Around Town

New Canaan Historical Society Launches ‘A Winter’s Tale’ Exhibition in Costume Museum

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Scroll through the gallery above to view a portion of the costumes and items on display now at the New Canaan Historical Society for the nonprofit organization’s recently launched “A Winter’s Tale” exhibition. Featuring illustrations as well as mannequins dressed in ca. 1900s costume, the exhibition is designed to tell a story of people enjoying a winter wonderland through different parts of New Canaan through the early part of the 20th Century. The Historical Society typically puts on a new exhibition for the holiday season and two per year in its Costume Museum, upstairs at the Town House (13 Oenoke Ridge Road, just at the crest of the hill by God’s Acre). Janet Lindstrom, the Historical Society’s executive director, said “A Winter’s Tale” will run through March.

Business

PHOTOS: Downtown New Canaan in the 1960s

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In last week’s photo gallery of “old” downtown New Canaan we featured several photos from the 1950s—part of our first of four installments of the 2015 New Canaan Downtown & Holiday Guide (sign up here to get the Guide emailed to you each Saturday, along with our regular daily newsletter). This week, in the gallery above, we’re featuring photos from different parts of downtown New Canaan from the ’60s. Enjoy!

Around Town

Historical Society To Host ‘Victorian Tea’ on Saturday, an Elegant Tradition for New Canaanites

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The New Canaan Historical Society on Saturday will welcome visitors of all ages for the nonprofit organization’s annual Victorian Tea, part of a day-long Open House and a local tradition for many families and individuals. Held in the 1825-built Town House at the top of God’s Acre, the most regularly used structure on the Historical Society’s campus, the event sees the parlor room transformed into a bustling, festive hub cakes, sandwiches and, of course, tea from 12 to 3:30 p.m.

Generations of New Canaanites have become regular attendees, according to Janet Lindstrom, executive director of the Historical Society. “One thing that I’ve noticed is that oftentimes grandparents will bring their grandchildren in because they almost always have an activity going on like a puppet show, so they will come and have tea and then go to a puppet show or make a gingerbread house and then have tea,” Lindstrom said from the parlor on a recent afternoon, standing beside a case that features Shirley Temple, Colonial-era “wishbone” and other antique dolls. “There are some people that have been coming with their own child for years and years since they were about five, and now they’re in junior high school and they’re still coming,” Lindstrom said. New Canaan resident Jennifer Ruth called the tea “a hidden gem in New Canaan.”

Business

PHOTOS: Downtown New Canaan in the 1950s

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Though scores of businesses have opened and closed in New Canaan storefronts through the decades, the buildings that have housed them in many cases have been preserved through the years. The photo gallery above, depicting the downtown from several different angles in the 1950s, was compiled with help from the New Canaan Historical Society.

Around Town

SCROLL: New Canaan Ornament Collection

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Scroll through the gallery above to view some of the 100 hand-painted New Canaan ornaments that are part of town resident Faith Kerchoff’s collection (the oldest one is the Little Red Schoolhouse, from 1979). They depict New Canaan buildings, businesses and scenes from throughout the town’s history, and the full collection can be viewed in person at the New Canaan Historical Society. (They also will be on display at the 2015 Holiday Stroll downtown, to be held Dec. 4 and 5.)

For those interested in purchasing ornaments, the 2015 collection is now ready—see this flyer for details on ordering. All proceeds from the ornaments benefit the Historical Society.