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History Gala at Hampton Beach

Hampton Beach NH postcardHAMPTON BEACH

History buffs and those nostalgic for summers gone by will enjoy the activities planned by the Hampton Beach Historical Society for the Hampton Beach State Park Gala to be held June 1 and 2, 2012. The Gala marks the completion of the new $14.5 million Seashell complex restoration; it is the perfect time to not only salute Hampton Beach's future but to recognize its past. (Continued below)


According to Betty Moore, director of Hampton's Tuck Museum, and coordinator for the Gala's historical events, the day's activities will offer a diverse perspective of Hampton Beach through the years. "It will be fun to see how the area looked before certain landmarks were built," she says. "And I think people will also enjoy seeing how families have summered here for more than a century. Times may change, but spending the summer at Hampton Beach has been a tradition for a long time."

A series of DVDs will play under the big tent next to the Seashell all day long. They include "Saltmarsh Farming in New Hampshire," a documentary by local filmmaker Joshua Silveira which looks at a unique farming tradition that was once a beach area staple; "Postcards from Hampton Beach," which was produced for the Centennial of the Hampton Beach Village District, showcases 100 years of views ranging from the scenic to the comic to the historical; "On this Spot," produced by the Hampton Beach Historical Society illustrates the many changes that have come to the area around the Seashell complex during the decades spanning 1891 to 2012, and "Hampton Then and Now," another Historical Society production, also highlights views of Hampton past and present.

A number of historical exhibits will be on display as well, including panels featuring more than 100 postcards, and decades of silhouette work by renowned silhouette cutter Lillian G. Clarke, who died in 1997. "If you spent any time at Hampton Beach over the past 50 years, you probably had your silhouette cut by Lillian or knew someone who did," says Moore. "She was a Hampton Beach tradition, working out of the Casino for many years. Many parents had their children's silhouettes done, then when those children grew up, they brought their kids. It was a summer rite of passage."

Also on display will be "Beach Fashions at Hampton Beach," a lighthearted look at the ever evolving swimsuits that have graced the beach's bathing beauties over the years, from 1898 to the present. "In the early days, if you got your swimsuit wet that meant you were carrying 10 extra pounds in the water," says Moore. "The early bathing suits took 9 yards of fabric! That is definitely not the case today!"

There will also be a free drawing for a copy of the Hampton Beach Historical Society publication "Postcard History Series: Hampton and Hampton Beach," the perfect souvenir for celebrating Hampton Beach through the years.

For more information on the Gala's historical events, call (603) 929-0781; for more information on Gala events in general, visit www.hamptonbeach.org.

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