Worcester Historical Museum
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{{Infobox museum
| name = Worcester Historical Museum
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| image = Image:Worcester Historical Museum, Worcester MA.jpg
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| caption = Main entrance
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| coordinates = {{coord|42.2648958|-71.8067823|display=inline}}
| former_name = Worcester Society of Antiquity
| established = {{Start date|1875}}
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| location = 30 Elm Street
Worcester, Massachusetts
| type = History museum
Historic house museum
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| director = William Wallace{{Cite web|url=http://www.worcesterhistory.org/about/staff/|publisher=Worcester Historical Museum|title = Staff|access-date=December 29, 2022}}
| architect = Frederick Coulson{{cite web|url=https://mhc-macris.net/details?mhcid=WOR.1905|publisher=Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System|title=Historic Building Detail: WOR.1905|access-date=December 29, 2022}}
| historian = Wendy Essery
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The Worcester Historical Museum, located in downtown Worcester, Massachusetts, United States, was founded in 1875 as the Worcester Society of Antiquity.{{cite web|url=https://worcestermag.com/2016/04/14/dressed-kill-worcester-historical-museum/41929|title=Dressed to kill at the Worcester Historical Museum|date=April 14, 2016|access-date=January 18, 2017|author=Sarah Connell|publisher=Worcester Magazine}} This museum is the only institution in the area devoted entirely to local history and artifacts. The scope of their collection ranges from colonial to twentieth-century, encompassing manuscripts, textiles, paintings, and ceramics.{{cite web|url=https://worcestermag.com/2016/07/21/worcester-historical-museum-director-shares-favorite-things/44373|title=Worcester Historical Museum director shares a few of his favorite things|date=July 21, 2016|access-date=January 18, 2017|author=Joshua Lyford|publisher=Worcester Magazine}} The museum is made up of permanent and temporary exhibits, a research library, and currently owns and operates the local Salisbury Mansion.{{cite web|url=https://worcestermag.com/2015/11/25/salisbury-mansion-offers-opulent-holiday-celebration/38224|title=Salisbury Mansion offers opulent holiday celebration|date=November 25, 2015|access-date=January 18, 2017|author=Joshua Lyford|publisher=Worcester Magazine}} The library maintains more than 7,000 titles.
Exhibits
There is one permanent exhibit at the museum in the Fuller Gallery of Industrial History, entitled "In Their Shirtsleeves." This collection covers the Industrial history of Worcester through recently donated artifacts as well as items the Institution has collected over the decades. Dealing with a time period spanning over a century, the collection highlights the accomplishment of Worcester locals and the impact their inventions had on the area and beyond.{{Cite news |last=Sullivan |first=Mark |date=September 4, 2015 |title=Worcester's blue-collar past showcased at museum |work=Telegram & Gazette |url=https://www.telegram.com/story/news/local/worcester/2015/09/04/worcester-s-blue-collar-past/33580131007/ |access-date=December 29, 2022}}
They also have three other exhibit areas that house temporary displays.
