by nrf@admin | Sep 13, 2022 | NRF News
During the sweltering summer months, I was lucky enough to be working in a refrigerator- a clothing refrigerator – hidden away in what was the servants’ quarters on the third floor of Rough Point Museum. Even though the climate-controlled textile collection storage lacks the never-ending ocean view that Rough Point is so famous for, it contains multitudes of other wonders – specifically the fashionable clothing of Doris Duke.
I felt like I had been working alongside Doris this summer, aiding her in organizing her prized possessions, stored carefully to extend their lives well beyond hers. I became accustomed to her style: she was practical but fun, stylish but unique. I was also introduced to all of her favorite designers and makers: Halston, Tina Leser, Taj of India, Star of Siam, Dior, and my personal favorite, surrealist designer Elsa Schiaparelli [i].
Schiaparelli and Doris seem like a match made in heaven. Both were extremely intelligent women who actively rejected the status quo in the quest for their own kind of life and maintained a good sense of humor. For these reasons, it makes sense that Doris had acquired some of Schiaparelli’s more practical designs, swimsuits.
I learned that when Doris liked something, she bought it in every possible color. Specifically, Doris owned three different colors of Schiaparelli’s “Briefer” swimsuit: green, black, and a rainbow-striped print. This design was a collaboration between Schiaparelli and the swimwear brand Catalina that consisted of a convertible two-piece seersucker bikini set that was adjustable for swimming or tanning (See Figure 1). This design gives the wearer options of how high-waisted the bottoms were, and if their top had straps or not (See Figures 2 and 3). This ingenuity was perfect for Doris’ lifestyle, providing coverage and comfort when she was catching some waves surfing, but also some stylish tanning abilities when relaxing on the beaches of Hawai’i.
A sweet and humorous detail on two of the three swimsuits is patches of Schiaparelli’s reinterpretation of the Catalina Swimwear logo, a flying fish [ii]. The first iteration of these swimsuits and the interpretation of the logo was seen in 1948 as the “Official Swim Suit of the Atlantic City Miss America Pageant” before the suits made it to mass production [iii]. The designs on the suits in Doris’ closet have a bit more whimsy to them, with a flying minnow on one of the suits. I like to think that these fun flying fish were part of why she purchased these glamorous swimsuits.
Even though these swimsuits are just a small portion of the giant clothing and textile collection that Doris left behind at NRF, they embody who she was, how she operated, and how she presented herself. The fact that this is a mass-produced design, and also a designer item, speaks to her dueling shopping habits of department stores versus couture houses. With all the money in the world, you would think she would only have purchased one-of-a-kind designer items, but she had a humbleness to her. She knew she was not better than a fairly-priced and well-made item of clothing. Although there are many pieces of clothing in this collection that are couture, they are outnumbered by the number of t-shirts, comfortable caftans, eclectic dance costumes, and tourist treasures that she connected with enough to take home, protect, and save.
By Mel Kennelly, University of Rhode Island intern
Melissa Kennelly is a current Graduate student at the University of Rhode Island perusing her master’s degree in Textile History and Conservation. She obtained her Bachelors of Fine Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2020, majoring in Apparel Design with a special interest in dress and textile history. Upon graduation into a global pandemic, she realized that she didn’t want to create more clothing for a world that already has more than enough, which is when she started pursuing a career where she could protect the textiles and clothing that already exist through the artforms of conservation and curation.
References:
[i] https://www.britannica.com/biography/Elsa-Schiaparelli
[ii] https://catalinaswim.com/pages/about
[iii] https://thevintagetraveler.wordpress.com/2015/05/11/schiaparelli-for-catalina-swimsuit-1949-part-ii/
by nrf@admin | Sep 4, 2022 | NRF News
September brings with it a new season and the last of our Whitehorne Days and Second Sundays programming for 2022. We hope you will join us for these fun upcoming events! Advance registration is encouraged.
Whitehorne Day: Port City
Whitehorne House Museum (416 Thames St.)
Saturday, September 10
12 – 3 p.m.: Drop in for crafts, activities, and more
3-4:30 p.m.: Discussion with Silver Moon of the Tomaquag Museum
Free admission to the event and museum
Discover the role of the ocean in Newport life in the 18th and 21st centuries! From 12 to 3 p.m., drop into the garden to take part in crafts, activities, and conversations with craftspeople, experts, and shop owners. Uncover the secrets of the ocean with the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project, learn all about sailing with the crew of the Oliver Hazard Perry, and meet team members from The Sailing Museum and the Tomaquag Museum. From 3 to 4:30 p.m., join us in the back garden for a discussion with Silver Moon from the Tomaquag Museum.
