Past Exhibits & Events
The Gunn Historical Museum presents an ever-changing view of local history. Here is just a partial listing of recent and past exhibitions and events:Victorian Tea Party | Paranormal Lecture | Cemetery Tour | Washington Club | Scrapbook Exhibit & Programs | Washington's Emergency Services | GML Centennial | Wedding Dresses | Cogswell Papers | Abner Mitchell | Washington Art Association |
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Christmas through the Ages (November 2009 to January 2010)
Visitors traveled back through time to Christmases past. Our holiday exhibit featureed vintage toys and memorabilia in festive Victorian era, 1920s and 1950s inspired settings. Designers Chris Zaima and Anne Chapin worked with the Gunn to transform the entire first floor of the museum into a Christmas wonderland. Spectacular dolls from past generations filled one entire gallery. Additional highlights of this fantastic exhibit included Christmas trees and stunning vintage dresses from each era. Children of all ages were delighted by this festive holiday exhibit!
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Victorian Tea Party
The Gunn Museum hosted an old-fashion Victorian tea party on Saturday January 2, 2010. Visitors viewed our spectacular holiday exhibit, "Christmas through the Ages" and socialized with friends in a festive setting. Guests were asked to bring their favorite tea cup, and tea and refreshments were provided.Paranormal Lecture
Insight Paranormal Agency recently conducted a paranormal investigation at both the 1908 Gunn Memorial Library, and the 1781 Museum. The ghost hunters revealed what they found roaming the halls of the Gunn during a lecture on Thursday October 29. Tony Diana, co-founder of Insight Paranormal Agency, explained the different types of ghosts, the equipment they use in their surveys, and showed evidence of haunted sites that they have investigated in Connecticut.Insight is a paranormal investigation group comprised of volunteers who have a passion for the supernatural. They seek answers to questions about the other side, but with an ear towards reality. Steve Bednar, co-founder of Insight Paranormal Agency, explains what got him interested in the paranormal: "I have always been interested in trying to find answers about 'the other side.' Is there a heaven and hell? Or just spirits and ghosts, or perhaps all of the previously stated? I have had personal experiences growing up that are unexplained and after learning ghost hunting techniques I set forward in search of a group as focused and determined as I was for answers and had a passion for the hunt. That group is Insight Paranormal Agency."
Insight Paranormal Agency has been featured on KISS 95.7 and Better Connecticut on WFSB.
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2nd Annual Washington Green Cemetery Tour
The Gunn Memorial Museum hosted tours of the Washington Green Cemetery on Friday October 30. The museum was transformed for the evening into a frightful place with a spine-chilling exhibition of funeral artifacts, including authentic nineteenth century coffins, a civil war era embalming table, post-mortem Victorian mourning photographs and grave stones.Throughout the evening, costumed guides led visitors from the museum to the cemetery where the town's departed citizens, stationed by their gravestones, told their tales. Visitors could explore the shadowy cemetery and hear fascinating stories about some of Washington's most noteworthy citizens from years past. Many new characters emerged to meet tour-goers this yesr. Tours departed from the museum every ten minutes, following a path of luminarias through the cemetery.
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Washington Club: A Century in the Community
June 2009 through Saturday, October 24th
The Washington Club has been a fixture in town since 1903, hosting community theater performances in Club Hall, as well as offering a 9-hole golf course, tennis and Holt Beach on Lake Waramaug. We looked back at the history of the Washington Club with wonderful pictures and artifacts from the collections of club members and the Gunn Memorial Museum.
The Keepers of History: Scrapbooks and Albums
April 26, 2009 through October 24, 2009
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Visitors could explore life over the past two centuries through the prism of wonderful scrapbooks from local residents and our collection. Scrapbooks are a quintessential shared American art form, beautifully presented time capsules of bygone people, places and times. Pasted fragments of memory from past generations were on display in this wonderful visual history of Washington. The innovative exhibit provided an opportunity for guests to 'walk into' a book through the use of unique paint colors, large-scale reproductions of pages and vignettes that created a sense of time and place. Chris Zaima created a beautiful old-fashion mural of Washington on our walls as a backdrop for this exhibit. Period clothing and historic artifacts from our collection completed the experience.
Many of the scrapbooks featured in Jessica Helfand's new book, Scrapbooks: An American History, were on display in this exhibit. Fabulous, rarely seen scrapbooks from the collection of the Gunn Museum included:
A grant from The Community Foundation of Northwest Connecticut, in collaboration with the Connecticut Humanities Council, made this exhibit and associated programs possible.
