The portraits of Aaron Miller Osborn (1790-1827) and his wife Harriet Manning Osborn (1791-1829) were donated to the Historical Society of Scotch Plains and Fanwood by a direct descendent, Professor Bradner W. Coursen.  The donation dictated the portraits be hung in the small Osborn-Cannonball Museum which the Society manages.  The Museum is the home that Jonathon Osborn, Aaron’s grandfather, built in the mid 1700’s.  The portraits were attributed to the now wel

l-known New Jersey itinerant artist Micah Williams (1782-1837).  These portraits were further unusual in that Williams painted them in oils, not his typical pastels, making them further special and valuable.  Both portraits were in need of conservation, which was done by nationally known Paintings Conservator (Dr.) Joyce Hill Stoner at the Winterthur/UD studio.  Indeed she made them “good as old.”

Tru Vue Optium Acrylic glazing is the ultimate glazing product!  With its anti-reflective nature, its filtering out of harmful UV wavelengths, its reduction of glare, its anti-static quality and its abrasion resistant quality, it is no wonder it is used by 75% of museums worldwide.

Tru Vue is also generous.  It teams with the Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works to offer two awards per year known as FAIC grants.  One of these grants enabled the small Historical Society of Scotch Plains and Fanwood to protect donated and valuable historic portraits.

After painting conservation, a second serious conservation problem emerged:  providing the proper climate for the portraits in the historic museum that does not have any air conditioning.  The humidity fluctuates wildly, which would be very deleterious to the portraits.  Research yielded the answer of microclimate boxes, which totally enclose an artwork and provide a constant protected climate.  The Tru Vue Optium  Conservation Grant provided the museum quality glass and the funding to have the portraits framed at the Conservation Center for Arts and Historic Artifacts in Philadelphia, PA.

These magnificent Osborn portraits by Micah Williams now hang in the Osborn Cannonball Museum totally protected.  Many for generations will enjoy them.  The museum is open the first Sunday of every month and by appointment.  Please come to see these incredible portraits conserved to their former glory and now protected in sealed packages.  Many thanks are owed to Tru Vue and to the NJ Historical Commission for their grants which made this project possible for a small, all volunteer Historical Society.

Captain David C. Pierson and Private Newton Church both served in the American Civil War. However, they have very different memories of those years that reveal untold truths regarding our country and its struggles from 1860 to 1865.  George C. Pierson, a relative of Captain David C. Pierson, will use stories gathered from their diaries and letters home to tell the two men’s point of view at the monthly meeting of the Historical Society of Scotch Plains and Fanwood on Tuesday evening May 26th.  George Pierson is a member of the Historical Society as well as a Professor of Communication Studies at Kean University.  He has long time interests in New Jersey history and genealogy.

This informative program is free. Please join us on May 26th at 8:00PM at the Fanwood Train Station on North & Martine Avenues to “hear” long ago combatants’ stories of the American Civil War. Fellowship and refreshments follow the meeting.

For more information about this event, contact Connie Klock at 908-232-9489.

The Historical Society of Scotch Plains and Fanwood will present a program on the musical life in colonial Williamsburg by John Burkhalter at its monthly meeting on Tuesday evening March 24th, 2015 at 8:00PM at the Fanwood Train Station located on North and Martine Avenues in Fanwood, NJ.  This program is free and open to the public.  The program is funded by the Horizons Speakers Bureau of the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

In 18th century Williamsburg the study of music was a subject of serious interest and social refinement.  Harpsichords and other musical instruments were imported for Williamsburg’s town houses and nearby plantations.  The presentations will be based on one of the most important colonial music inventions known, that of “Mr. Ogle, musick master lately arrived in Williamsburg from London.”

John Brukhalter founded a musical organization The Practitioners of Musick, to survey the musical riches of 17th & 18th century Great Britan and Ireland and the Colonial Federal periods in America.  The organization has a library of some 300 items of printed music published in London, Dublin and Edinburg during the course of the 18th century.  Many are rare and several unique.  His colleague, Donovan Klotzbeacher, is the harpsichordist.  He has always been fascinated with early musical instruments such as recorders and harpsichords.  The two have presented their musical program to many historical organizations throughout New Jersey.

Please join us on March 24th to be transported back in time to colonial Williamsburg where a most famous Mr. Ogle will fascinate us with his music mastery. Fellowship and refreshments follow the meeting.

For more information about this event, contact Connie Klock at 908-232-9489 or write to us.  For more information about the Horizons Speakers Bureau please visit http://njch.org/programs/hsb/.

Please note the change of venue for this meeting!