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A Tradition of Craft: Current Works by the Society of American Period Furniture Makers

March 30 - September 8, 2012

This juried exhibition of furniture, tools, and other household items will showcase the work of contemporary woodworkers whose skill, passion, and appreciation of history keep traditional craft alive. Selected works created by members of the Society of American Period Furniture Makers will be on display with authentic 18th- and 19th-century furniture from the collection of the Connecticut Historical Society -- furniture that families once used, treasured, and passed down to future generations and that now inspires today's craftspeople. Examine, compare, and admire American craftsmanship then and now. This exhibit is sponsored by:

Connecticut in the 1930s

Opens April 12, 2012

In the 1930s Connecticut celebrated its Tercentenary. It also survived a devastating hurricane and massive flooding. Despite economic hardship, Connecticut companies were at the forefront of modern design and men in the Civilian Conservation Corps were put to work all over Connecticut. This small scale display features objects and images that were made in Connecticut in the 1930s - the decade represented by the latest census released in April 2012.

Songs Along the Way: Examining Bird Song Through Patterns of Migration and Habitat

Opens March 9, 2012

Songs Along the Way is the second installation in the "micro-gallery" at the CHS, created by students in the New Media Collaborative at the University of Hartford, under the direction of Ken Steen, Professor of Composition and Theory at the Hartt School of Music. This "crowd-sourced" sound and image installation features music and sound composed from birdsongs and other sounds and noises collected from the Park River Watershed along with video, photographic images, migration maps, and text.

Ongoing

Making Connecticut

Don't miss this exhibit 400+ years in the making! Colorful, interactive, and filled with more than 500 historic objects, images, and documents, Making Connecticut is the story of all the people of Connecticut, from the 1500s through today. Themes of daily life, clothing, transportation, sports and leisure, work, and social change run throughout the exhibit. Hands-on activities for kids (and adults!) include working a World War II assembly line, hand stenciling designs for a 19th-century chair, sewing a Native American moccasin, replacing bobbins in a textile mill, and cooking a meal and setting the table in both a colonial and a 1980s kitchen. Come be surprised, inspired, and amused as you explore our state's past and your own place in "Making Connecticut."

Inn & Tavern Signs

Between 1750 and 1850, there were more than 50,000 inn and tavern signs produced by American painters, creating a distinct visual language and offering a glimpse into tavern life, travel, and patriotic ideals in early America. Only a fraction of these signs survive. The Connecticut Historical Society's collection numbering more than 60 signs is by far the largest and most spectacular in the country. Learn more about the sign for Carter's Inn in the Collection Highlights gallery. A book about our inn and tavern sign collection is also available on-site and online through our museum store.

Connecticut Connections | Connecticut Collections

The Connecticut Historical Society has been preserving and sharing the stories of what makes this state unique for almost 200 years. If you live in Connecticut now, had ancestors here long ago, or just enjoy visiting, YOU are part of this story. We are testing out ideas for a permanent exhibit coming later in the year, and you can help. Dress up a marble bust, submit your awkward family photos, mark your place on the Connecticut map, or showcase your personal collection of stuff to help tell your story in Connecticut.

Veeder Living Room

The Connecticut Historical Society is located in a Colonial Revival mansion originally owned by inventor Curtis Veeder. Veeder graduated from Lehigh University in 1886 with a Masters of Engineering degree and moved to Hartford to start his own company. The Veeder Manufacturing Company produced counting and precision manufacturing devices--all invented and designed by Veeder himself. An exhibit in the original living room of the house (which Veeder had built in 1928) features wall labels, blow-ups of the original blueprints, and an interactive touchscreen explaining the history of the building and the Veeder family.

At the Old State House

History is All Around Us

The Connecticut Historical Society created this interactive, multimedia exhibit about the history of Hartford and the history "all around us" for the Mortensen Gallery at Connecticut's Old State House. Explore history in the places we live, the things that we use every day, and the actions we take. Build and re-build Hartford over time on the large-scale floor map, find out about the era of urban renewal and its effects on the city, delight in everyday objects from long ago (and not so long ago!), come face-to-face with a 1912 steam-powered fire engine, encounter creative and innovative people who have made a difference, and consider your own place in history. Connecticut's Old State House is located at 800 Main Street, Hartford. For information on visiting: www.ctosh.org.