Through the Lens: Torrington Photographs 1870 - 1970 @ Torrington Historical Society

Photography takes an instant of time and captures that moment forever.  Historical images bring us back to the time and place where they were taken, it is part of an areas' cultural heritage. A new photography exhibition has just been mounted by The Torrington Historical Society that will be on display through October 31, 2019, called, Through the Lens: Torrington Photographs 1870-1970.

This exhibition focuses on the work of several local photographers, both professional and amateur, who are well represented in the Society’s collections.  Included in the exhibition is the work of Christie Siebert, F.O. Hills, Sidney Jennings, and Thomas Wootton.  Also featured in this exhibit are images from the Charles Harris Photo Album, acquired by the Society in 2018.  The album features approximately 80 photographs of downtown Torrington from the late 1900s through the early 1930s.

the highlight of this exhibition is that many of the images have been recently acquired by the Torrington Historical Society and are on display for the first time. Visitors will find images that depict scenes of daily life that include downtown Torrington in the 1870s with its wooden buildings, dirt roads, and early factories. Other images give visitors a bird’s-eye views of Torrington; a turn of the 20th-century birthday party; O&G truck moving a small building along a north end street as neighborhood children look on, and photos of various businesses from the late 19^th century through the 1970s. 

Water Street

The exhibition will be of special interest to photography buffs because of the variety of photography mediums on display. Original images, including albumen prints, glass-plate negatives, black and white prints, and color slides that were digitized and enlarged make it easy for visitors to study the fascinating details of these historic images.  

The Torrington Historical Society is located on 192 Main Street and is open Tuesday - Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For additional information visit their website.

Turn the Clock Back to 1969 @ the Maritime Aquarium @ Norwalk

Turn the clock back to July 1969 and see newspapers, collectibles, rocket models and other items celebrating the Apollo 11 mission to the moon – including a piece of the moon itself – in a special display coming to The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk.

Open from July 1 through Labor Day (Sept. 2), the special Apollo 11 display will commemorate the historic moon landing on July 20, 1969, and also enhance the Aquarium’s daily presentations of the IMAX movie “Apollo 11: First Steps Edition.” Among the items to be displayed are newspapers from the day, buttons and patches, View-Master^® slides, spacecraft models, NASA documents, booklets and other items relating to the infamous giant leap for mankind.

Most interestingly, the collection includes a book autographed by Apollo 11 astronaut Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, as well as a small piece of the moon: part of a lunar meteorite found on Earth.

There’s no extra charge for Aquarium guests to view the display in the IMAX Theater lobby. (It also can be viewed for free by entering through the IMAX Theater entrance.)

The display ties perfectly with the IMAX movie “Apollo 11: First Steps Edition,” which lets audiences relive the wonder and drama of the first mission to land men on the moon, presented daily on The Maritime Aquarium’s six-story screen – the largest IMAX Theater in Connecticut.

With never-before-seen 70mm footage and newly discovered audio recordings, director-editor Todd Douglas Miller reconstructs the Apollo 11 mission in seat-gripping detail: the final preparations, countdown, liftoff, moon landing and splashdown return. The movie has no narration; for its 47 minutes, audiences follow the mission just as the entire world watched it unfold during those incredible eight days in 1969.

Show times from July 1 to Labor Day, show times will be 1 & 4 p.m. daily, with one exception: on Sat., July 20 (the actual 50th anniversary of the moon landing), “Apollo 11: First Steps Edition” will be the only film to play in the IMAX Theater.

Ahoy Mateys! The Pirate Adventure on Sheffield Island August 10 and 11, 2019

Scallywags of all ages can step into a world of swashbuckling rogues, dastardly villains, infamous she-pirates and wicked wenches on August 10 and 11 when purchasing a ferry ride ticket to Sheffield Island for the annual Pirates Weekend hosted by the Seaport Association in Norwalk.

Find your sea legs and hop aboard the C.J. Toth Ferry for a cruise to Sheffield Island. Arriving on the Island, guests will be greeted and entertained by a roving gang of rowdy pirates. Kids can hunt for treasure on the beach, play games, sing sea chanteys, watch swordplay, listen to tall tales of thrill and danger, and hear colorful stories of pirates near and far. Who knows what secrets they will reveal!

This is the weekend to experience the freedom of a pirate’s life, and to learn about their lore and history! The pirates that invade Sheffield Island every summer are different. They enjoy taking a break from their adventures on the seven seas and come to Sheffield Island to have a boatload of fun with those lucky scallywags visiting during the Pirates Weekend.

All pirate fun and games are free with the purchase of a ferry ticket. The ferry departs the dock at 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 2 p.m. on both days, Saturday and Sunday. It is best to arrive 30 minutes before the boat departs the dock that is located on 4 North Water Street in Norwalk in the parking lot of the Maritime Aquarium. Parking is available at the Maritime Garage. For tickets click here.

About the Seaport Association

The Norwalk Seaport Association was founded in 1978 by a group of local citizens who had the vision to revitalize South Norwalk and preserve Norwalk’s maritime heritage. 

The Norwalk Seaport Association offers a cultural, environmental, and historical journey to the Norwalk Islands. The Sheffield Island Lighthouse and the Light Keeper’s Cottage provide a unique historical and educational venue, which strives to increase awareness, appreciation, and consideration for our environment and how the preservation of historic buildings and nature contribute to our quality of life.

It is our belief that preservation strengthens the perpetual partnership between the past, the present, and the future. The combination of the Lighthouse and the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge offers an unparalleled opportunity to educate children of all ages and adults about the importance of preserving Long Island Sound, our environment and maritime heritage.