Thine Jack
At Sandy Spring Museum, we strive to connect the past with the present to inform the future.
Thine Jack exemplifies this vision by bringing the war-time experiences of a young Jack Bentley to life for present-day audiences in a 75-minute digital production. Bruce Evans, the creative talent behind Thine Jack, brings his background both as a theater arts professional and a former Museum trustee to its production.
In this work, Bruce narrates a collection of letters in the Museum’s collection written by Sandy Spring native, Jack Bentley, to his family while serving overseas during the First World War, letters he typically closes with “Thine Jack.”
Jack Bentley, who was once described as “something of a philosopher,” wrote letters that elegantly display a young man yearning for home. He processes the horrors he witnessed yet protects his family from this reality with an upbeat tone and musings of life after the war.
Upon discharge, Jack resumed a promising professional baseball career for which he is best-known both locally and nationally. Despite his expansive notoriety, he remained grounded in local roots throughout the remainder of his life. The land upon which the Museum now stands was donated in his memory by his second wife, Helen.