Avery Corcoran, Roger Williams University, Master of Science in Preservation Practices
My PIN project this summer is entitled The Gendered Experience of Growing up on Nantucket in the twentieth century. This project looks at a collection of female oral
histories and recordings in the NHA repository taken between the 1950s through the early 2000s that paint a comprehensive picture of what life was like for women on
Nantucket during the mid-twentieth century.
This project was inspired by looking through past PIN reports in celebration of the program’s fiftieth year. I was intrigued by the oral history project conducted in 1985 by Russell Paul Bernabo entitled: Growing-Up in Nantucket: A Lifestyle Traced through Oral History.
As Bernabo is quoted stating in his research, “These interviews present a monologue which could have been spoken by the composite persona of four men who were
interviewed about growing up in early twentieth century Nantucket. The men were George Jones, Franklin Lamb, Alfred Perry, and Leon Royal.” Bernabo conducted individual 90-minute interviews with four gentlemen who grew up on Nantucket to understand better what it was like for a boy to grow up here throughout life. While these oral histories provide excellent stories and a similar experience of growing up on Nantucket for a gentleman, they lack intersectionality.
Including women in the narrative is important because far too often the narratives of women are excluded, especially if in addition they are women of color. To paint a truly
comprehensive picture of Nantucket it must include everyone, especially the women who were entrenched in a wide array of activities on the island.
To begin this project I did research to see what existed about women on the island. I wanted to know if there were any oral histories existing or if I would have an
opportunity similar to the 1985 report to conduct my own interviews. Just nearing the point of changing project topics or finding women to interview, I found the Nantucket
Historical Association’s Cassette Tape Collection. In this collection, there are 421 total items. Within these items, there are approximately 115 oral histories collected from
women who grew up on or were long-time residents of Nantucket. And further, within that group of female oral histories, I found less than 10 from women of color.
While the breadth of this collection is incredible, the majority of these accounts are not transcribed so including every story and experience would be next to impossible.
That being said, I created a sampling of five women’s oral histories per decade in which oral histories were collected starting in the 1950s ending in the early 2000s.
This is in order to distill common experiences and themes had by many women to understand them and their experience on Nantucket. Each woman will have a
corresponding photo if applicable as well as quotes and or their interview recording. Additionally, if any of the women particularly pique your interest, many of the full
interviews will be directly accessible on this story map which will be a resource available for public access.
In my presentation, I selected one woman from each decade sampling to briefly introduce through images, quotes, and or audio clips. I selected Grace Brown
Gardner for her involvement in Nantucket history and culture, Margaret Fawcett Barnes for her involvement in the rise of entertainment via the theater, Estelle
Coggins for her involvement on the island and children’s education, Beatrice Martin for her discussions about Cape Verdean and Portuguese workers, and Joan Wilson
Godeau for her childhood of freedom.
And as I have pointed out some commonalities between the oral histories, it is easy to see the deep involvement in Nantucket culture and traditions, the rise of
entertainment particularly in ‘Sconset, women raising their families, depending on the island’s natural resources, especially in hard times and lastly the wonderfully, free
childhoods experienced by many.
Considerations & Conclusion
I hope that the Nantucket Historical Association will consider finding funding to invest in transcribing the oral histories for easier public access. It will be important to make a stronger effort to portray a true, intersectional picture that emphasizes the gender, race, and class of all of the people that contribute to Nantucket. We have to remember that people create the culture and attribute value to a place – without people a place is nothing. I hope that the use of this amazing oral history collection inspires programming and further interest in the oral histories of women on the island. Lastly, I would like to thank the NHA for their help and use of their extensive collections.
My project aims to include women and people of color in the narrative of life on Nantucket. These stories of the island, the people, its culture, and how it has evolved
over time are all invaluable assets that help us see a comprehensive picture of the island over several decades. Stories such as these make places important, valuable,
and real to us today, oral history reconnects us to lost history and culture. These women helped carry Nantucket culture by fostering a sense of community with their
investment and care for the people, places, and how it all interacts, these women helped shape Nantucket as we know it.
I find the conclusion that women literally helped carry the culture of the island and make it a better, more connected place through their investment in its culture quite
amazing, but not surprising. Compared to the original 1985 PIN oral history report regarding growing up on Nantucket for men, the men recounted the stories of their
youth, some of their families, and what they went on to accomplish. Whereas accounts from women much more deeply involve their families, friends, other islanders as well
as the places and organizations that they collectively cared about.