Newport Show 2014

Lecture Schedule Friday July 25, 2014 at 11AM Big History, Little State: 375 Years in 50 Objects How can anyone choose just 50 objects to represent Rhode Island’s vast history? From the selection of major themes to iconic artifacts, the curatorial process involves research, discussion, and a variety of considerations. Rhode Island Historical Society Director of Collections Kirsten Hammerstrom will discuss the process she and her colleagues used in selecting artifacts for the Newport Antique Show exhibition. Friday July 25, 2014 at 1PM Fruits of Our Labor: Industry, Immigration, and Rhode Island’s Road to Riches Newport’s allure as a summer destination was firmly cemented by the families that built the magnificent mansions for which the city has become so famous. To many in 2014, they stand as a grand anomaly of gilded beauty but when they were built, Rhode Island was a shining example of industry and enterprise. It was bustling mills overflowing with the languages of the world; streets lined with housing for the thousands of workers coming to the very seat of American ingenuity. The new State House rose to illustrate just that glory. In this talk Dr. C. Morgan Grefe, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Historical Society, will discuss the rise of industrial Rhode Island and explore the ways in which this state was much more than a playground for the wealthy. Saturday July 26, 2014 at 11AM Vintage Cars & Automobile Racing in Newport Nicholas Schorsch, Chairman, CEO and co-founder of American Realty Capital, will discuss his passion for antique cars and the development of the car museum that he and others are establishing in Newport. In addition his talk will investigate the history of automobile racing on Aquidneck Island and the possibility of bringing racing activities back to the island today. Cars at Bailey’s Beach c.1902-1905. Image from the NHS photo collection. 17