaanendael Museum is located at the corner of Savannah Rd at Kings Highway. It is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Sundays from 1:30 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. It is closed on Mondays and admission is free. To schedule tours and for more information, please call 302-645-1148.
Too hot?, Too Rainy?, Tired of the Beach?, No more shopping?, Then you know what’s next…the Zwaanendael Museum. Have a good one!!
Tags: Chautauqua, Colorful Glass, Delaware Beaches, Lewes, Museum, Museum in Lewes, The Legend of Mary Gregory, Things to do at the beach, Tours, What to do at the beaches, Zwaanendael Museum
