Sophia Peabody Hawthorne, who is one of Salem's most beloved native daughters, turns 200 on September 21, 2009. We are celebrating this birthday in Salem with parties, lectures, walks and talks that discuss both Sophia's remarkable, talented life and Salem's women's history and literary heritage. Sophia - pronounced Soh-Fye-Yah - was an artist, a travel writer, the wife of novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne, mother, and one of the Peabody Sisters. On September 19, 20, and 21 you are invited to learn more about Sophia, her husband, her sisters, and her Salem.
Here is an overview of the events that are planned. For complete listings, a brief biography of Sophia, and suggested reading to learn more, visit SalemMainStreets.org.
Saturday, September 19
10:00 a.m. Sophia Hawthorne’s Salem - A 90-minute walking tour led by National Park ServiceHistorian Emily Murphy, portraying Sophia. Meet at the Hawthorne statue, Hawthorne Boulevard.
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. World of Women - An exhibition featuring two paintings, Isola San Giovanni and Villa Mennagio, Lago di Como, created by Sophia Peabody Hawthorne upon her engagement to Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1839. Barbara Weld Putnam Gallery, Peabody Essex Museum, 161 Essex St., East India Square, Salem. Admission fee; free to museum members and Salem residents." - A special program for children featuring a story about Sophia and an art project celebrating her life. Salem Athenaeum, 337 Essex Street
11:45 a.m. Dedication of Sophia Plaque - Attend the dedication of a plaque to honor Sophia Peabody Hawthorne with Mayor Kimberley Driscoll and Representative John Keenan at Sophia’s: Gifts of Artistry & Elegance, at 105 Essex Street, a boutique housed in the childhood home of Sophia Peabody Hawthorne
12:00 – 2:00 p.m. Reading & Book Signing by Peabody Sisters biographer Megan Marshall.
At the Hawthorne Hotel.
2:00 p.m. Sophia Hawthorne’s Salem - A 90-minute walking tour led by National Park Service
Historian Emily Murphy, portraying Sophia. Meet at the Hawthorne statue, Hawthorne Boulevard.
4:30 p.m. Celebrating Sophia Peabody Hawthorne’s Two Hundredth Birthday: Her Art, Her Writing, Her Influence at The House of the Seven Gables, 115 Derby St. A presentation by Patricia Dunlavy Valenti, professor in the Department of English and Theatre at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, Tickets $15. R.S.V.P. to Heidi Webb at 978-744-0991 ext. 104.
7:00 p.m. A Surprise 200th Birthday Party & Silent Art Auction - Celebrate the birthday of one of Salem’s most fascinating and intriguing native daughters. Saturday, September 19, 2009 at 7 p.m., Salem’s Old Town Hall. Tickets: Friends $18.09, Contributing Friends $50, Sponsors $200. To benefit the Sophia Art Scholarship for a Salem High School student. Tickets can be purchased in advance at Sophia’s at 105 Essex Street.
Sunday, September 20
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. World of Women - An exhibition featuring two paintings, Isola San Giovanni and Villa Mennagio, Lago di Como, created by Sophia Peabody Hawthorne upon her engagement to Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1839. Barbara Weld Putnam Gallery, Peabody Essex Museum, 161 Essex St., East India Square, Salem. Admission fee; free to museum members and Salem residents."
10:30 a.m. Choosing Happiness: A Remembrance of the Life of Sophia Amelia Peabody Hawthorne. A sermon delivered by Bonnie Hurd Smith at the First Church in Salem, Unitarian Sunday, September 20, 2009 at 316 Essex Street, Salem
2:00 p.m. Dearest Dove: The Courtship of Nathaniel and Sophia Hawthorne - A special theatrical production celebrating the legendary love between Nathaniel and Sophia Hawthorne. The House of the Seven Gables, 115 Derby St. Space is extremely limited and reservations are required. For reservations: 978-744-0991×104
3:00 p.m. Women’s History Trolley Tour - Join local author Bonnie Hurd Smith and Irene Axelrod, local historian, for a special Salem Trolley tour of women’s history sites in Salem. Tour leaves from and returns to The House of the Seven Gables, 115 Derby St. Seating is limited to 32, Tickets $15 collected on the tour. Reservations: bonnie@hurdsmith.com
Monday, September 21
Noon Sophia Peabody Hawthorne’s 200th Birthday Cake Cutting - With Mayor Kimberley Driscoll at the Hawthorne Hotel Sponsored by the Battlefield Journal, a Civil War publication.
No comments:
Post a Comment