Erica Lome and the Concord Museum

Just in time for a taste of New England winter, the Trust visited the Concord Museum in Concord, MA, to share the debut of three new galleries titled ‘April 19, 1775.’ The exhibition was organized by David Wood, Curator, and Erica Lome, Peggy N. Gerry Curatorial Associate. Erica led us through this innovative show that recounts the story of Concord on the eve of the American Revolution. 

‘April 19, 1775’ uses an incredible decorative arts collection at the museum as well as multimedia elements and graphics to talk about the people of Concord and what was at stake as colonists and British forces headed toward war. 

The first gallery in the exhibition tells the story of April 19, 1775, using objects and the testimonies of the people that were there as a guide. The Concord Museum has the most comprehensive collection of objects relating to that day, including the clock that militiamen listened to in Buckmen’s Tavern while they waited for the arrival of British troops. The gallery also makes special efforts to discuss who is omitted from the traditional narrative surrounding April 19. Several dozen enslaved and freed individuals fought on April 19, and their story is included at every level of interpretation in the gallery. 

The second gallery shares some of the highlights of the museum’s decorative arts collection. The objects help visitors understand what the provincials were willing to give up in their fight for liberty. All of the furnishings in this space were made and owned by individuals who fought on April 19. Objects like a high chest made by Joseph Hosmer help visitors understand what was at stake in Concord. 

The final gallery discusses the iconography of the minutemen and the symbolic images used on decorative objects related to the Revolution. Daniel Chester French’s first commission of a minuteman soldier statue is centered in the gallery and speaks to representations of the minutemen in memory making. 

Watch the tour to see cannonballs fired off the North Bridge, Society of the Cincinnati porcelain, and some impressive Boston furniture follow the link here: 

Trust Tours is a monthly virtual program that gives viewers the opportunity to go behind the scenes and experience incredible collections and sites. Curators, collectors, and lovers of decorative arts share favorite objects through tours hosted on YouTube Live.

Visit the Trust’s calendar of events for dates of upcoming Trust Talks and other virtual and in-person programs. For updates on registration openings, sign up for our e-newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. The Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that appreciates the involvement of members and donors who make programming like this possible.