Hartford History Lecture Series: Wadsworth Atheneum’s First Century: Collections and Patrons

Thursday, October 26th

5:45pm-7:00pm

For more than a century, Daniel Wadsworth’s picture gallery, the Connecticut Historical Society and the Watkinson and Hartford Public Libraries were housed together within the complex known as Wadsworth Atheneum. Like no other museum its size in America, the Atheneum’s collections and identity were shaped by fascinating donors and patrons whose tastes and interests reflect the needs and priorities of their time and place. The lure of the local is abundantly presented in a collection 200+ years in the making. Former Atheneum curator William Hosley will introduce us to the stuff and stories belonging to such legendary personalities as JP Morgan, Daniel Wadsworth and Sam & Elizabeth Colt. It will explore Hartford connections between artists and collectors like Frederic Church, William Merrit Chase, and Wallace Nutting, and introduce pathbreaking patrons and philanthropists like Samuel P. Avery, Rev. Francis Goodwin and Henry Keney.

Register and learn more here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScydbE_z2ZfMBeGQm6TToXVuBPfRwK65Vb-9rMgzU8CzpaM3w/viewform