Whitehorne Days programming is made possible through major funding support from the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities, an independent state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Council seeds, supports and strengthens public history, cultural heritage, civic education, and community engagement by and for all Rhode Islanders.
Second Sundays
Prescott Farm (2009 West Main Rd., Middletown)
Sunday, September 11
12-3 p.m.
Free admission
Climb inside the historic Robert Sherman Windmill, explore the gardens with URI’s Master Gardeners, and enjoy the beauty of this open space. This month, the Boys and Girls Club of Newport County invites you to try your hand at rock painting!
Roam Around Rough Point Seasonal Celebration
Rough Point Museum (680 Bellevue Ave.)
Saturday, September 24
5-7 p.m.
Free admission
Join us for a very special Roam Around event to celebrate the end of summer! In celebration, admission is free for all attendees. Enjoy complimentary refreshments including Del’s Lemonade, listen to live music by local blues band Cee Cee and the Riders, and challenge your friends to lawn games overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.
About The Museum Properties:
Active duty military and their families receive free admission to Rough Point and Whitehorne House Museums through Monday, September 5. Rough Point is open on Monday, September 5, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. To plan your visit, please visit newportrestoration.org/tickets.
by nrf@admin | Aug 31, 2022 | NRF News
My internship project to catalog NRF’s property paint colors and formulas was born out of necessity. Over the years, the NRF crew had amassed an astounding depth of knowledge about the organization’s paints, but this knowledge had never been formally documented. The focus of my internship stemmed from the desire to capture this information before it was lost to time. I was given the task of documenting 20 different exterior paints for more than 70 properties.
This large undertaking began with the very important question, “Where do we begin?” Our answer was to start small by finding the colors at NRF’s two major paint suppliers, Humphrey’s Paint Center in Middletown and Adler’s Hardware in Providence. I was greeted at Humphrey’s Paint with a metal box of nearly 400 index cards, all of which held a piece of NRF’s paint color history. Our process began with photographing each index card, whether the information was for an exterior or interior color, and thus the archival and research process began. These index cards became the basis of the project and have answered many of the questions I set out to answer. The goal of accessing these index cards was to document the information on paint formulas and names and make them available for the paint crew to answer questions on a property’s exterior paint color through NRF’s in-house property management tool.
When documenting the paints, I added categories to differentiate the three exterior paint colors for each property and the date the paint was last updated. I repeated this process with the paint information from NRF’s other paint supplier, Adler’s. Throughout this part of the project, I conducted several interviews with the paint crew to learn more about the history of the paint colors, their experiences working with Doris Duke, and the importance of their roles in the preservation of NRF’s historic properties. This project would have no foundation without the experiences of NRF’s paint crew. I learned so much about how the colors came to be, what colors were used throughout NRF’s existence, and the events and decisions that led to the colors we see at NRF properties today.
In the next phase of the project, I am repeating the process to document the interior colors of the properties. I am also interviewing retired members of the paint crew to learn more about their experiences with NRF’s paint colors. The paint collection can now be viewed on NRF’s website, as well as additional information on the colors used at each property. If you see the crew working around town, ask them about the paint colors and explore the information we’ve uncovered so far.
By Elizabeth Baza, Salve Regina University Intern
by nrf@admin | Aug 4, 2022 | NRF News
Newport Restoration Foundation is thrilled to welcome you to our museum properties this August for a variety of free and ticketed programs. Mark your calendars for these upcoming events:
Summer Stories
Whitehorne House Museum (416 Thames Street, Newport)
Fridays / 10– 11 a.m.
Free admission
Listen to storybook readings in the garden and put together a themed craft to take home. This program is recommended for kids aged Pre-K to first grade. Admission to the museum is also free for families with children under the age of 12 on Fridays from 10 a.m. to noon through August 26.
TGIF Performance with the Rhode Island Black Storytellers
Rough Point Museum (680 Bellevue Avenue, Newport)
Friday, August 5 / 6:30-7:30 p.m.
$15
Join the Rhode Island Black Storytellers and Funda Story Camp students for emancipation-themed stories in the Formal Garden. Attendees can bring blankets, chairs, and picnics for the performance. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the program begins at 6:30 p.m.
Funding is provided in part by a grant from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, through an appropriation by the Rhode Island General Assembly, a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and private funders.
Whitehorne Day: Makers Past and Present
Whitehorne House Museum
Saturday, August 13
12 – 3 p.m.: Drop in for crafts, activities and more
3-4:30 p.m.: Panel discussion
Free admission to the event and museum (advance registration is encouraged)
Drop into the garden at Whitehorne House Museum for an afternoon of free hands-on activities for the whole family including weaving, soap making and printmaking on textiles! From 12 to 3 p.m., the garden will be open for visitors to take part in crafts, activities, and conversations with Newport artists and craftspeople including the Timber Framers Guild, Newport Sea Foam Trading Co., the Saunderstown Weaving School, and Niko Merritt of Sankofa Community Connection.
