“The Blessed Isle: Hal B. Fullerton and His Image of Long Island”

The Suffolk County Historical Society is pleased to announce a slide lecture program presented by SCHS Director Wally Broege on Thursday, April 7, 2011, at 7pm (Suffolk County Historical Society, 300 West Main St., Riverhead, NY).

The title of the program is “The Blessed Isle: Hal B. Fullerton and His Image of Long Island.” The program will explore the life and work of Hal B. Fullerton (1857-1935) and his wife Edith Loring Fullerton (1876-1931).  

A special agent of the Long Island Rail Road (appointed in 1897), Hal B. Fullerton was a talented photographer who progressively guided the railroad’s activities to promote agriculture and recreation on Long Island. Alongside his wife Edith Loring Fullerton, he established experimental farms for the railroad in Wading River and Medford, in an effort to promote modern agricultural methods and the use of the railroad to move produce to New York City. In addition, he engineered a number of highly-publicized media events including Charles “Mile-A-Minute” Murphy’s successful attempt to peddle a bicycle at 60 miles per hour, and President Theodore Roosevelt’s visit to the Wading River and Medford farms. Through his photographs, lectures and writings, Fullerton’s work and vision are notable for contributing significantly to the development of Long Island.

Caption: Edith L. Fullerton, LIRR President Ralph Peters, Teddy Roosevelt, and Hal B. Fullerton en route to the Wading River Farm during Roosevelt’s 1910 visit to the experimental farms. SCHS Collection.

The Suffolk County Historical Society is home to the Fullerton Photograph Collection, featuring 2,500 original glass-plate negatives of early Long Island by Hal B. Fullerton. This informative slide program will feature many images from the Collection.

Admission cost is $5; advance registration requested. Call the Suffolk County Historical Society at (631) 727-2881 to reserve a seat.

This lecture is presented in connection with the Society’s new exhibit “Edith Loring Fullerton: Lady of the Garden,” on view Tues. – Sat, from 12:30 –4:30pm through April 2011. This exhibition explores the multi-faceted life and career of Edith Loring Fullerton through photographs, publications and memorabilia. Highlights include many previously unexhibited images from the Society’s renowned Fullerton Photograph Collection.     

The mission of the Suffolk County Historical Society is to collect, preserve and interpret the ongoing history of Suffolk County and its people.
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HOURS OF OPERATION: 12:30 to 4:30 PM
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The activities and publications of the Suffolk County Historical Society are made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, celebrating 50 years of building strong, creative communities in New York State’s 62 counties.

The Suffolk County Historical Society is a private, non-profit organization, and an Authorized Agency of Suffolk County, that receives partial funding from Suffolk County, Steve Levy, County Executive.
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