Inside the CHS

When the initial query came about our interest in an account book of a furniture maker, I was not overwhelmed. Until, that is, I received a scan of the very first page. The entry that caught my eye read “Eliza Punderson sampler frame 12 x 8 1/2”. Now that got my attention! One rarely if…
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Documenting the work of furniture makers through the archival record can be a challenge. The descriptions often are very cursory. How exciting, then, when we come across a bill like one from Aaron Chapin & Son to Mr. Thomas Burnham, dated 1820. Chapin made 1 cherry dining table 3 ft. 6 inches, and a curled…
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I have looked through all sorts of account books kept by furniture makers, but I have yet to find an entry that indicates anything like inlay. Maybe they used a different term? What a shame I couldn’t find anything, since the last in our summer furniture series will include a demonstration of inlay by Steve…
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If your workshop isn’t air conditioned, find a perfect respite from the rising temperatures at our Behind-the-Scenes Tours “CHS Toolbox” on Saturday, July 20 at 11:00 am and 1:00 pm. With collections expert Rich Malley, visitors will explore vintage tools from awls to wrenches (ok, I couldn’t come up with a tool that started with…
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Entering the furniture storage on the third floor still feels like I’ve stumbled upon a secret treasure trove every time I get off the elevator. Visitors on our monthly Behind-the-Scenes Tours sometimes get to experience this feeling, too, but we know that more members and visitors would love a way to learn more about this…
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CHS is hosting a furniture series once a month for the next three months. The first program, scheduled for Friday, September 20, from 5:30-7:00 pm, features Christina Keyser Vida, Curator of Collections and Interpretation of the Windsor Historical Society. She will share the history of cabinet-making in Windsor, Connecticut, in its heyday of the late…
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Ok, I’ll admit that we still have a futon in our basement. But that’s not our greatest source of furniture shame. I remember vividly the hot afternoon we set out to get a new desk for my husband. I was a graduate student at the time and money was short, so we headed to a…
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Our exhibit, Making Connecticut, showcases over 500 objects, images, and documents from the CHS collection. “What is this?” posts will highlight an object from the exhibit and explore its importance in Connecticut history every other week. What is this object? What is the story behind it? To find out more,

I often marvel at the variety of ways the public uses our collections.  I thought it would be fun to give a run-down of some of the ways individuals have used, or could use, our vast collections here at CHS. 

By Jenny Steadman, Adult Programs Manager of the Connecticut Historical Society On May 21, CHS welcomed a group of Decorative Arts enthusiasts who spent the whole day literally turning things upside down under the expert guidance of Dr. Philip Zimmerman, a museum and decorative arts consultant, author, and nationally recognized authority on early American furniture. Focusing…
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Don’t miss your chance to peek in the drawers of the CHS’s acclaimed furniture collection. From the Chapin workshop in the mid-1700s up to mid-Twentieth-century modern industrial design, explore the rich heritage of furniture in Connecticut.

Don’t miss your chance to peek in the drawers of the CHS’s acclaimed furniture collection. From the Chapin workshop in the mid-1700s up to mid-Twentieth-century modern industrial design, explore the rich heritage of furniture in Connecticut.

The CHS’s collection of early Connecticut furniture is unparalleled in its scope and depth, and this program will provide an extraordinary opportunity to learn about these important objects through up-close examination.

The CHS has accepted a beautiful piece of furniture with an interesting story into our collections. Crafted in 2009 by expert furniture maker Romulo Chanduví in his East Hartford studio, this 18th-century Spanish colonial style chair was designed as one of a pair for a long-time collector of Chanduví’s work.

An all-access pass to our favorite “hidden” treasures. Come behind the scenes and see them for yourself!

An all-access pass to our favorite “hidden” treasures. Come behind the scenes and see them for yourself!

An in-depth study day focusing on items in our new exhibit on Shaker artifacts, led by co-curator M. Stephen Miller.

How did English craftsmen adapt to New World conditions in 17th-century New England? Guest speaker Nancy Carlisle of Historic New England will share her expertise.