Cultural history exhibits like "Smiley - An American Icon" explored the Smiley graphic and its designer, Worcester native Harvey Ball, from October 2006 to February 2007.{{cite news |last=Honan |first=William H. |author-link=William H. Honan |date=14 April 2001 |title=H. R. Ball, 79, Ad Executive Credited With happy Face |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/04/14/us/h-r-ball-79-ad-executive-credited-with-smiley-face.html |access-date=December 29, 2022}}{{Cite news |last=Leo |first=Peter |date=Oct 11, 2006 |title=How the Smiley Face Came to be |pages=A-2 |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y-hRAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA2 |access-date=December 29, 2022}}{{Cite web |title=An American Icon |url=https://www.worcesterhistory.org/sidebar-exhibitions/an-american-icon/ |access-date=December 29, 2022 |website=Worcester Historical Museum}} In 2013, the exhibit "Game On!" covered 150 years of toys and was intended to be navigated like a board game.{{Cite news |last=Bergeron |first=Chris |date=February 16, 2013 |title=The past comes alive at revamped Worcester Historical Museum |work=MetroWest Daily News |url=https://www.metrowestdailynews.com/story/entertainment/arts/2013/02/17/the-past-comes-alive-at/41105282007/ |access-date=December 29, 2022}}{{Cite news |last=Robert |first=Matt |date=January 3, 2013 |title=The Game of Life |pages=15 |work=Worcester Magazine |url=https://issuu.com/worcestermag/docs/wm_web_010313 |access-date=December 29, 2022}}
The museum has highlighted the history of Worcester's diverse population through many exhibitions over the past 40 years. In the 1980s and 1990s, there were exhibits like “Water Street: A World Within a World” about the historically Jewish section of Worcester and “ga till Amerika: Swedes in Worcester 1868-1993.”{{Cite news |date=Dec 19, 1993 |title=Worcester Swedes |pages=H-6 |work=The Sunday Telegraph |department=Best Bets |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6-RRAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA42 |access-date=December 29, 2022}}{{Cite news |last=Bruno |first=Debra |date=Nov 27, 1984 |title=A Nosh Above the Rest |pages=4–5, 13 |work=The Boston Phoenix |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XmE1AAAAIBAJ&pg=PA112 |access-date=December 29, 2022}} Since then, the museum has displayed and collected items relating to the history of many minority communities of Worcester. In 2008, the Guatemalan immigrant community was the focus of the exhibit “The Things We Carried: Guatemalan Stories,” in 2008.{{Cite news |last=Sacks |first=Pamela H. |date=September 28, 2008 |title=Fabric of life |work=Telegram & Gazette |url=https://www.telegram.com/story/news/local/worcester/2008/09/28/fabric-life/52250961007/ |access-date=December 29, 2022}} Since 2018, the museum and the Worcester Black History Project have collected oral histories, objects, and photos of local Black history.{{Cite news |last=Benoit |first=Katie |date=February 7, 2021 |title=The Worcester Historical Museum is Continuing to Add to its Black History Project |work=SpectrumNews1 |url=https://spectrumnews1.com/ma/worcester/news/2021/02/07/whm-black-history-project |access-date=December 29, 2022}} In 2018, the temporary exhibit "The Legacy of Water Street: 35 Years of Sharing Worcester’s Jewish History" revisited the original Water Street exhibit and expanded on the history of the local Jewish community.{{Cite web |last= |date=September 18, 2018 |title=Water Street's 35th Anniversary: World Within A World |url=https://www.worcesterhistory.org/past/water-street-35th-anniversary/ |access-date=December 29, 2022 |website=Worcester Historical Museum |language=en-US}} From April to October 2019, the “For The Record: LGBTQ+ Worcester
In conjunction with the Latino History Project of Worcester, the permanent exhibit "Somos Worcester" will go on display in 2024 to showcase local Latino history.{{Cite web |title=Latino History Project of Worcester presents "Somos Worcester" a preview of the 2024 Exhibit |url=https://www.downtownworcester.org/event/latino-history-project-of-worcester-presents-somos-worcester-a-preview-of-the-2024-exhibit/ |access-date=December 29, 2022 |website=Downtown Worcester}}{{Cite news |last=Trogolo |first=Meg |date=October 17, 2022 |title=Latino History Project puts identity in focus at Worcester Historical Museum |work=Worcester Magazine |url=https://www.worcestermag.com/story/lifestyle/2022/10/17/latino-history-project-puts-identity-focus-worcester-historical-museum/10487954002/ |access-date=December 29, 2022}}{{Update after|2024}}
Library
The research library is open to the public for a fee, Tuesday through Saturday 10-4 pm. Access to the archives material is available through appointment.{{cite web|url=http://www.telegram.com/news/20160706/worcester-historical-museum-exhibit-offers-little-bit-of-everything|title=Worcester Historical Museum exhibit offers a 'little bit of everything'|date=July 6, 2016|access-date=January 18, 2017|author=Mark Sullivan|publisher=Worcester Telegram & