Shoals Bibliography

General Shoals History

Bardwell, John D. The Isles of Shoals: A Visual History. The Portsmouth Marine Society, Publication 14. Published for the Society by Peter E. Randall, Publisher. Portsmouth, NH, 1989 (out of print).

- A chronicle of the history of the Shoals with many photographs from a former UNH Special Collections librarian

Rutledge, Lyman V. The Isles of Shoals in Lore and Legend. Barre, MA: Barre Publishers, 1965; Boston: Star Island Corporation, 1971.

- Classic history and legends
- Available at the Star Island Bookstore or from the Star Island Corp. Vaughan Mall, Suite 8, Portsmouth NH 03801; 603-430-6272

Rutledge, Lyman V. Ten Miles Out, Guidebook to the Isles of Shoals, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Boston: Isles of Shoals Association, 1997.

- In-depth guide to the Shoals; historical timeline
- Available at the Star Island Bookstore and other bookstores

Whittaker, Robert H. Land of Lost Content. Dover, NH: Alan Sutton Publishing, Inc., 1993 (out of print).

- History of the Seacoast and the Shoals from a former tour boat Captain

University Art Galleries. A Stern and Lovely Scene, A Visual History of the Isles of Shoals. Durham, NH: University of New Hampshire Press, 1978 (out of print).

- Extensive photographs and history
- Available from the Paul Creative Arts Center, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, 603-862-3712

Specific Aspects of Shoals History

Boutelle, Annie (introduction). Island Light, Isles of Shoals. Blue Tree, 2006.

- Color prints of historical and contemporary paintings of the Shoals with excerpts from “Among the Isles of Shoals” by Celia Thaxter

Curry, David Park. Childe Hassam, An Island Garden Revisited. Denver Art Museum in association with W.W. Norton & Co., 1990, reprinted 2005.

- Childe Hassam’s art on Appledore during the Resort Era
- Available at bookstores and at Amazon.com

Downs, John W. Sprays of Salt, Reminiscences of a Native Shoaler.

- A first-hand account of life on the Shoals in the late 19th century; originally published in 1944
- Available at the Star Island Bookstore and from Gayle Kadlik, Box 164, Fitzwilliam, NH 03447, 603-585-9478; gayle@natick.net

Laighton, Oscar. Ninety Years at the Isles of Shoals. Beacon Press, 1930. Portsmouth, NH: The Star Island Corporation, 2003.

- Resort-era reminisces from Uncle Oscar, Celia Thaxter’s brother
- Available at the Star Island Bookstore or from the Star Island Corp. Vaughan Mall, Suite 8, Portsmouth NH 03801; 603-430-6272

Jenness, John Scribner. The Isles of Shoals: An Historical Sketch. Hurd & Houghton, 1873. Houghton Mifflin Co., 1915 (out of print).

- Fishing era history of the Shoals from a Victorian era viewpoint
- Pdf file available through Google and1884 reprint available from Higginson Book Company, 148 Washington Street, Salem,MA. 01970, 978-745-7170.

Kingsbury, John M. Here’s How We’ll do It. Ithaca, NY: Bullbrier Press, 1991.

- The story of the Shoals Marine Laboratory on Appledore by its founder
- Available at the Shoals Marine Lab store.

Mason, Caleb (editor & introduction). The Isles of Shoals Remembered: A legacy from America’s First Musicians’ and Artists’ Colony. Charles E. Tuttle Co., Inc., 1992 (out of print).

- Many notable reproductions from the 1901 daybook of William Mason, the famous musician and frequent guest of Celia Thaxter on Appledore

McGill, Fredrick T. (Ed.). Letters to Celia. Boston: The Star Island Corporation, 1972 (out of print).

- Cedric Laighton’s letters to his sister Celia Thaxter narrating events on the Shoals during the resort era

McGill, Fredrick T. and McGill, Virginia F. Something Like a Star. Boston: The Star Island Corporation, 1989.

