Preservation Long Island’s Exhibition Gallery
161 Main Street, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
FACING THE FACTS: Tall Tales from Historic Houses
The last time you visited a historic house museum, was the absence of closets attributed to a colonial tax avoidance maneuver? Or did your tour guide connect the origin of the saying “sleep tight and don’t let the bed bugs bite” to rope beds? Although fun and memorable ways to explain life long ago, many of these stories are based on little evidence. In a contemporary world where the accuracy of our news is constantly under question, recent studies reveal that museums are among the most trusted sources for information. Yet, these misconceptions about early American life persist.
Featuring highlights from Preservation Long Island’s collections, our latest exhibition dives into the facts (or lack thereof) behind popular myths encountered at historic house museums and critically explores why many refuse to disappear from our collective understanding of the past.
Thursdays through Sundays, 12pm–4pm
June 13th to November 24th, 2019
Opening Reception: Thursday, June 13th, 2019 at 5pm (FREE)
Curator’s Gallery Talk: Saturday, November 16th, 2019 at 2pm
$10 members; $15 non-members. Click HERE to register for Gallery Talk
Image Caption: Thomas Dering (1720–1785), ca. 1810. Oil on canvas. Preservation Long Island, gift of Marion Dering and Helen Garwood, 966.135.