‘Some of Tom’s Typewriters’ Come to The Church

The Church in Sag Harbor is opening a new exhibition for the New Year. “Some of Tom’s Typewriters: From the Collection of Tom Hanks” is a show featuring 35 typewriters from the collection of actor Tom Hanks.

The winter exhibition opens with a reception on Saturday, January 11, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. and the installation is designed by the renowned creative director Simon Doonan. The Church’s extraordinary space will be transformed into a fanciful home for these magical machines in all their iconic, sadly obsolete glory.

Hanks handpicked the 35 typewriters from his collection of more than 300, spanning nearly the full history of the object, presenting an overview of its evolution as well as some charming, surprising innovations. Simon Doonan, the display and exhibition designer par excellence best known as the former creative director of Barneys New York and for his books and essays on culture and style, is taking full command of The Church’s space, designing an installation that is beguiling and playful while also underscoring the importance of the subject.

“The exquisite edit of the Tom Hanks typewriter collection will delight visitors of all ages. These machines — strange, complex but also ridiculously simple — have so much to teach us about history and culture,” noted Doonan. “This is why I leapt at the chance to design this installation. My goal is to spotlight the charm, engineering majesty, and social/historical of these fascinating artifacts. After all, the soundtrack of the 20th Century is the magical clacking and pinging of a typewriter. Clack, clack, clack…ping!”

“Some of Tom’s Typewriters” continues The Church’s ongoing foray into the life of things, building off its annual shows that delve into material culture. Prior examples include “Re:Cycle — The Ubiquitous Bike” in 2023, which explored the bicycle; and “Hand Made” in 2022, which explored the guitar. The Church’s approach to material culture focuses on form, creative innovation and whimsy.

The exhibition will be on view from January 12 to March 10. The reception is free and open to the public. The Church is at 48 Madison Street in Sag Harbor. Visit thechurchsagharbor.org for details.