It’s time to play in Little Compton
Little Compton, R.I. —
The “Please Play” signs are going up at the Little Compton Historical Society in time for this weekend’s grand opening of its new special exhibition “Time to Play.”
The exhibit explores how local children spent their free time in Little Compton from the 17th to the 21st century. It includes toys and games from the Society’s own collection, along with over a hundred toys that have been loaned to the exhibit by members of the community. Community members have also donated dozens of photographs of children at play in Little Compton along with almost 200 stories about their favorite Little Compton pastimes. The exhibit includes half a dozen “Please Play” areas inviting kids of all ages to play with reproduction toys including Skittles, toy soldiers, a giant paper doll, a three-story doll house, a 1930s pin ball machine, a marble ramp, a working Lionel Train set and more.
The exhibition is divided into centuries. The 17th and 18th century displays contain beautiful antique toys from the Society’s collection including a “baby” that may date back to the 1600s and an exquisite Queen Anne doll dating back to the 1740s. The 19th century display contains dozens of toys and focuses on eight children who were born in Little Compton between 1860 and 1890. They include Victor Wilbour, the son of America’s first Egyptologist and David Patten who wrote extensively about his Little Compton childhood as an adult. For the 20th century the Historical Society choose a “Poster Boy and Girl” for every decade from 1900 to 1950. Photographs, stories and toys from each child are on display. The Poster Children include Richard Bullock and Lillian Sherman from the 1900s, Winthrop Brownell and Helen May Brown Gomez from the 1910s, Carlton Brownell and Lois Almy from the 1920s, Walter Elwell and Barbara Jewell Pond from the 1930s, Nate Atwater and Jane Cabot from the 1940s and finally Sandy Hawes and Caroline Wilkie Wordell from the 1950s.
Children from the later portion of the 20th century are also represented with photographs and stories as are over one hundred and fifty 21st century children, primarily from Wilbur McMahon Schools who sent in stories that they composed at school. A 64-page exhibition pamphlet documents the images and stories associated with the exhibition. The pamphlet will be available for sale at the Historical Society throughout the summer.
For more information visit the Historical Society’s Web site, newly updated by volunteer Michelle Lee Humphrey, at littlecompton.org, or call 401-635-4035.
Source: The Herald News