The Vineyard Haven Library is pleased to share with the community a display of miniatures from the collection of Clara Banta Kennedy, on loan from her family through the holiday season. The display can be viewed anytime during regular library hours.
Growing up in the 1920’s, Clara was given miniatures as birthday and Christmas gifts. Incredibly detailed for their size, these miniatures sparked her imagination and filled many days with play. Clara shared she could build entire “worlds” with them.
As Clara grew older, she began slowly adding to her collection, following in her older sister, Jeanette’s footsteps. In 1945, Clara got married and eventually had four sons. While she was involved with many other things, her interest in miniatures never waned and her collection grew. Every year at Christmastime, she would set up a miniature village in Princeton, NJ for friends and family to enjoy.
In the early 1970’s, Clara opened an antique store called the Calico Cat in Kingston, NJ, with fellow Vineyarder, Tita Vivian. In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, Clara sold miniatures from a space at Pyewacket’s on Beach Road. Eventually, she left her space and took her miniatures home to adorn the shelves and walls of her Vineyard Haven house, where they have been cherished for many years.
Clara Kennedy was a dedicated volunteer for the Friends of Vineyard Haven Library and many other community organizations. She died peacefully in her home this October at the age of 101.
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