Exhibits

• July 2 - September 3, 2010

  Rescuing Whaleback Lighthouse - A Wave-swept Sentinel

  Whaleback Lighthouse has stood since 1872 as the iconic sentinel guarding the entrance to Portsmouth Harbor. The exhibit highlights historical, architectural and engineering details of the lighthouse from the Historic Structure Report initiated in 2009 by the Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse, a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation, as the first phase of restoration efforts to rescue and preserve Whaleback Lighthouse. Open daily. Free. At the Portsmouth Historical Society's Discover Portsmouth Center. Special events in conjunction with the exhibit include:

  • July 2, Public opening and reception, 5-8 pm
  • July 10, Gallery talk: Jeremy D'Entremont, "Life on the Rocks: Keepers of Whaleback" 11 am/li>
  • July 24, Gallery talk: Dr. Sara Wermiel, "Building a Lighthouse on a Wave-Swept Rock: Whaleback and Kindred Lighthouses" 11 am
  • Aug 7, Gallery talk: Deane Rykerson, AIA, "Preserving Our Lighthouse: What Whaleback Needs" 11 am
  • Aug 21, Lighthouse book-signing, author Dr. Sara Wermiel, 11 am - 1 pm
• Ongoing

  Summering in Rye

  An exhibit on the grand hotels of the New Hampshire Seacoast, including drawings, paintings, ephemera and memorabilia collected by the Rye Historical Society. On loan to the Portsmouth Historical Society, which has supplemented the exhibit with items from its own collections.
• August 6 - September 5, 2010

  Bill Paarlberg: Illustrating Portsmouth

  The Portsmouth Historical Society will showcase a 30 Year Retrospective of the art of well-known local illustrator Bill Paarlberg. His Portsmouth drawings, paintings and graphic design, illustrating local architectural and historical themes will be displayed for the month of August, 2010 at the Discover Portsmouth Center. The show will occupy the main gallery at the Center and include some 40 or 50 artworks, many of which can be viewed on Mr. Paarlberg's blog "Illustrating Portsmouth." A native of Hampton, New Hampshire, Mr. Paarlberg became a Portsmouth-based illustrator, publisher, and graphic designer in the late 1970s. His popular arts and entertainment weekly "re:Ports. Magazine" and annual calendar "The Portsmouth History Calendar" were staples of the 1980's Portsmouth arts scene. More recently local galleries have displayed his watercolors of the North Church steeple and other local scenes.
• Entire 2009 Season

  City of the Open Door: Harry S. Harlow

  An exhibit of 52 individual panels featuring the doorways to significant Portsmouth properties, a gift to the Society from Mrs. Jean Sawtelle and the Sawtelle family.
• Entire 2009 Season

  Welcome to Historic Portsmouth

  Our award-winning short documentary designed to introduce the 400 year history of Portsmouth.
• Entire 2009 Season

  Discover Portsmouth Concierge Desk

  Staffed by the Portsmouth Historical Society and Granite State Ambassador volunteers who help promote the 20 nonprofit organizations including museums. theaters and tours in greater Portsmouth who have provided information panels and brochures