Portsmouth Athenæum
Encyclopedia
The Portsmouth Athenæum is an independent membership library
, gallery
and museum
in Portsmouth
, New Hampshire
, United States
. It preserves material relevant to local history, and sponsors exhibitions, concerts and lectures for its proprietors, scholars and the general public. The building has been listed as the "Portsmouth Athenaeum" on the National Register of Historic Places
since 1973.
It was founded in 1817 as the Portsmouth Athenæum Society. The institution's 1805 Federal style
building, located on Market Square at the city's heart, was acquired by the society in 1823. It was designed by architect
Bradbury Johnson (1766-1820) as the office for the New Hampshire Fire & Marine Insurance Company, which went bankrupt. In 1981 and 1995, the society expanded into the third floor of 6-8 Market Square to accommodate its Copley Research Library and Randall Gallery.
Like most athenæums, it combines the functions of a library with those of an art gallery and museum. The institution retains certain 19th century customs -- members are "proprietors," and the director is "keeper." Its collection now includes more than 40,000 books, with an archive
of about 12,000 photographs, 4000 of which are posted on the Athenæum's website.
Portsmouth was once a major New England
seaport. As a consequence, the Athenæum has a strong emphasis on maritime history
, particularly shipbuilding
at Badger's Island
and the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
, both located across the Piscataqua River
in Kittery
, Maine
. Walls are hung with painting
s of ship
s and the half models
used to plan their construction. There are portrait
s of prominent figures from Portsmouth and the region, including sea captains, merchant
s and shipbuilders. The reading room features a full-length portrait of Sir William Pepperrell
.
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
, gallery
Art gallery
An art gallery or art museum is a building or space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art.Museums can be public or private, but what distinguishes a museum is the ownership of a collection...
and museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
in Portsmouth
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire in the United States. It is the largest city but only the fourth-largest community in the county, with a population of 21,233 at the 2010 census...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It preserves material relevant to local history, and sponsors exhibitions, concerts and lectures for its proprietors, scholars and the general public. The building has been listed as the "Portsmouth Athenaeum" on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
since 1973.
The Athenæum Society
Federal architecture
Federal-style architecture is the name for the classicizing architecture built in the United States between c. 1780 and 1830, and particularly from 1785 to 1815. This style shares its name with its era, the Federal Period. The name Federal style is also used in association with furniture design...
building, located on Market Square at the city's heart, was acquired by the society in 1823. It was designed by architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Bradbury Johnson (1766-1820) as the office for the New Hampshire Fire & Marine Insurance Company, which went bankrupt. In 1981 and 1995, the society expanded into the third floor of 6-8 Market Square to accommodate its Copley Research Library and Randall Gallery.
Like most athenæums, it combines the functions of a library with those of an art gallery and museum. The institution retains certain 19th century customs -- members are "proprietors," and the director is "keeper." Its collection now includes more than 40,000 books, with an archive
Archive
An archive is a collection of historical records, or the physical place they are located. Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or organization's lifetime, and are kept to show the function of an organization...
of about 12,000 photographs, 4000 of which are posted on the Athenæum's website.
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
seaport. As a consequence, the Athenæum has a strong emphasis on maritime history
Maritime history
Maritime history is the study of human activity at sea. It covers a broad thematic element of history that often uses a global approach, although national and regional histories remain predominant...
, particularly shipbuilding
Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...
at Badger's Island
Badger's Island
Badger's Island is located in the Piscataqua River at Kittery, Maine, directly opposite Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It carries U.S. Route 1 between the states, connecting to the Kittery mainland by the Badger's Island Bridge, and to New Hampshire by the Memorial Bridge...
and the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard , often called the Portsmouth Navy Yard, is a United States Navy shipyard located in Kittery on the southern boundary of Maine near the city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It is used for remodeling and repairing the Navy's ships...
, both located across the Piscataqua River
Piscataqua River
The Piscataqua River, in the northeastern United States, is a long tidal estuary formed by the confluence of the Salmon Falls and Cocheco rivers...
in Kittery
Kittery, Maine
Kittery is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 9,543 at the 2000 census. Home to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on Seavey's Island, Kittery includes Badger's Island, the seaside district of Kittery Point, and part of the Isles of Shoals...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
. Walls are hung with painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
s of ship
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
s and the half models
Half hull model ship
A half hull model ship is a wooden model ship featuring only one half of a boat's hull without rigging or other fixtures.-Background:...
used to plan their construction. There are portrait
Portrait
thumb|250px|right|Portrait of [[Thomas Jefferson]] by [[Rembrandt Peale]], 1805. [[New-York Historical Society]].A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expression is predominant. The intent is to display the likeness,...
s of prominent figures from Portsmouth and the region, including sea captains, merchant
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
s and shipbuilders. The reading room features a full-length portrait of Sir William Pepperrell
William Pepperrell
Sir William Pepperrell, 1st Baronet was a merchant and soldier in Colonial Massachusetts. He is widely remembered for organizing, financing, and leading the 1745 expedition that captured the French garrison at Fortress Louisbourg during King George's War...
.
Hours
The Copley Research Library and Randall Gallery are open to the public without charge.- Tuesday and Thursday, 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.
- Saturday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., or by special arrangement
Further reading
- Michael A. Baenen. "A Great and Natural Enemy of Democracy? Politics and Culture in the Portsmouth Athenaeum." Institutions of Reading: the Social Life of Libraries in the United States. Boston: University of Massachusetts Press, 2007