Historic District Will Debut Hattertown Portfolio At Library

The public is invited to visit C.H. Booth Library the weekend of June 4–6 for a special short-term exhibition of the original works for The Hattertown Portfolio. The limited edition release is being offered for sale to benefit Hattertown Historic District, a small hamlet in southeast Newtown.

For three days the original works of art will be displayed at the library, along with plates that offer information on the historic district and many of the buildings within it. Hattertown was at one time a thriving community of small farms and cottage industries, with hat shops, button shops, a grist mill, a blacksmith shop, a general store, and a mill.

Today Hattertown is a quiet residential community officially containing eight homes and their barns and outbuildings. Several homes adjacent to, but not officially within, Hattertown are included in The Hattertown Portfolio.

The idea for the portfolio came about when commissioners of the historic district had to decide what they would do with the small amount of money available for the use of the district. In the past there have been road signs and flower plantings, but the commission wanted to do something different and longer lasting this year.

Hattertown district resident and commissioner Bruce Degen, a children’s book illustrator, proposed the project: a portfolio of Hattertown.

It turns out neighbor Ross MacDonald, who regularly writes for The New York Times and is also a professional illustrator, owns a press and antique type fonts in metal and wood. Alex Degen (Bruce’s son) signed on to do the pen and ink drawings for the portfolio, and Mr MacDonald handled the design and typography for the project. Mr MacDonald did the hand printing of the portfolios in his print shop, Brightwork Press.

Also a major player in the creation of the portfolio was Town Historian Dan Cruson.

“He’s just a font of information,” Mr Degen said this week of Mr Cruson, who has uncovered countless stories about the previous residents and residences of Hattertown for a number of years.

Each portfolio contains ten individual prints with informational interleaves and a frontispiece, all set in type of the period. There is a limited edition of 50 portfolios, with each signed by the creators and numbered.

The portfolios have been printed on cream Stonehenge paper in two colors.

They are being offered for sale at $200, with all proceeds being used for the benefit of Hattertown Historic District.

C.H. Booth Library will present “The Hattertown Portfolio: A Special Exhibition” on Friday, June 4, from noon until 5 pm; Saturday, June 5, from 10 am to 5 pm; and Sunday, June 6, from 1 to 5 pm. A reception to meet the artists and creators of the portfolio will be held on Saturday from 2 to 4 pm. The public is invited to meet those involved in the project, view the original art, and enjoy light refreshments.