Celebrating America’s 250th
Thank you for joining us as we commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary. Our friends and colleagues from sea to shining sea have graciously thrown open the doors of museums, historic sites, and even their homes as they support us in our shared mission to champion the decorative arts and material culture. The generous support of our members and donors has likewise made possible a robust portfolio of grantmaking that supports the production of exhibitions and scholarship. From this abundant archive, we present a selection of virtual programs, lectures, and articles that focus on the American Revolution and Early Republic for your reflection during this watershed year.
With warm wishes for happy viewing,
Your friends at the Decorative Arts Trust
NEW VIRTUAL TOUR
A Nation of Artists
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Philadelphia, PA
Highlighting the richness and diversity of American art, A Nation of Artists traces the evolving story of American creativity across three centuries, featuring works of art from the Philadelphia Museum of Art acquired over the past 150 years and the Middleton Family Collection, one of the country’s most significant private holdings of American art.
VIRTUAL TOURS
Concord Museum
Concord, MA
Experience the day the American Revolution began in this landmark exhibition. An impressive array of objects are presented as eyewitnesses to the day’s events, grounding this larger-than-life story within a rich material setting. Additional information can be found in the article “Read Concord Museum Article” from The Magazine of the Decorative Arts Trust.
Historic Houses of Odessa
Odessa, DE
Discover the home of William Corbit, a Quaker tanner, who commissioned what is considered the finest example of Georgian architecture in Delaware. The c. 1775 house and its superb collection of regional decorative arts stayed in the Corbit family until 1938. Additional information about Odessa can be found in the article “Read Odessa Book Article” from The Magazine of the Decorative Arts Trust.
Hunter House
Preservation Society of Newport County
Newport, RI 
Explore a rare surviving waterfront house complete with furnishings from Rhode Island’s Colonial era and an installation based on the identification of enslaved individuals who lived and worked here. Additional information can be found in the article “Read Hunter House Article” from The Magazine of the Decorative Arts Trust.
Founding Fortunes: The Estate Sale of Martha Washington
Tudor Place
Washington, D.C.
Investigate what George and Martha Washington’s worldly belongings, and the people who desired them, reveal about the values and divisions of early American society in this 250th commemorative exhibition.
SYMPOSIA LECTURES
“Seized Possessions: Reconstructing Maryland’s First Governor’s Mansion”
Michelle Fitzgerald, Assistant Curator, Homewood House
Spring 2019 Symposium, Annapolis, MD
When the last colonial governor of Maryland abandoned his home during the Revolutionary War, the lavish furnishings which he had nearly bankrupted himself to acquire were confiscated. Inventories of these belongings reveal a conscious political strategy in the decoration of his home.
“From Firebacks to Cannons: Iron, Liberty, and Unfreedom in the Early Republic”
Dr. Jennifer Van Horn, Professor of Art History and History, University of Delaware
Spring 2025 Symposium, Wilmington, DE
From elegant ornamental firebacks to cannons and artillery to the shackles of enslavement, iron was ever present in the revolutionary Atlantic world. Join us for a meticulously researched discussion of the unequal power relationships embedded in and performed through iron objects
OBJECT SHARES
Mrs. Jefferson’s Bureau
Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello
Charlottesville, VA
Diane Ehrenpreis discusses one of her most beloved objects in Monticello’s collection, a c. 1770 Virginia-made bureau that provides a rare glimpse into the life of Martha Jefferson.
George Washington’s War Tent
Museum of the American Revolution
Philadelphia, PA
Enjoy a glimpse of Witness to Revolution: The Unlikely Travels of Washington’s Tent, in which Matthew Skic shares new discoveries that came to light during research and conservation conducted in preparation for a special exhibit about this iconic object.
Philadelphia Desk and Bookcase
Daughters of the American Revolution Museum
Washington, D.C.
William Strollo shares a stunning mahogany desk from mid-18th-century Philadelphia, which was a highlight of the exhibition, To Supply A Nation: Origins and Impacts of Everyday Things.
Old Paris Porcelain for the American Market
The home of Tony Inson
San Francisco, CA
A Trust member and collector of late-18th- and early-19th-century American decorative arts, Tony Inson shares an overview of some of his favorite objects, highlighting Old Paris porcelain with American iconography, primarily from 1790 to 1815.
ARTICLES FROM THE MAGAZINE OF THE DECORATIVE ARTS TRUST
Read Charleston Gibbes Museum Article
By Matthew A. Thurlow
After an extended British occupation of Charleston, a new cohort of cabinetmakers rose to the forefront of the trade, including noteworthy Germanic and Scottish communities celebrated in selections on view at the Gibbes Museum of Art.
Read DAR Museum Article
By William A. Strollo
A collaborative exhibition and accompanying book center on the lives, experiences, trials, and triumphs of Black craftspeople, illuminating their journey towards autonomy and presenting vignettes into the American fight for freedom.
COLLECTING250
ExploreVisit Collecting250
, an interactive online resource featuring objects from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, submitted by over 140 American institutions. Free educator guides are available, with lesson ideas for teaching art and history through objects.
Decorative Arts Trust members make important research, exhibitions, and conservation efforts possible through their generous support. Join the Trust to see this work firsthand in forthcoming Object Shares and issues of The Magazine of the Decorative Arts Trust.