Sometimes Think of Me

Notable Nantucket Women Through the Centuries

Sometimes Think of MeFor the past four centuries, the women of Nantucket have built this “anthill in the sea” into an enduring community worthy of Emerson’s epithet the “Nation of Nantucket.” Often, while their husbands roamed the world’s oceans, Nantucket women formed the social and cultural lifeblood of their “island home.”

The tangible evidence of these women’s lives is preserved in the collections of the Nantucket Historical Association, especially in the record of their personal writings in journals, letters, and diaries kept on land or at sea. No other form of literature compares to the immediacy of reading the description of a personal joy or tragedy in the handwriting of the participant, on the day it happened, in a letter or journal held in your own hands.

The magnetism of their personal stories is what attracted Susan Boardman to the women showcased in this exhibition. Each of them spoke in her own way to Boardman, who felt a kinship that enabled her to stitch the stories of their lives in commemorative embroideries. Susan herself combines so many of the outstanding qualities of these women: the artistic skill and vision, the spirit of inquiry and openness, a nearly scientific curiosity, and above all the sense of shared community.

Meet the Artist, Susan Boardman


The Book behind the Exhibit

“Sometimes Think of Me:” Notable Nantucket Women through the Centuries, features embroidered narratives by island needlework artist Susan Boardman with text by Betsy Tyler, NHA Research Fellow.

Read the Book

Buy the Book


Videos


Thank You

This exhibit was made possible through the generous support of the following

Benefactors

Helen & Hampton Lynch
Ellen & David Ross
Janet & Rick Sherlund
Anonymous

Sponsors

Franci & Jim Crane

Patrons

Nancy & Douglas Abbey
Connie & Tom Cigarran
Caroline & Douglass Ellis
Nancy & Al Forster
Barbara & Edmund Hajim
Liz & Jeff Peek
Melissa & Nat Philbrick
Cheryl & Joseph Romano

Contributors

Patricia S. & Thomas J. Anathan
Mary Helen & Mike Fabacher
Clarissa & Bill Porter
Melanie & Bob Sabelhaus
Esta-Lee & Harris Stone

Donors

Mimi & Dwight Beman
Nina & Bob Hellman
Nancy & Lars Soderberg

The following individuals provided invaluable loans of artwork and assistance

Nancy & Douglas Abbey
Molly Anderson
Edith Andrews
Dwight Beman
Michael Boardman
Susan & William Boardman
Patricia Butler
Barbara & Philip Caruso
Nancy Chase
Betsy de Leiris
Caroline & Douglass Ellis
Tyrrell Flawn
Nancy & Al Forster
Deborah Fraker
Nancy & Charles Geschke
Nancy & Carl Gewirz
Nancy Giragosian
Susan Zises Green
Barbara & Edmund Hajim
Beverly Hall
Christine & Henry W. Harding
Javatime Design
Amy Jenness
Honey Kurtz
Helen & Hampton Lynch
Nancy Newhouse
Nantucket Atheneum
Novation Media
Elizabeth Oldham
Renee Oliver
Kevin Paulsen
Clarissa & Bill Porter
Cheryl & Joseph Romano
Ellen & David Ross
Betsy Skae
Mary & Jeffrey Smith
Esta-Lee & Harris Stone
Jane Stroup & Joan Manley
Marie & John Sussek
Dorothea & Jason Tilroe
Betsy Tyler

The Nantucket Historical Association preserves and interprets the history of Nantucket through its programs, collections, and properties, in order to promote the island’s significance and foster an appreciation of it among all audiences.

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