In June we had a return to an island house tour, which was on hold since Covid hit in 2020. This year most of the cottages were on the West End, which tied into the summer exhibit at the Long Island Historical Society, “West End families : from large landholdings to timeless summer colony.”

And now we have a wonderful exhibit in the library’s small glass case, “Found items in cottages,” to expand on celebrating our island cottages, many of which are a step back in time, holding true to their original seasonality of a joy-filled summer home for generations of families.

Some of the objects may seem familiar to some of us, but others harken back to a time of our grandparents, or earlier. Items include a kitchen trivet, baseball bat, antique iron, nut grinder, rock, toiletries, rug beater, nail bent by Charles Atlas, spatula, oar lock, bottle and can opener, mandolin, and phone.

Lenders to the exhibit include Barbara Sullivan, Wylie and Jono Morini, Diane Watts, Marianna Stewart and Juliette McVey, Mark and Linda Greene, Candy Dale, Joe and Rennie Donovan, Christine and Tim Day, Kathy and Brian Arsenault, Nancy Jordan, Lorinda Valls, and Rose Barter. Kudos to all of these folks for preserving the heritage of their cottages by saving these treasures.

While visiting this exhibit, make sure you see a great literary exhibit, at the Dodwell Gallery, which ties into artwork created by islanders – you will be blown away by the island talent! “Island light: an ekphrastic collaboration”