From 3 to 4:30 p.m., join us in the back garden for a discussion on crafts and makers in Newport from the 18th century to today with historians Keith Stokes and Steve Marino.
Whitehorne Days programming is made possible through major funding support from the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities, an independent state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Council seeds, supports and strengthens public history, cultural heritage, civic education, and community engagement by and for all Rhode Islanders.
Second Sundays
Prescott Farm (2009 West Main Rd., Middletown)
Sunday, August 14 / 12-3 p.m.
Free admission
Each month, NRF joins with a non-profit partner to highlight the expansive history and horticulture of Prescott Farm. In August, the Audubon Society of Rhode Island teaches us everything they know about birds! Visitors can also explore the interior of the historic Robert Sherman Windmill, Guard House, and Hicks House, and see what’s in bloom in the gardens, maintained by the University of Rhode Island’s Master Gardeners.
Yoga in the Yard
Rough Point Museum
Wednesday, August 17 / 6 – 7 p.m.
$15- Advance registration recommended
Exhale your stress with a relaxing and re-energizing all-levels yoga class led by Middletown’s Innerlight Center for Yoga & Meditation, set against our expansive ocean backdrop. Attendees must bring their own yoga mat.
Roam Around Rough Point
Rough Point Museum
Saturday, August 27 / 5-7 p.m.
$20, free for Newport County residents
Roam around the house and grounds of Rough Point Museum during this special after-hours event! Explore the Formal and Kitchen Gardens, snap a #camelgram, and see the 2022 exhibition, Inspired by Asia: Highlights from the Duke Family Collection. Complete a different family-friendly craft or activity each month. In August, make camel art in honor of Doris Duke’s camels Princess and Baby!
Tickets are free for Newport County residents. Free round-trip shuttle transportation will be provided from certain locations in Newport; advance sign-ups for the shuttle are required. For more information on free transportation, please contact visit@newportrestoration.org.
Tickets for these events are available at the door and in advance at newportrestoration.org/events.
by nrf@admin | Jul 26, 2022 | NRF News
Overview
The Newport Restoration Foundation and the City of Newport are seeking qualified consultants or architectural firms to develop graphics for the City’s Design Guidelines for Elevating Historic Buildings. Specifically, the consultant will produce Appendix A, a set of graphics to include photos, drawings, and/or architectural renderings of appropriate design concepts. The graphics may include, but are not limited to, delineating new and original details in building adaptations, foundation design within a historic context, and streetscape scale and building patterns. The ideal consultant is a preservation or planning professional with a background in architecture, or an architectural firm with a preservation focus.
Please review the RFP here to learn more about the project, consultant selection, and timeline.
Background
The Newport community has historically been affected by significant flooding in low-lying areas in part due to its proximity to Narragansett Bay and some neighborhoods’ development upon filled-in marsh lands. However, flooding, hurricanes, and high tides in these coastal neighborhoods are only intensifying as a result of climate change. Many of these neighborhoods are included within the Newport Historic District and represent a significant collection of 18th- and 19th-century buildings, including National Historic Landmarks.
In 2016, NRF hosted the first Keeping History Above Water™ Conference to specifically discuss climate change and building adaptation in Newport’s historic coastal neighborhoods. Case studies from the conference informed strategies for building adaptation and resiliency in historic communities threatened by sea level rise. Since then, Newport’s Historic District Commission has concluded that the best policy for long-term preservation in these neighborhoods is to support voluntarily elevating structures.
In January 2020, the Newport Historic District Commission adopted the Design Guidelines for Elevating Historic Buildings. The guidelines apply towards all contributing and non-contributing buildings within the Newport Historic District—a collection of nearly 400 properties. The guidelines include four considerations to guide commission and applicant thinking in reviewing elevation projects for historic buildings:
Streetscapes and Context Consideration
Site Design Consideration
Foundation Design Consideration
Architecture and Preservation
The guidelines also include a definition section and three appendices:
Appendix A: Graphical Support to Building Elevation Design Concepts
Appendix B: Additional Flood Mitigation Options for the Homeowner
Appendix C: Landscape Best-Practices and Recommendations Related to Flood Mitigation and Building Elevation
When the guidelines were adopted, the Commission intended for the creation of appendices at a later date. Both NRF and the City felt graphic support for Appendix A was critical for applicants and commissioners to visualize proposed adaptations alongside the written guidelines. Visualizations will be an important tool for historic homeowners in Newport as well as serve as a model for other historic communities looking to articulate adaptation strategies.
