The American Decorative Arts Visiting Committee of the Peabody Essex Museum visited the Cushing House Museum November 13, 2009 for a private tour.

Pilar Garro, site manager of Historic New England's Beauport, and several Beauport guides visited the HSON Monday, October 5th, 2009 for a private tour of the Caleb Cushing House.

On October 1st, Gary Ramos, Arctic adventurer, visits the Cushing House to look into the history of Newburyport native and fellow explorer Adolphus Washington Greely who at one time made the closest attempt to reach the North Pole in 1884. Mr. Ramos of Alaska is visiting the Boston area while waiting for the Russian government to grant him permission which will allow him to make an attempt at a single handed circumnavigation of the North Pole.

2010 Newburyport Five Cent Savings Bank Calender in Planning

Artist Christopher Gurshin stops to personally inspect the Jacob Perkins "Mint" building at 98 High before preliminary sketches are made for the annual Newburyport Bank calender. Over the years the Newburyport Bank has commissioned Gurshin to illustrate their calenders using some of the outstanding projects with which the Bank has been involved. Gurshin, who had once been a longstanding resident of Newburyport, has a long list of high profile clients, including the White House. The Newburyport Bank was the single benefactor that funded the Historical Society's purchase of the "Mint" in 2007. The "Mint" is currently having its masonry and fenestrae restored to their original design by Richard Irons.

Forthcoming Exhibition of Laura Hills Pastels at Cooley Gallery

In preparation for an upcoming exhibition in October highlighting pastel drawings by Laura Coombs Hills, Joeseph F. Newman of The Cooley Gallery (left) and Sandra Lepore of Lepore Fine Arts search through the Society's special collections of ephemera, drawings and photographs relating to the artist. Ms. Lepore, an authority on Hills, is spearheading the exhibition to be held at the Cooley Gallery in Old Lyme, CT, which will feature a concentration of works once belonging to Pauline Shaw Fenno, the daughter of Quincy Adams Shaw. Fenno had originally purchased these works from Doll and Richards Gallery in Boston. Miss Hills, a Newburyport native, was a longstanding member of the Historical Society, and had given a great number of her personal effects and artwork to the Society during her lifetime.

Charles A. Safford subject of Decoy Magazine article

Gwladys Hopkins, of Acton, MA, examines miniture decoys carved by Charles A. Safford (1877-1957), as well as some of the materials used in their production, such as templates, calipers and patterns. Gwladys is a conservator of painted wooden objects who has restored decoys for museums such as the Peabody Essex Museum, Shelbourne Museum and The Heritage Plantation. She is preparing an article on Safford which will be the cover story of Decoy Magazine in coming months.

Banister Back Chair Study, July 1st

Robert F. Trent, historic upholstery specialist (left), John Vander Sande (center) and Erik K. Gronning, Sotheby's senior specialist of American Furniture and Decorative Parts, examine the Society's banister back sidechair (circa 1740) on July 1st. The chair was donated by Margaret Fitzgerald and her sister Iola Benedict in December of 2008; it was subsequently brought to the attention of Vander Sande, who contacted both Trent and Gronning. The three are making a study of 18th century banister back chairs of Massachusetts' North Shore.