Author, Animation Pioneer to Speak in Derby

Executive Director Robert Novak, left, and Jeremiah Vartelas, right, of the Derby Historical Society clear leaves around the Colonial Cemetery gravesite of   Dr. John Durand, who died in 1727.

Photo by Marian O’Keefe.

The Derby Historical Society has launched its Annual Appeal, to help support its historic properties, programs, and operating expenses.

This year's Appeal will be highlighted by a Thanksgiving Reception at Grassy Hill Lodge in Derby, on Monday, November 22. This year the Historical Society is proud to host Dr. Alvy Ray Smith as its guest speaker. Dr. Smith wrote the award-winning book Dr. John Durand of Derby, Connecticut, and his Family, in 2003. Dr. John Durand was among Derby's pioneer settlers, arriving in 1699. He lived in what is now known as Brownie Castle (Derby's oldest existing home) and he reportedly brought the first lilac bushes to America. Dr. Smith is a direct descendant of Dr. Durand.

A pioneer in computer animation and graphics, Dr. Smith had received two technical Academy Awards for his work. Among the many highlights in his extraordinary career is his award-winning work with Lucasfilm LTD, and his co-founding of Pixar, the now billion dollar company which produced the first computer animated feature film Toy Story, as well as other blockbusters such as Monsters Inc., and Finding Nemo. Dr. Smith was also the Microsoft Corporation's first Graphics Fellow, serving from 1994-1999, and is the President and founder of a digital photography company called Ars Longa.

Tickets to the Reception will be given for each donation of $35 or more.
Refreshments will be served. All donations are tax-deductible, and the Society provides acknowledgement letters to all donors upon request.
Campaign literature and informational pamphlets are available. For more information please call the Derby Historical Society at 735-1908.

The Derby Historical Society serves as the Valley's regional historical society, with members and staff from Derby, Ansonia, Seymour, Oxford, and Shelton. Founded in 1946, the Derby Historical Society is devoted to the preservation, promotion, and education of the Lower Naugatuck Valley's history and culture. The General David Humphreys House is open weekdays, while the Dr. John Howe House is currently being transformed into a museum honoring the Valley's industrial era experience

The Society's successful Day in 1762 Program has served over 30,000 area schoolchildren since 1980. The Program's professional staff utilizes a unique teaching style, combining reenactment, role-playing, hands-on examples, and instruction to capture the feeling and spirit of two and a half centuries gone by.