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When they filmed Jaws, on Martha’s Vineyard

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by Sandra Hutchinson

The blockbuster film Jaws, was released on June 20, 1975, fifty years ago today. I’m reposting here the article I wrote in 2023 about the filming of the movie on Martha’s Vineyard in 1974.

In the spring of 1974, a young 27-year-old director named Steven Spielberg began filming Jaws on the Massachusetts island of Martha’s Vineyard. Universal Studios had recently bought film rights to Peter Benchley’s not-yet-released thriller about a killer great white shark that terrorizes the fictional New England Amity Island. 

The Martha’s Vineyard Museum, in Vineyard Haven, is currently hosting a “mini-exhibit” on the filming of Jaws, on display until March 24, 2024. I had a chance to visit in August, 2023. Here are some highlights. 

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Belle da Costa Greene: exhibit at The Morgan Library & Museum

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by Sandra Hutchinson

Several years ago I read a book – labeled historical fiction – entitled The Personal Librarian, by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray. Published in 2021, the dust cover describes the book as “the remarkable story of J. P. Morgan’s personal librarian, Belle da Costa Greene, the Black American woman who was forced to hide her true identity and pass as white to leave a lasting legacy that enriched our nation.”

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A whirlwind spring visit to London

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by Sandra Hutchinson

I’ve been lucky to travel to London a number of times during the month of May, when some of my favorite events occur. This May (2024), I headed across the pond, and spent nine days in the capital, visiting my younger son’s girlfriend who is currently living and studying there. To my delight, my son flew over to join us for the duration of my visit.

We did a bunch of things together, as their work and school schedules allowed, and I also did a lot poking about on my own. Here are some highlights.

Sky Garden

View of St. Paul’s Cathedral at dusk from the Sky Garden. The Thames River is to the left.

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Four days in Porto, Portugal, at the New Year

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by Sandra Hutchinson

We managed a quick trip (8 nights) to Portugal over the recent New Year’s holiday, with our family of six: my husband and me, our two adult sons, and their girlfriends. We flew from Newark to Lisbon, then a quick one-hour flight north to Porto. After four nights in Porto, we took the train to Lisbon, and stayed an additional four nights. Our time in Lisbon included a day trip to Sintra.

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Overnight at Beekman Arms in Rhinebeck with Mirbeau spa visit

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by Sandra Hutchinson

Periodically, my longtime friend Miss E and I (friends since seventh grade at Robert E. Bell Middle School) get together, stay a night or two at a nice inn, and if available, pair it with a spa visit. We’ve had wonderful stays at the Inns at Aurora (New York’s Finger Lakes region), the Woodstock Inn (Vt.), the Red Lion Inn (Stockbridge, Mass.), and as of this week, the Beekman Arms, in Rhinebeck, NY.

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My favorite holiday cocktail—Orange, Pomegranate & Prosecco

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by Sandra Hutchinson

Some years ago, I found a recipe for this cocktail on the Internet and I’ve been making it every year on Christmas Eve and/or Christmas Day. The one copy of the recipe that I printed out attributes the recipe to Cheyanne Holzworth-Bany. So, Cheyanne, wherever you are — Merry Christmas and thank you!

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Highlights from the Shelburne Museum — a few of my favorite things

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by Sandra Hutchinson

Every few years I make it a point to visit the Shelburne Museum, in Shelburne, Vermont. Spread over 45 acres on the eastern side of Lake Champlain, several miles south of Burlington, the museum primarily houses the eclectic collection of its founder, Electra Havemeyer Webb (1888-1960). The property is close to Shelburne Farms, the estate and large farm developed by the Webb family.

The Shelburne Museum has one of the best collections known of late 18th and 19th century Mochaware.
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When they filmed Jaws, on Martha’s Vineyard

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by Sandra Hutchinson

In the spring of 1974, a young 27-year-old director named Steven Spielberg began filming Jaws on the Massachusetts island of Martha’s Vineyard. Universal Studios had recently bought film rights to Peter Benchley’s not-yet-released thriller about a killer great white shark that terrorizes the fictional New England Amity Island.

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Four days in Amsterdam, the Netherlands

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We made a four-day visit to Amsterdam in late May, prompted by my snagging two tickets to the once-in-a-lifetime Vermeer exhibit at the Rijksmuseum. (See my post about the exhibit here.)

Public garden outside Rijksmuseum
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Open Day at Christopher Spitzmiller’s Clove Brook Farm

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by Sandra Hutchinson

I’ve long been a fan of the The Garden Conservancy’s Open Days program, which arranges for public visits to some of our country’s most inspired and beautiful private gardens. There are usually a number of great options in New York’s Hudson Valley each spring and summer, as well as in neighboring northwest Connecticut.

Earlier this summer, through the Open Days program, I visited a stunning property near Millbrook, NY, in Dutchess County, that has been transformed by Christopher Spitzmiller and Anthony Bellomo. Called Clove Brook Farm, the current 5.5 acre property was originally part of a 200 acre working farm. The name comes from the stream that runs along the edge of the property, called Clove Brook.

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