Cleaning Out The Attic

I’m not gonna lie: “Treasures Revealed” is not the most exciting, inspiring or profound exhibit the Westport Historical Society has ever mounted.

Still, if you’re downtown with 20 minutes to kill, it’s worth a visit.

Basically, the WHS is displaying stuff they found in their archives and various properties. It’s an eclectic assortment, ranging from clothes to old cameras and spectacles to — well, the kind of things everyone has in their basement, closets and attic.

Among the most interesting:

Wheeler House by Stevan Dohanos

Stevan Dohanos’ painting of the Westport Historical Society’s Bradley-Wheeler House itself. I’m including this not only because of the great colors and back-in-the-day snow, but because it’s so guilelessly self-referential.

WHS 2

I love these photos of turn-of-the-(20th)-century elementary school classes. The top one has 21 students — right around the current Board of Education-policy size. The bottom has 37 — with 1 teacher.

I can only imagine how loudly their parents howled.

Westport Historical Society blocks

The exhibit includes a number of board games, puzzles, and these play blocks. I wonder: If I were a 2-year-old today, would I rather play with these or an iPad?

Westport Historical Society milk bottle

I loved this empty milk bottle — waiting for the milkman to take it away, replaced by a fresh one.

The only thing better would be if it was Clover Farms.

7 responses to “Cleaning Out The Attic

  1. Milk boxes! Had forgotten about those…..

  2. Would love to be able to see a larger image of the picture, but not sure how to do it.

  3. Coincidentally, I just saw Stevan Dohano’s painting of the men on the telephone wire listening to the World Series at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

  4. I loved the exhibit, and thought its treasures a far cry from what I might find in MY closets, attic or basement.

    A poem for Dan…
    “Treasures Revealed” from a basement
    Is not worthy of any abasement
    It’s worth a long look
    for the long work it took
    perhaps we need a re-phrasement?

    WHS fan (& Oral History Committee member)