Allen to Talk About 'Hitty, Her First Hundred Years'

11:30AM / Wednesday, September 26, 2007Print Story | Email Story

LENOX - The story of Hitty â€“ her discovery, purchase, rise to fame and eventual home in Stockbridge, will be told by Barbara Allen, curator of the historical collection at the Stockbridge Library Association, on Saturday, Oct. 27, at 4 p.m., at Ventfort Hall, followed by a Victorian tea. Hitty, a nickname of Mehitabel, is a 6 1/4-inch, peg-jointed antique wooden doll that was purchased by author Rachel Field and artist Dorothy Lathrop in an antique shop in the 1920s. The two wrote the award-winning 1929 book "Hitty, Her First Hundred Years," detailing the imaginary adventures of the doll they had acquired. Hitty's travels and adventures have been an inspiration to readers for generations. Hitty was made in the mid-1800s of white ash and painted similar to an old china doll. In a rare off-site appearance, Hitty will be on view during the lecture and tea event. Allen has been the curator of the historical collection in Stockbridge for nine years and has been involved in museums and curatorial endeavors for 25 years. She received her master's degree in library information science from the State University of New York at Albany. Ventfort Hall Mansion and Gilded Age Museum programs are partially underwritten by the Lenox and the Richmond cultural councils, members of the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Admission for the lecture and tea is $15 per person, members $12. For more information or reservations, call 413-637-3206. Ventfort Hall is at 104 Walker St. A project of Save Americaâ€™s Treasures, Ventfort Hall offers tours of the historic mansion, as well as lectures, concerts, teas, theater and other programs. This Elizabethan-revival Berkshire cottage, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is open to the public year-round and is available for private rental. Built in 1893 for George and Sarah Morgan (sister of the financier, J. P. Morgan), Ventfort Hall has undergone substantial restoration.

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Pittsfield Christmas Tree Pickup Schedule

11:15AM / Friday, December 26, 2025

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Sure, it's only the day after Christmas, but you do have to figure out how long to keep that tree up.

If you have an artificial one, take your time. If you have a real one, you can have it hauled away in the New Year if you live in Pittsfield.

Casella will be picking up Christmas trees until the week of Jan. 26. Residents are asked to place their tree at the curbside for their designated pickup day, and Casella will collect them based on the schedule below:

• Week of Jan. 5: trees will be collected for Monday and Friday routes

• Week of Jan. 12: trees will be collected for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday

routes

• Week of Jan. 19: trees will be collected for Monday and Friday routes

• Week of Jan. 26: trees will be collected for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday routes

For more information, call the Department of Public Utilities at 413-499-9330.

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