Highfield Hall & Gardens Presents Collectors Collecting Collections,
A Four-Part Series
February 9th – October 30th, 2022
Highfield Hall & Gardens is pleased to announce a yearlong series of installations about collecting, Collectors Collecting Collections. The series asks the question what propels people to engage in collecting through the multidisciplinary lens of history starting with the Cabinet of Curiosities. Collections diverse in material and intent, will fill Highfield Hall’s galleries all year. Each collection demonstrates a thoughtful and deliberate eye with vastly different motivations. Many subjects reflect the pursuits and interests of those who once resided in Highfield Hall, starting in the 19th century through 1990s.
As objects and materials fade from memory, new trends in collecting emerge. Collection categories evolve too as manufacturing and technology effect consumer habits. Today collectors have more resources to fuel their passion, with a simple tap of a key the world is within reach, offering people of all ages and all backgrounds to participate in an adventure of collecting.
The series is organized by collecting category. The first part of the series titled “The Natural World”, opens February 9, 2022. The winter display will include pages from the 1953 herbarium of plants that once grew around Highfield Hall; selected plates from a facsimile of The Temple of Flora, the stunning collection of botanical illustrations produced by Robert Thornton between 1799-1807. An original edition was given to the Falmouth Public Library by E. Pierson Beebe, it is important as it reflects his passion for plants and art. An artist study of birch trees growing in forests by artist Linda Eckstein adds a woodland vide to the galleries, spectacular hand painted lacquer boxes illustrated with traditional folk tales and nature imagery from Russia bring richness to the corner of the ballroom. A cabinet of curiosities with its menagerie of animals and rare artifacts introduces visitors to the theme, ‘collecting as a pursuit’.
Parts 2 – 4 will feature fashion and decorative arts collections for spring; fine art, travel and souvenir ephemera, games and toy collections welcome summer; concluding the year with sculpture and photography illustrating how connection and memory play a vital role in the collector’s pursuit.
Lenders to the exhibition include The Falmouth Public Library, Museums on the Green, numerous private collectors, and artists from New England and New York.
Series Schedule
Part 1 February 9th – April 3rd
Part 2 April 12th – June 19th
Part 3 June 28th – August 14th
Part 4 August 28th – October 30th
Gallery Hours:
Winter Hours
Wednesday – Friday, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Saturday, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
About Highfield Hall & Gardens
The house is a rare surviving example of transitional Stick Style architecture, containing beautiful gardens located in the heart of Falmouth, Massachusetts. It is a unique combination of a historic house, expansive gardens and trails, and a vibrant cultural center. Built in 1878 as the summer home for Boston's Beebe family, the house sits on 5.5 pristine acres surrounded by nearly 400 acres of conservation land and public walking trails. Highfield Hall & Gardens is not your typical historic estate. It is an example of a historic building saved by grassroots community organizing. An effort of tenacity and vision that continues as new research on the structure and its story of the people who lived here add to the building's significance. It offers world-class music, international art exhibitions, culinary classes, family programs, and year-round special events. For more information, visit highfieldhallandgardens.org.
Mission
Highfield Hall & Gardens' mission is to honor the beauty and historic significance of the house and grounds by providing high-quality artistic, cultural, and educational programs for the enrichment of our community and visitors of all ages.