Current Exhibits
Adults: $5.00; Students with ID, Seniors & AAA members: $4.00; Children 5–17: $2.00
Free for MHS members.
Dressing Up, Standing Out, Fitting In:
Adornment & Identity in Maine, 1750-1950
Exhibit Dates: June 24, 2011 – May 27, 2012
Don Juan VI, King of Portugal, brooch
MHS's latest exhibit is a fascinating look at how Mainers have "dressed up" for a variety of occasions over two hundred years. Drawing from MHS's extensive collections, Dressing Up, Fitting In, Standing Out: Adornment & Identity in Maine, 1750-1950 features a broad selection of adornments from the MHS collection, many never before displayed, including hats, jewelry, shoes, hair combs, walking sticks, and several complete costumes. Objects are accompanied and illuminated by photographs, paintings, journal entries, and more.
According to exhibit curator Candace Kanes, Dressing Up explores the choices we make to look our best. "Every hat or shoe, buckle or brooch tells a story of who we are, who we want to be, and how we want others to see us. And every social occasion makes its own demands, whether we are trying to fit in for a ceremony, or stand out for a special portrait."
Dressing Up explores such moments and occasions from the 18th century to the 20th centuries, sharing the stories of firemen and brides, immigrants and Masons, children and generals, and many others.
This exhibit was made possible with support from:
Take to the Streets!
Exhibit Dates: January 3 – March 31, 2012
Sheriff's Association pickets, Portland, 1981
Taking to the streets to protest and make one's point known has a long tradition in Maine, America, and elsewhere. This captivating photography show explores the moments as well as the people in Maine who took to the street to speak out on issues as varied as civil rights and labor disputes, nuclear power and crank telephones.
Take to the Streets! displays photographs from United Press International, an agency that supplied news reports and photographs to newspapers and other media outlets from its founding as United Press in 1907 until about 1982. When UPI ceased operations in Maine, a collection of 3,000 photographs taken from 1966 to 1988 found its way to Maine Historical Society.
Join us on February 3 and March 2 during the First Friday Art Walks to see this new show. Mingle with friends, enjoy refreshments and music, and discover Maine history. Take to the Streets! is on display in the Earle G. Shettleworth, Jr. Lecture Hall.
This exhibit was made possible with support from: 