Help Southold Historical Society Create Visual History of East End Wine

What are your earliest memories of the East End’s wineries? Were you here when the first vines were planted? What impact do you think the wine industry has had on East End culture? How do people from the community work together to make this thriving industry possible? Where do you see Long Island’s wine industry progressing in the future?

Southold Historical Society is inviting the community to answer such questions by joining them in creating a visual essay—a collection of photographs that tells the story of an event—on the History of the Wine Industry on Long Island’s East End. Participants of this roundtable session will view and explore more than 50 photographs of area wineries and vineyards in order to tell the vibrant story of the wine industry’s local history. Those in attendance will share memories and take part in shaping the story of East End wineries by helping select the best photos and other ephemera for the exhibition.

Reading the visual essay is directed by the sequence of the photographs and how the photos relate to each other, and to the person viewing them.

The development of this visual essay is made possible by a grant from the Robert David Lion Foundation, which enabled Southold Historical Society to hire local professional photographer David Benthal to visit the wineries and capture their history through his lens.

Anyone interested in joining the free roundtable should meet at the Ann Currie-Bell House at the Museum Complex across from the Southold Firehouse (55200 Main Road, Southold) on Wednesday, January 17 at 6 p.m. A light dinner will be served as guests share memories and any artifacts or documents relating to the East End wine industry. The selected photographs, artifacts and documents will then form the visual essay as well as an exhibition which will be on view at the Southold Historical Society from June–October 2018.

Registration is required by calling 631-765-5500 or emailing Karen Lund Rooney, Executive Director, at k.lund@optonline.net.