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National Scrapbooking Day "Crop" Workshop
On National Scrapbooking Day, Saturday, May 2nd, the Gunn Memorial Library and Museum held a workshop, open to both beginners and expert "croppers" of all ages. The day started with a scrapbooking demonstration for beginners and a digital scrapbooking demo in the afternoon. Our consultant, Kristen White of Creative Memories, offered creative tips and unique ideas, in addition to sharing her professional tools. She also displayed both digital and traditional scrapbooks that she has completed with interesting ideas on photo display.There were raffles for cool scrapbooking supplies throughout the day. Each guest received a goodie bag with stickers, paper and helpful information. This workshop coincided with the Museum's exhibit, The Keepers of History: Scrapbooks and Albums.
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Booksigning and Chat with Jessica Helfand
On Saturday June 13, 2009, during Connecticut Open House Day and Washington's Locally Grown History Day, a one-day statewide event designed to pay tribute to Connecticut's unique world of history, art, film and tourism, Jessica Helfand, the author of Scrapbooks: An American History, gave a book signing and chat exploring the history of this hobby. Jessica Helfand is a graphic designer, professor at Yale University and the author of several books on graphic design and cultural criticism. Many of the scrapbooks featured in Jessica's book are on display in the Gunn Museum's new exhibit, "The Keepers of History: Scrapbooks and Albums."
Scrapbook Preservation Workshop
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Scrapbooks present some of the most complex conservation and reformatting challenges. Composed on varying materials, adhered with problematic glues and tapes to often acidic pages, scrapbooks frequently need to be reformatted in order to preserve the intellectual information contained within. The workshop was free and open to the public as well as library and museum professionals interested in preservation options for scrapbooks.
Participants were encouraged to bring a scrapbook from their collection for hands-on examination and discussion. Visitors also viewed the exhibition, "The Keepers of History: Scrapbooks and Albums," which included many scrapbooks featured in Jessica Helfand's new book, Scrapbooks: An American History, on display next door at the Gunn Museum. The exhibit and workshop were sponsored by The Community Foundation of Northwest Connecticut, in collaboration with the Connecticut Humanities Council.
Digital Scrapbooking
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Washington's Community Scrapbook
The Gunn Memorial Library and Museum created a community scrapbook during the exhibition, The Keepers of History: Scrapbooks and Albums. Washington residents, businesses and organizations were encouraged to pick up a blank scrapbook page, fill it with their memories, photographs and objects and then return it to the museum by October 31, 2009. The completed book will become part of the Museum's permanent collection. The community scrapbook will give future generations a glimpse of what life was like in Washington in the year 2009.
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of the Fire Department & Ambulance Association
November 28, 2008 to May 1, 2009
Fire department and ambulance association volunteers have been serving Washington for decades. Riveting first-person accounts of Washington emergencies during the past century, from the Flood of 1955 to fires and automobile accidents were accompanied by vintage photographs and artifacts from the fire department and ambulance association, conveying stories of brotherhood, tragedy and triumph. The history of these volunteer safety organizations came alive in this tribute to Washington's finest.
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The Gunn Memorial Library, designed by Ehrick K. Rossiter and constructed by Dallas Wyant in 1908, celebrated its 100th Anniversary in 2008. The exhibition highlighted the history of the construction of this venerable building and celebrated all of its wonderful features. The Renaissance Revival period architecture, memorial reliefs, sculptures, stained glass windows and ceiling mural by painter and Washington resident H. Siddons Mowbray all combine to make the Gunn Memorial Library one of Washington's architectural and cultural treasures.
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2008 - 2009
An elaborate display of wedding gowns from the Gunn's vintage clothing collection focused on the history of weddings and wedding dresses, spanning the mid 19th and early 20th centuries, while tracing Washington's history through the people that wore them. One of the prized pieces displayed during the exhibition is the wedding dress made and worn by Abigail Brinsmade when she married Frederick Gunn on April 16, 1848. An extensive display of wedding photographs from Washington residents, spanning the last century, accompanied the wedding gowns throughout the museum.
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In conjunction with the exhibition, "The Fabric of Marriage: Wedding Dresses," we offered a two-part workshop in July and August on preserving historic wedding gowns and costumes. Sarah Griswold, curatorial consultant, has many years of experience working with the preservation of vintage textiles. She offered an educational lecture on the proper archival materials and housing required for professional storage and care of historic costumes on Saturday July 26th in the Wykeham Room of the Gunn Memorial Library. Mrs. Griswold also demonstrated proper techniques for storage of vintage clothing and showed how not to store them, with examples of recently donated items in non-archival boxes and plastic wrapping. At this program, interested individuals were able to purchase and order archival materials, including boxes and tissue paper. The second part of the workshop took place on Saturday August 23rd. Participants picked up their supplies and got assistance in properly storing their garments for preservation.
