Nantucket

Images of America: Massachusetts

by James Everett Grieder, Georgen Charnes

Nantucket, a Wampanoag word meaning “far-away island,” was first settled by Europeans in 1659. The earliest settlers, known as the “Proprietors,” envisioned a community of farmers and shepherds, but the island found its fortune as a preeminent whaling port in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. During its time under Quaker influence, Nantucket was a cosmopolitan and dynamic place; radical new ideas, like abolitionism and women’s rights, found fertile ground in the Quakers’ firm belief in equality. As the entrance to the harbor became impassible, Nantucket lost its whaling focus and experienced a general economic decline. Ironically, this downturn and the resulting absence of new building, along with modern cultural change, became the springboard for its later revival. Nantucket was transformed into a tourist destination, an artist colony, and a summer home to the wealthy and famous, with a rich maritime heritage and a proud tradition of historic preservation.

128 pages, Paperback

First published May 14, 2012

Reviews

[David Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very comprehensive history of Nantucket, told mainly through a truly superb collection of images. Although I had already read Nathaniel Philbrick's definitive history Away off Shore, this book filled in some gaps in my knowledge of Nantucket. I especially appreciated seeing the only known photo of Nantucket's Main Street taken before the Great Fire of 1846. The portraits of Nantucket notables and characters are plentiful, including Elisha Pope Fearing Gardner, poet and vendor of "boneless peanuts", who graces the cover. My favorite image depicts the quaint interior of a home called The China Closet. The caption may just bring a tear to your eye. This is the perfect book to pull out on that sad ferry ride home or to fill in the hours between visits to Nantucket.

[Georgen Charnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I chose the photos and wrote the captions! Hope you like it!

[Josh Shanks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice photo book for a good cause. The Nantucket historical Association should be updated with color photos and modern info.