Forbes House Unveils 40 New Pieces of Art

One picture is worth a thousand words. At the in Milton hangs a new oil painting, “The Haidee.” A schooner sails amid choppy waters with two men aboard. Storm clouds fill the skies yet the scene is bathed in an almost heavenly light. It symbolizes how Thomas Tunno Forbes perished during a typhoon off the coast of Macau in 1829. 

Three of five crewmembers died that day. Unmarried and childless, Thomas’ fortune was used to build Margaret Perkins Forbes, his mother, a new home in 1833, which is now the Forbes House Museum.

“The Haidee” is one of 40 new acquisitions. Prints, paintings, American and export silver offer fascinating insights into the Forbes family history and the China trade period. Other works record rare local scenes. For example, two new oil paintings depict the birthplace of Captain Robert Bennet Forbes in Jamaica Plain in 1804. The exhibit debuted before trustees and members at the Forbes House annual meeting on September 15.

The 40-piece art collection is a gift to the Museum by H.A. Crosby Forbes, Ph.D, and from his sons, Robert P. Forbes, Ph.D. of Connecticut, and Douglas B. Forbes of New York, and their families. Recently H.A. Crosby Forbes has moved into a nursing home, according to his son, Dr. Robert Forbes, who was present at the exhibit. The family changes prompted gifting the collection to the Museum.

“We were in the process of scaling down. This is the family’s home away from home. Family members have felt extremely welcome here,” he said.

Through the generations, the Forbes family has kept artifacts associated with family stories and the parts they played in history. Dr. Forbes shared how his great-aunt Mary Bowditch Forbes’ fascination for Abraham Lincoln is the reason a life-sized replica of Lincoln’s log cabin exists on the grounds of the Museum.

An exchange of letters between his great-aunt “complaining of the New Deal” and other political issues to Franklin D. Roosevelt and the president’s replies are preserved in a family scrapbook. Their correspondence soon will become part of the Museum’s permanent collection.

“It’s a window into American history,” said Dr. Forbes.

That night Phyllis Forbes Kerr was honored for serving the organization for over 17 years. She is the author of two books, “Cabin Boy, A Voyage to China In the Early 1800’s” and “Letters from China, The Canton-Boston Correspondence of Robert Bennet Forbes, 1838-40.”

About half a dozen Forbes family descendants live in Milton and remain involved with the Museum, according to Samuel Perkins of Milton. “The real China traders were Thomas, Samuel and James Handasyd Perkins. Their sister was Margaret Perkins Forbes. Samuel was my triple great-grandfather,” he added.

The newly acquired art collection adds a special richness to an already bright facet of New England history. “It’s what brings a family museum to life,” said Mr. Perkins.

Upcoming Forbes House Museum Events

Sunday, 9/18:  “The Captain’s Birthday Open House,”1-4 pm at the Forbes House.  215 Adams Street in Milton. Informal Tours, birthday cake and refreshments will honor Captain Robert Bennet Forbes’ 207th birthday.  Free admission but donations gratefully accepted.

Sunday, September 25: “The Hutchinson Retreat Party,” 4-6 pm at The Wharf Restaurant in Lower Mills.  A slightly irreverent re-enactment of the 1774 departure of Governor Hutchinson, the last colonial governor, will feature a fife, drum and regimental procession from the Forbes House to Milton Wharf.

Tickets are $100 per person; passed hors d’oeuvres, beer and wine will be served on the terrace at The Wharf Restaurant.  The reenactment celebration is included in the ticket price. Proceeds will benefit the Forbes House Museum Fund to care and preserve the historic property and collection.

Purchase tickets by credit card by calling Becky Wright, FHM Assistant to the Director, at 617-696-1815, or via e-mail at r.wright@forbesmuseum.org; or mail your check to Forbes House Museum, 215 Adams Street, Milton, MA 02186.