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November 28 to January 11, 2009
Our must-see holiday exhibit featured vintage toys, fire engines and memorabilia in an eye-catching, fiery setting. Highlights of this fantastic exhibit included toy fire trucks of all shapes and sizes on loan to us from area collectors. Children of all ages were delighted by this festive holiday exhibit.
Washington Green Cemetery Tour
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Throughout the evening, costumed guides led visitors from the museum to the cemetery where the town's departed citizens were stationed by their gravestones to tell their tales. Visitors had the opportunity to explore the shadowy cemetery and hear fascinating stories about some of Washington's most noteworthy citizens from years past. Visitors were encouraged to bring a flashlight!
The Museum also hosted a pumpkin decorating contest on Thursday, October 30th, and awards were given.
Locally Grown History Day at the Gunn: Roundtable Discussion on the History of Marriage
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Northwest CT museums joined together this fall to highlight their treasures, culminating with a multitude of events on Locally Grown History Day. Maps and passports to visit museums throughout the area were available at the Gunn Museum.
The Cogswell Family Papers: In 250 Years of One Family’s Records, The History of a Town - Through Summer 2008
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Beginning more than 200 years ago, the Cogswell Family, from one generation to another, created and kept records, mementos, and evidence of everyday life from the time of their settlement of New Preston in 1746 through the present day, preserving information about their history, their community and its people. The collection is remarkable for its size, age and condition, and will be invaluable in providing helpful insights about the town’s history.
The Cogswell Family had a hand in practically every important aspect of community life -- commerce, industry, law, education. They were active citizens, business owners, schoolmasters, sheriffs, church deacons, judges, lawyers and tavern keepers. It was at "Squire Cogswell's" that General George Washington recorded a stop at the Tavern for breakfast, in his diary on May 25, 1781.
To reinforce its mission to collect, preserve, interpret and make available records that would otherwise be lost, the museum accepted the challenge and the responsibility to preserve and protect this fragile collection in a way that is consistent with professional archival practice. As we continue to sort and organize these historical papers, the museum will be showcasing representative examples that offer insight into the history of New Preston and our town of Washington over the last 250 years.
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While dressing in vintage clothing and accessories, Kandie Carle adds humor, history and intriguing anecdotes about fashion, home life and the etiquette of men and women. Ms. Carle created this one-woman show in 1996. She has assembled a vast collection of authentic Victorian and Edwardian clothing and accessories dating from the mid-nineteenth century to the turn of the twentieth century. With many years of research in social history and fashion behind her, along with humor and grace, Ms Carle shared her passion for history and love of these eras.
Abner Mitchell: Letters of a Civil War Soldier
June 2007 - May 2008
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The Shepaug Middle School students pieced together Abner Mitchell's life through the letters that he sent from the battlefront to his family in Washington. Michael Croft's history classes transcribed 49 Mitchell letters this year, "a discovery that usually gets sent to a college professor," Croft said. Together the class created a book and the museum exhibit. The project was featured on Diane Smith’s Positively Connecticut show on CPTV in April. Diane Smith filmed scenes at the Shepaug Middle School, the Gunn Memorial Museum and around the town of Washington.
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Doll's Paradise - Holiday 2007
The treasured doll collections of Miss Mary Browne, Mary Logan Bronson, Dorothy Averill and past curator, Ester Peck, etc., were showcased in this holiday season exhibition, A Doll's Paradise. With the creative guidance of Chris Zaima, this exhibit was a delightful vision of dolls from yesteryear in a beautiful, enchanting setting.
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September 23, 2007 - January 1, 2008
The Washington Art Association celebrated its 55th year with an anniversary retrospective exhibition at the Gunn Memorial Museum . Over its history, the art association has drawn the aesthetically curious to view, learn about, create and exhibit art. Since its founding in 1952 by Margaret Train Samsanoff and a small group of local artists and patrons, the Washington Art Association has attracted full-time residents, weekenders and visitors from both near and far.
This anniversary exhibition traced the history of the art association through photos, documents, words, and memories. Over the years a long list of talented artists have shown their work on the seasoned walls of the art association. We proudly offered a sampling of the level of their mastery, including the work of current and past faculty, and of artists who previously exhibited at the WAA and who achieved acclaim for their art.
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May 1, 2007 - November 3, 2007
Florence de Dampierre, the noted furniture historian, author and interior designer, guest-curated this exhibit. It showcased an eclectic collection of country chairs from the Gunn Museum and many private collections throughout the area. The chairs featured ranged from the most elemental form -- the handcrafted hedge chair -- to the elaborate workmanship of the marriage chair. The variety of country chairs on display in this exhibition was a feast for the eyes, a grouping of all shapes and sizes spanning three centuries.
