Photo by Denise Wheeler

We have all heard the legend and lore of Betty Moody, Miss Underhill and the Smutty Nose Murders, but what else is there to learn about death on the Isles of Shoals? This conference will explore many aspects of death on a small island from its first years as flourishing fishing village through to the popular draw of the Grand Hotel Era.

We will learn the symbolism and meaning of gravestones, take a ‘death tour’ of the island, learn about shipwrecks, lifesaving and drowning. We will also look at famous obituaries, explore mourning customs, how loved ones were remembered in a time before photography and how those lost at sea were memorialized. Guest speakers will include Ta Mara Conde, gravestone conservator, former Vaughn Cottage curator, Sam Collins, and beloved ISHRA member, Laurence Bussey. We hope to include an optional boat ride to the Wood Island Life Saving Station with a personal tour by Docent Laury Bussey.

Of course, no June ISHRA conference would be complete without a Yankee Gift Exchange and a play performed by our very own members.