Heritage Museums & Gardens Acquires Exceptional Collection of Historic Nantucket Baskets

Major acquisition includes rare examples and establishes Heritage among the leading repositories of Nantucket basketry

SANDWICH, Mass.  [October 14, 2026] Heritage Museums & Gardens has announced the acquisition of an exceptional collection of historic Nantucket baskets. The acquisition, made possible through a generous gift from Barbara Medaugh combined with a museum purchase, significantly strengthens Heritage’s decorative arts holdings and positions the museum as an important center for the preservation, study, and interpretation of Nantucket basketmaking.

The collection includes sixty-seven baskets by some of the most accomplished and sought-after Nantucket makers, as well as exceptionally rare examples by lesser-known craftspeople whose work seldom appears in museums or private collections. Many retain original labels, signatures and inscriptions that offer important opportunities for scholarship into the makers, traditions, and working lives behind one of New England’s most distinctive art forms.

“This is an extraordinary collection, not simply because of the number or beauty of the baskets, but because of the stories they allow us to tell,” said Anne Scott-Putney, President & CEO, Heritage Museums & Gardens. “The craftsmanship, provenance, and documentation represented here give Heritage an exceptional opportunity to preserve an important Cape and Islands tradition and to share it with future generations.”

The collection was assembled by Barbara Medaugh, a lifetime Nantucket resident and collector. She spent decades assembling an important collection of the island’s signature artform, focusing on exceptional craftsmanship, rarity, provenance, and historical importance.

A Nantucket native, David Wood, developed relationships with basket makers, their families, and members of the island community at a time when relatively few people were systematically documenting or collecting the craft. He acquired many baskets directly from makers, their relatives, and neighbors, giving his collection an extraordinary depth of provenance.

“It has been my privilege to be steward to some of David Wood’s collection as well as many baskets acquired during my collecting years of both antique and contemporary baskets. Heritage Museums & Gardens has demonstrated the same respect and enthusiasm for this continuing craft that I feel. I am confident this part of my collection, combined with their current collections of maritime artifacts, will spotlight the development of the arts and the crafts that were and continue to be unique part of our Cape and Islands culture.”

Wood sought out not only examples by the best-known makers but also work by individuals whose baskets are now exceedingly difficult to find. His collection became distinguished for the quality of its weaving and carving, the condition of individual pieces, and the remarkable survival of makers’ labels and signatures.

Barbara Medaugh has longstanding connections to the preservation and interpretation of Nantucket basketmaking. She is a former president of the Nantucket Lightship Basket Museum, whose collection later became part of the Nantucket Historical Association.

Among the highlights acquired by Heritage is an exceptionally rare oval nest of baskets by Davis Hall, regarded as one of Nantucket’s finest early basket makers. The collection also includes an unusual sewing basket made by Charles Ray for his daughter; a rare “lollipop” basket distinguished by carved heart-shaped details; a dated and dedicated basket by Andrew Sandsbury; and work associated with Lincoln Ceeley, who was known as both a basket maker and a woodcarver.

Nantucket lightship baskets emerged during the nineteenth century among crews stationed aboard the South Shoal Lightship, fifty miles south of Nantucket. Using wooden molds, cane, and carved wooden components, makers developed a form notable for its strength, precision, and distinctive construction. Over time, the tradition moved ashore and continued to evolve.

A strength of the collection is the number of baskets that retain their original labels from makers who worked onboard the lightship, providing particularly important evidence of the origins of the Nantucket lightship basket tradition. This makes the collection important not only aesthetically but as a resource for future historical and material-culture research.

The collection also includes three examples of baskets made by José Formoso Reyes, who popularized the covered handbag or “purse basket” now closely associated with Nantucket. In addition to baskets by Reyes, the collection includes purse baskets by six additional makers.

“This collection gives us the ability to look well beyond the most familiar Nantucket baskets,” said Jennifer Y. Madden, Director of Collections & Exhibitions, Heritage Museums & Gardens. “We can examine the extraordinary skill of individual makers, the development of the form, the role of Nantucket’s maritime community, and the way a utilitarian object evolved into a highly accomplished artistic tradition. Just as importantly, the surviving labels and inscriptions allow us to connect individual objects with individual makers.”

Heritage Museums & Gardens plans to incorporate the collection into future exhibitions, interpretation, educational programming, and scholarly research.  The collection will be the centerpiece of the 2027-2028 landmark exhibit, A Seafaring Heritage: An Exhibition of Nantucket Baskets and Maritime Masterpieces at Heritage Museums & Gardens, curated by Dr. Alan Granby.

The acquisition reflects Heritage Museums & Gardens’ commitment to collecting and interpreting objects that illuminate the art, craftsmanship, innovation, and cultural history of Cape Cod and the Islands and the wider New England region.

All 67 baskets can be viewed on the Heritage Museums & Gardens website.

About Heritage Museums & Gardens

Heritage Museums & Gardens is set on nearly 100 stunning acres of gardens, woodland and lakeside trails and open spaces. It is the only place where you can browse through rare works of art, stroll through stunning gardens, see iconic antique automobiles, and ride a carousel all in one day. Explore Hidden Hollow, an interactive outdoor discovery area for kids of all ages, visit the Bountiful Bogs: The Massachusetts Cranberry Story exhibit, and find your own special spot on Cape Cod.

For more information, visit Heritage Museums & Gardens.

Media Contact:
Judith Goetz
Director of Marketing, Communications & Sales
Heritage Museums & Gardens
67 Grove Street
Sandwich, MA 02563
508-888-3300