From the Archives of the Gunn Historical Museum....
Washington Senior Center series of coffee hour readings from the archives of the Gunn Historical Museum. On September 24th, October 1st, 15th, 22nd, 29th, Museum curator Stephen Bartkus read research papers from the museum's archives, shared photos, stories and encouraged reminiscing about Washington's history.
Three Decades of Care for Our Town: The Washington Environmental Council - Fall 2006 through Spring 2007
This local volunteer organization has fostered the care and stewardship of our town’s beautiful and diverse landscape for thirty years. Celebrating this important anniversary this exhibition will examine the history of this organization and its contributions to improving the quality of our environment since the mid-1970s.
Steam Toys: A Collector’s Passion - Holiday 2006
Inspired by a local collector’s love for anything steam, this year’s holiday exhibition at the Gunn Memorial Museum in Washington, Connecticut, is Steam Toys: A Collector’s Passion. Opening November 24, 2006 and running through January 2, 2007, this exhibition will interest admirers, collectors, and hobbyists of all ages.
The widespread use of steam engines in locomotives, steam ships, and factories contributed to the start of the Industrial Revolution. In Victorian times the steam engine was almost the only source of mechanical power. Model steam engines recapture the fascination of steam power from that bygone era. Everyone can learn from the steam models, which demonstrate the basic principles of converting heat and water into mechanical energy.
George Baxter, a machinist for 42 years, has been collecting and building steam models since 1986, owning a vast array of steam engines and accessories from various brands. He has generously loaned the museum many of his steam engines to make this exhibit happen. Joining Mr. Baxter in his generosity is another local collector, James Greenfield, and the Connecticut Antique Machinery Association, Inc., each contributing exemplary models to this exhibition.
Wilesco and Mamod steam engines and accessories are available for purchase as well as tin toys and Victorian holiday ephemera from Toodle Time Toys.
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The Children’s Gallery of the Gunn Historical Museum presented the world of Tractor Mac and his friends. The exhibition showcased the beautifully painted, original watercolor drawings from the popular "Tractor Mac" series, written and illustrated by Roxbury artist, Billy Steers. Steers, who grew up with horses and sheep, introduced the series in April, 1999.
Meet at the museum and board a local school bus for an historical tour of the Town of Washington, visiting several working farms. At each stop the owner will discuss their farm's operation. Co-sponsored by the Steep Rock Land Trust with the Gunn Historical Museum, this educational program showcases the important agricultural heritage of the Town of Washington.
On August 19, 1955, Connecticut was the hardest hit victim of the worst flood in the history of the eastern United States. President Eisenhower declared the state a major disaster area. Through numerous photographs, newspaper articles and first-hand accounts, relive this disaster and the amazing response of the people of Washington, Connecticut as they rescued one another, recovered and rebuilt their town.
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Enjoy the diversity of this American artist (1858-1928) in more than 30 of his works of art borrowed from family members throughout the New England region. This exhibition is split between the museum and the Gunn Memorial Library where visitors will have an opportunity to enjoy seeing one of Mowbray’s ceiling murals as well as numerous easel paintings, religious scenes and other works of art.
Our Town of Washington, nestled in the hills of northwest Connecticut, has long been a quiet place with a beautiful rural landscape and home to numerous famous people. Many of them -- artists, writers, architects, naturalists, educators, philanthropists -- have contributed to the history and culture of the town, often in subtle but important ways. This Mowbray exhibit is the first in a series that will showcase a notable Washington figure each year. These Luminaries include: Ehrick Kensett Rossiter, Elias Boudinot, Mrs. E. H. Van Ingen, Benjamin Foulois, Herbert Faulkner and William Hamilton Gibson.
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Summer/Fall 2006
The Lake Waramaug Task Force was formed thirty years ago in response to the need to do something about the serious water quality issues of Connecticut’s second largest natural lake. Through a curious combination of dedicated volunteer efforts, experimental science, public education and grassroots and governmental support, success was achieved and this exhibition tells the story of this success.
Tuesday, November 1 at 7:00 p.m.: "Beautiful Lake Waramaug" will be the topic for a discussion in the library's Wykeham Room. In its 30th anniversary year the Lake Waramaug Task Force celebrates its successes with an exhibit at the museum, and Tom McGowan, executive director of the Task Force, discusses the history and work of this important local environmental group over the past three decades. Following Tom's talk, refreshments will be served, with an opportunity for all to see and enjoy the exhibit at the museum.
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