- A history of Star Island during the Conference Era along with personal memories of the authors
- Available from the Star Island Bookstore or from the Star Island Corp. Vaughan Mall, Suite 8, Portsmouth NH 03801; 603-430-6272

Pearson, Edmund. Murder at Smutty Nose: and Other Murders. Doubleday, Page & Company, 1927 (out of print.)
- Seventy pages about the murders at Smuttynose in 1873

Randall, Peter E. and Burke, Maryellen (Eds.). Gosport Remembered, The Last Village at the Isles of Shoals. The Portsmouth Marine Society, Publication 23. Published for the Society by Peter E. Randall, Publisher. Portsmouth, NH, 1987, reprinted 2002.

- Photographs and history of the Shoalers in the village of Gosport on Star
- Available at the Star Island Bookstore and from Google

Rutledge, Lyman V. Moonlight Murder at Smuttynose. Boston: Star Island Corporation, 1958, 1988.

- Pamphlet about the Smuttynose murders
- Available at the Star Island Bookstore or from the Star Island Corp. Vaughan Mall, Suite 8, Portsmouth NH 03801; 603-430-6272

Williams, Lois. Illustrated by Bobby Williams. Religion at the Isles of Shoals: Anglicans, Puritans, Missionaries, UUS, and UCCS. Peter E. Randall, Publisher, 2006.

- Extensively researched chronicle of the ministers that served at the Isles
- Available at the Star Island Bookstore

About Celia Laighton Thaxter:

Mandel, Norma H. Beyond the Garden Gate, The Life of Celia Laighton Thaxter. University Press of New England, 2004.

- Comprehensive biography of Celia Thaxter
- Available in bookstores or from Amazon

Stephan, Sharon Paiva. One Woman’s Work, The Visual Art of Celia Laighton Thaxter. The Portsmouth Athenaeum in association with Isles of Shoals Historical and Research Association. Portsmouth, NH: Peter E. Randall, Publisher, 2001.

- Photographs and extensive commentary on Celia Thaxter’s art and china painting
- Available from Peter E. Randall, Publisher, http://www.perpublisher.com/per41.html

Thaxter, Rosamond. Sandpiper, The Life and Letters of Celia Thaxter. Portsmouth, NH: Peter E. Randall, Publisher, 1999.

- Biography of Celia Thaxter by her niece, Rosamond Thaxter
- Available from Peter E. Randall, Publishing, http://www.perpublisher.com/per31.html

Vallier, Jane E. Poet on Demand, The Life, Letters and Works of Celia Thaxter. Portsmouth, NH: Peter E. Randall, Publisher, 1994.

- Study of Celia Thaxter and her writing
- Available from Peter E. Randall, Publishing, http://www.perpublisher.com/per10.html

Celia Thaxter’s Writings

Thaxter, Celia. Among the Isles of Shoals. Boston: J. R. Osgood, 1873; University Press of New England, 2003.

- A classic; descriptions and anecdotes of the Shoals written by Celia Thaxter
- Available from Peter E. Randall, Publisher

Thaxter, Celia. An Island Garden. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1894; Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 2002.

- Celia Thaxter’s in-depth tribute to her garden on Appledore; illustrated by Childe Hassam
- Available printed online or from Amazon

Older, Julia. Celia Thaxter: Selected Writings. Hancock, NH: Appledore Books, 1997.

- Excerpts from the major works of Celia Thaxter with a profile of the writer by the editor
- Available from Appledore Books

Titus, Donna Marion (ed.) By This Wing: Letters by Celia Thaxter to Bradford Torrey. Manchester, NH: J. Palmer, 1999 (out of print).

- Of interest to birders; Celia Thaxter’s correspondence with a leading birder of the time

Vallier, Jane E. The Poems of Celia Thaxter. Peter E. Randall, Publisher (out of print).

