for the ARTS record

ROB BENCHLEY/The Independent file Greater Light

NEW BOOK HIGHLIGHTS GREATER LIGHT Island author Betsy Tyler has just released a new book entitled, "Greater Light: A House History of Gertrude and Hanna Monaghan's Summer Home on Nantucket."

Tyler, a professional librarian and free-lance historical researcher and writer, is the author of more than a dozen house-history books for the Nantucket Preservation Trust. "Greater Light: A House History of Gertrude and Hanna Monaghan's Summer Home on Nantucket is the first book in a series that will present histories of the historic buildings in the collection of the Nantucket Historical Association.

Originally a livestock barn, Greater Light was purchased by Philadelphia Quaker sisters Gertrude and Hanna Monaghan in 1929, and bequeathed to the NHA in 1972. During their tenure there, the sisters lovingly transformed the barn into a summer home, with a beautiful garden, that became known as a cultural haven for the arts movement so popular at that time. Theatrical performances, candlelight concerts, poetry readings and afternoon teas were held often, and with great flourish, on the grounds. Similar programs will be offered in the restored spaces.

The book is available for purchase by phone or on-line. Call 508-228-5785, or visit www.nha.org.

TRAVELING SMITHSONIAN EXHIBITION INCLUDES VISIT TO NHA What inhabits all of the world's oceans, weighs over 1,000 pounds, and battles with sperm whales? The Nantucket Historical Association presents its first traveling exhibition, In Search of Giant Squid, part of the Smithsonian Institution Nationally Traveling Exhibition Service.

Opening in the Peter Foulger Gallery in the Whaling Museum on Friday, Feb. 1, the exhibition is supported, in part, by the Egan Maritime Foundation and Novation Media. It will be on display through April 20.

The exhibition will feature giant squid specimens, including Architeutis's notorious beak (mandible); tentacles with section cups and a squid-o-meter, which will help visitors examine the myths and legends that surround giant squid. Guests will be able to compare them with other squids and mollusks, explore what is known about how they hunt, move and defend themselves, and learn about scientists' research to help understand their anatomy and behavior. Interactive components will allow both young and old to compare their own size to that of a giant squid, and experience the giant squid's presumed environment.

Known as the world's largest invertebrates, they have long been depicted in literature and popular culture as "sea monsters." Remains of giant squid have been found in fishermen's nets, in the stomachs of sperm whales and washed ashore all over the world. However, it wasn't until December 2006 that researchers in Japan captured on film, for the first time in history, the elusive giant of the sea alive in one of its natural habitats. This discovery has helped researchers learn more about the creature that lives in depths of 650 to 2,600 feet below the ocean's surface.

In Search of Giant Squid has been developed by the National Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service in partnership with the Discovery Channel. This exhibition is made possible by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

At 7 p.m. that same evening, the public is invited to a screening of the 1954 classic movie "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea." Free for NHA and Egan Maritime Foundation members, $5 general admission.

The museum is open Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays noon to 4 p.m.

LET'S TAKE A WALK Middle Moors Ranger and Nantucket selectman, Allen Reinhard, will speak at the Nantucket Historical Association's Food for Thought Series on Thursday, January 31, 2008, in the Whaling Museum, 13 Broad St., at noon. Free admission; bring your lunch.

Along-time island resident, Reinhard received the Governor's Award for Hospitality and Tourism from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 2007. As Middle Moors Ranger for the Nantucket Conservation Foundation, he leads interpretive walks throughout the foundation's 5,500 acres of property. Few people have walked more of the island's trails than Reinhard, who will discuss some of his favorite walking paths hidden among Nantucket's unspoiled moors - the geology, flora and fauna - and what he has found along the way.

The February 7 Food for Thought will feature the film "Rock of Change," which presents the history of school desegregation on Nantucket.

Each talk begins at noon and is free to the public. For additional information, call 508-228-1894, ext. 0,

or visit www.nha.org to view the full schedule. I