Now On Display
Samplers are more than thread stitched through cloth. As objects of art, samplers tell stories of creativity, instruction, and skilled work. As historical records, they document the lives and experiences of thousands of young women, histories that might otherwise remain unknown.
With Their Busy Needles showcases works from the sampler collection of Alexandra Peters, displayed alongside Litchfield examples from the Historical Society’s textile collection. Peters, a sampler historian and collector, serves as guest curator of the exhibit.
On display April 26 through December 1, 2024
Imagine taking Connecticut’s northern and southern borders and extending them west to the Pacific Ocean. Under the terms of a royal charter given to the colony in1662, Connecticut was to stretch from the “Narraganset-Bay on the East, to the South Sea on the West Part.” Following the model of other states, Connecticut gave most of its claimed land over to the federal government in 1786, but it “reserved” a territory in the northeast of present-day Ohio for its continued use and settlement. This became the Connecticut Western Reserve.
To Come to a Land of Milk and Honey: Litchfield and the Connecticut Western Reserve tells the story of the Reserve’s lasting legacy and the experiences of the men, women, and children affected by westward migration.
On display April 26 through December 1, 2024