Submission
The deadline for submission of proposals is August 19 by 5 p.m. A mandatory pre-proposal conference will be held for all interested applicants on August 5 at 10 a.m. via Zoom. Proposals must be submitted electronically as a single PDF document.
All questions may be directed to margaret@newportrestoration.org.
by nrf@admin | Jul 1, 2022 | NRF News
Newport Restoration Foundation is excited to welcome you for events at our museums this July. Rough Point Museum, Whitehorne House Museum, and Prescott Farm will offer a variety of free and ticketed programs for all ages and interests. Please mark your calendars for upcoming special events including:
TGIF Performance with Yoruba 2
Rough Point Museum (680 Bellevue Avenue, Newport)
Friday, July 1 / 6:30 – 7:30 PM
$15
Join us for our monthly outdoor art performance series on the grounds of Rough Point. In July, Lydia Perez and Yoruba 2, an award-winning and nationally recognized traditional music and dance group will perform Puerto Rican folk music and other Caribbean rhythms in the Formal Garden. Visitors can bring blankets, chairs, and snacks to enjoy during the performance. Grounds open at 6 p.m., and the performance begins at 6:30 p.m.
Summer Stories
Whitehorne House Museum (416 Thames Street, Newport)
Fridays / 10– 11 a.m.
Free admission
Listen to storybook readings in the garden and put together a themed craft to take home. This program is recommended for kids aged Pre-K to first grade. Admission to the museum is also free for families with children under the age of 12 on Fridays from 10 a.m. to noon through August 26.
Whitehorne Day: Restoration and Conservation
Whitehorne House Museum
Saturday, July 9
12 – 3 p.m. : Drop in for crafts, activities and more
3-4:30 p.m.: Collective Perspectives panel discussion
Free admission to the event and museum (advance registration is encouraged)
From 12-3 p.m., visitors of all ages are invited to drop in for a fun afternoon celebrating restoration and conservation. Explore how NRF carpenters perfectly match centuries-old carvings during the restoration process and try your hand at cleaning historic objects with our museum staff. Visitors can also meet craftspeople, experts, and shop owners who work in the restoration and conservation fields.
From 3-4:30 p.m., join us in the back garden for a Collective Perspectives panel discussion featuring Director of Museums, Erik Greenberg; Director of Preservation, Alyssa Lozupone, NRF Mill Supervisor, Peter Raposa; and Tom Newbold from the Landmark Facilities Group. The panel will discuss the day-to-day work of historic preservation at NRF and also share findings of our recent, National Endowment for the Humanities-funded study of the Whitehorne House Museum.
Whitehorne Days programming is made possible through major funding support from the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities, an independent state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Council seeds, supports, and strengthens public history, cultural heritage, civic education, and community engagement by and for all Rhode Islanders.
Second Sundays
Prescott Farm (2009 West Main Road, Middletown)
Sunday, July 10 / 12 – 3 p.m.
Free admission
Each month, NRF joins with a non-profit partner to highlight the expansive history and horticulture of Prescott Farm. In July, the team from West Place Animal Sanctuary visits the farm.
Yoga in the Yard
Rough Point Museum
Wednesday, July 13 / 6 – 7 p.m.
$15- Advance registration recommended
Bring your yoga gear and join us for a relaxing and re-energizing vinyasa yoga class led by Middletown’s Innerlight Center for Yoga & Meditation, set against our expansive ocean backdrop.
Jazz on the Lawn
Rough Point Museum
Thursday, July 14 / 6 to 8 p.m.
$20 – Advance registration recommended
Celebrate Doris Duke’s affinity for jazz music and Newport’s special connection to the art form! Settle in on the grounds of Rough Point and listen while the Mar Fayos Project jams on the terrace. Mar Fayos, a vocalist from Barcelona, and her band will perform an exciting mix of traditional jazz and jazz fusion. Complete your evening with a curated charcuterie box from locally-owned Bellevue Boards! Add a box (or more than one) to your ticket order and pick it up at check-in.
Roam Around Rough Point
Rough Point Museum
Saturday, July 30 / 5 – 7 p.m.
$20, Newport County residents are free!
On the last Saturday of every month, explore the house and gardens after hours. Newport County residents receive FREE admission! This July, make a sand castle just like Doris Duke did as a kid! Free transportation will be provided from the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center and Florence Gray Center in Newport; advance sign-ups for the shuttle are required. For more information on free transportation, please contact visit@newportrestoration.org.
For more information, visit newportrestoration.org/events.
