Seated by Susan: Birthplace Museum Launches Special Exhibit
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ADAMS, Mass. — The Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum will hold an exhibition launch event to celebrate their newest children's exhibit, Seated by Susan, on Friday, Aug. 23 at 4 pm. The exhibit has a children's focus but is for all ages.
The exhibit provides a glimpse into what working children's lives were like in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Featuring a collection of children's chairs placed throughout the museum, visitors young and old will engage with labels that include different facts and tidbits about working life in the 1800s, which tie into a larger scavenger hunt that includes a prize at the end if all questions are answered correctly. The collection of children's chairs were donated by members of the museum's Board of Directors and includes a variety of different chair styles from the 1800s through the mid 19th century. The decision to use the children's chairs relates to Susan herself, Executive Director James Capuzzi said.
"We want this upcoming exhibit to cater to a younger audience. The Birthplace Museum was the childhood home of Susan B. Anthony, so using the children"s chairs as a vehicle to tell a larger story about what life for children in the 19th century looked like; and how it differs from that of children today, felt natural," he said.
The event with activities for children and refreshments will take place at the Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum, 67 East Road, Adams, MA, on Friday, Aug. 23 at 4:00 pm.. All ages are invited to attend. Museum admission will be free from the exhibit launch, Aug. 23 through Monday, Aug. 26 in honor of Women's Equality Day, which commemorates the enactment of the 19th amendment. The amendment states that "the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex." The 19th amendment was certified by proclamation on August 26, 1920.
The special exhibition will be installed through Susan B. Anthony's Birthday, Feb. 15, and is the combined effort of the museum's past and current interns, Mia Campbell, Hannah Hoggatt, Delaney Thurston, and Christina Lothrop. Current intern Hannah Hoggatt, putting the final touches on this two year project, expresses her excitement for the new exhibit.
"We have all worked hard to ensure that the new exhibition not only provides an accurate representation of life in the 19th century, but also provides visitors with an enriching experience that gets them excited to learn about history in a unique way. We did not want to just display the chairs and their information, so we had to dig deeper to come up with a creative solution; I am super proud of what we have accomplished and I look forward to opening this exhibit to the public," she said.
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