Arts & Entertainment
Madison Historical Society Unveils Portrait at Open House 11/24
Restored portrait and objects rarely seen by the public to be on view
Madison Historical Society Unveils Restored Munger Portrait at its Small Business Saturday Open House
Madison, CT - The Madison Historical Society will host an open house on Saturday, November 24, from 11 am to 4 pm at the Allis-Bushnell House at 853 Boston Post Road. The idea for this event grew out of the highly successful Small Business Saturday program that encourages holiday shoppers to support local businesses on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The Society opens its house museum, offering tours and refreshments to attract visitors to Madison’s downtown and to support the “Shop Small” effort.
On view in 2018 will be objects rarely seen by the public. The newly restored Parnel Kelsey Munger (1781-1860) portrait, painted in 1820 by her husband George Munger (1781-1825), will be on display. The portrait was restored in May 2018 by Yost Conservation of Oxford, CT, using funds donated by the community during the 2018 “Great Give” campaign. A selection of works by their daughter Clarissa Munger Badger, considered by many to be one of the preeminent botanical illustrators of the nineteenth century, will also be on view. Nineteenth-century quilts, clothing, and accessories will be displayed for this one-day event and will be returned to storage to protect them for future generations.
“The open house offers an opportunity to showcase the breadth and depth of the Society’s vast collection of artifacts,” said MHS Trustee and Collections Chair Bob Gundersen. “We are proud to be the caretaker of so many unique objects -- all of which tell an interesting story about Madison’s past.”
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The public is invited to see these artifacts and tour the downstairs rooms of the MHS’s historic house museum, curated to represent five distinct periods in Madison history. Guides will help visitors to imagine each room’s use during specific notable eras or events in Madison’s history.
The MHS organizes this annual event in support of all local businesses and organizations. The MHS encourages visitors to shop in Madison’s stores and to eat in Madison’s restaurants before and after a tour. This event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. For additional information, visit www.madisonhistory.org or call 203.245.4567.