Photographs of the Isles of Shoals

Parsons, Bruce J. Star Light, Thirty Years of Photographs of Star Island. Peter E. Randall, Publisher, 2006.

- Contempary color photographs of Star Island
- Available at the Star Island Bookstore and from here

Randall, Peter E. All Creation and the Isles of Shoals, Camden, ME: Down East Books, 1980 (out of print).

- A photographic essay of the Shoals with historical background

Randall, Peter E. Out on the Shoals: Twenty Years of Photography on the Isles of Shoals. Peter E. Randall, Publisher, 1995 (out of print).

- Photographs of the Shoals spanning four seasons

Natural History of the Shoals

Borror, A.C. and Homes, D.W. Breeding Birds of the Isles of Shoals. Ithaca, NY: Shoals Marine Laboratory, 2nd edition, 1990.

- Of interest to birders; academic pamphlet with a bit of history of the Shoals
- Available at the Shoals Marine Lab store.

Fowler-Billings, Katherine. Geology of the Isles of Shoals. Concord, NH: State of New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development, 1977.

- Of natural science interest; academic pamphlet
- Available at the Shoals Marine Lab store.

Howard, Richard A. Flowers of Star Island, The Isles of Shoals. Arnold Arboretum, 1968 (out of print).

Shoals Fiction

Boutelle, Annie. Becoming Bone: Poems On the Life of Celia Thaxter (1835-1894). University of Arkansas Press, 2005.

- Poetry about the life of Celia Thaxter on the Isles of Shoals
- Available from here or Amazon

Older, Julia. The Island Queen, Celia Thaxter of the Isles of Shoals, A Novel. Appledore Books, 1995.

- Fictional depiction of Celia Thaxter’s life based on fact
- Available at Appledore Books

Older, Julia. This Desired Place; The Isles of Shoals. Appledore Books, 2007.

- Fictional tale of a Colonial adventurer on the Seacoast
- Available at bookstores and at Appledore Books

Perrault, John. The Ballad of Louis Wagner & Other New England Stories in Verse. Peter Randall, Publisher,

- A collection of ballads about regional events, including the 1873 murders on Smuttynose; includes a CD of Perrault performing the ballads
- Available from Peter E. Randall, Publisher

Shreve, Anita. The Weight of Water. Little, Brown: 1997.

- Speculative story of the murders on Smuttynose in 1873, woven into a more current plotline
- Available at bookstores and at

Children’s Books

Allen, William Boyd. Kelp: A Story of The Isles of Shoals, The Pine Cone Stories. D. Lothrop & Company, 1898 (out of print).

Kingsbury, John M. Illustrated by Edward and Marcia Norman. The Rocky Shore. Chatham Press, 1970 (out of print).

Krupinski, Loretta. Celia’s Island Journal. Little, Brown & Co., 1992 (out of print).

Molloy, Anne. Celia’s Lighthouse. Houghton Mifflin, 1949; Star Island Corporation , 1976 (out of print).

Scott, Jack Denton. Illustrated by The Gulls of Smuttynose Island. Putnam Publishing Group, 1977 (out of print).

Titus, Donna Marion. Celia Thaxter Coloring Book, The Isles of Shoals Association, 1992 (out of print).

Weiskel , Portia Willams. Illustrated by Julia Morgan. The Bear Who Missed the Boat.

- A bear’s adventures in traveling to Star Island
- Available from the Star Island Corp. Vaughan Mall, Suite 8, Portsmouth NH 03801; 603-430-6272

Welch, Christina M. Home on Star Island. Little, Brown & Co., 1962 (out of print).

- Adventures of children who went to live with their grandparents on Star Island.

Welch, Christina M. A Boy of the Shoals, Vantage Press, 1973 (out of print).

Online resources

Seacoast NH

On the left topic bar: click “Places & Events”
Under Places & Events: click “Isles of Shoals”
After introductory paragraph: click: “See all articles”

Extensive articles on all things relating to the Isles of Shoals