“A Tolerably Dull Place of Sojournment…” Newport in the 1840s

Before the American Revolution, Newport was a center for trade; in the 19^th century the city became a popular vacation destination. When did Newport transition from trade to tourism? The Newport Historical Society’s Adjunct Curator, Matthew Keagle, will answer this question during May’s lecture “A Tolerably Dull Place of Sojournment…” Newport in the 1840s on Thursday May 9, 2013 at 5:30PM, at the Colony House on Washington Square.

The decade of the 1840s saw Newport at a crossroads. Devastated but not destroyed by the American Revolution, the town began to reinvent itself in the early 19^th century. Learn about this neglected but pivotal period of Newport history, a time when Newport was renewed, and tourism, not trade, became the business of the town.

Matthew Keagle is enrolled in a Doctoral program at the Bard Graduate Center: Decorative Arts, Design History, Material Culture in New York City. He holds an MA from the Winterthur Program in American Material Culture. In 2010 he was the Newport Historical Society Buchanan/Burnham Fellow. Matt's interest and expertise is in colonial-era material and cultural history, with a focus on 18th century military history and culture and the American Revolution. Matt is the first appointment as Adjunct Curator at the Society.

Admission costs $5 per person, $1 for Newport Historical Society members with current membership card. Please RSVP to 401-841-8770.