Ipswich Lace

Come hear Susan Landry, textile specialist as she talks about the history of Ipswich Lace and show objects from our collection used to make the lace. Included in this talk will be lace patterns, pricklings, and Ipswich lace samples made over the years. There will be some modern lace making tools on view as well […]

Ships and Shipwrecks of Ipswich Bay

Join town historian, Gordon Harris, who will talk about the long history of tragic shipwrecks due to dangerous storms and limited navigation. There were over 3,000 shipwrecks off the Massachusetts coast. In the early 20th century coal schooners sailed up the river to town wharf, and sand schooners became stranded on the beaches, but Ipswich […]

The Early Voyages of Augustine Heard

Join Robert Gray, Heard descendant as he talks about his recent research on his family. During the late 1830s Augustine Heard of Ipswich composed a list of his early voyages […]

Stop and Smell the Thyme at the Whipple House 17th Century Housewife’s Garden

Joe Carlin, Food historian, will review the contributions of landscape architects Arthur and Sidney Shurcliff who designed in 1955 the original Whipple House Garden.  In the 1960s Isadore Smith (pseudonym Ann Leighton), author of Early American Gardens, provided leadership to make the garden historically accurate with authentic medicinal and culinary herbs known to have been […]

Women in Ipswich History

Gordon Harris, town historian will share stories of women in Ipswich from the first settlement to the present century. Learn about Ann Dudley Bradstreet, the first published poet, Emma Jane Mitchell Safford, a descendant of Massasoit; Jenny Slew, the first enslaved person to successfully sue for freedom, Eunice Caldwell, who returned to her hometown in […]

Swamp Yankee Adventures Chronicle of a Journalist in Low Orbit Around the World

Join Crocker Snow Jr., journalist, author, as he takes you on a personal  journey where he chronicles his life both nationally, internationally and locally.  His focus has been on international affairs for public radio, TV and for the Boston Globe, World Times, The World Paper, was editor in chief of World Times and the World […]

Eating Well, Living Well: Cook and Be Free

Join Chef Sarah Naugler for ideas on how to eliminate kitchen nightmares and make cooking fun. She is a graduate of the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts and spent ten years working with prestigious Chefs of Boston and the North Shore. She eventually left that lifestyle and ventured into private cooking. Here her love of […]

Eido Period Block Prints, Snapshots and a Mysterious Table

Join Stephen Miles as we follow Arthur Wesley Dow’s journey from Ipswich, MA to the Ecole Julien in Paris, the artist community at Pont-Aven, Brittany, working as assistant to Fenellosa at the MFA Boston and subsequent tour of Japan in 1903 with findings represented in the collection of the Ipswich Museum.

Loom Demonstration

Come listen to a talk and demonstration on weaving. Diane Howe, weaver will explain techniques and tools used in this process.  There will be a small pop-up exhibit downstairs in the Whipple House to see items made in that time period.  This talk and demonstration will be held on the second floor of the Whipple […]

After the Party

Ipswich’s Bob Waite, Professor, Seneca Polytechnic College  and author brings his wit to the topic of politics, drawn on his experience serving as Press Secretary to Senator Ed Brooke (R-MA), Senator Bob Dole (R-KS), as a member of the Reagan Administration, and including his long-time bipartisan friendship with Democrats George McGovern and Michael J. Harrington.

Remembering September 11th

Join Stephanie Gaskins, Dow Curator as she takes us down memory lane to encourage a conversation on where you were on that very sad day and what memories do you recall of that time period.  This is an interactive discussion.

Meet Abigail Adams, America’s First Second Lady

Since 2003, Sheryl Faye, actor has been presenting Historical Women to inspire adults and children about history.  Her one man show will leave you spell-bound and inspired. Her performances are entertaining and educational, and they help the members of the audience to truly understand the profound positive impact these women have made in history. She […]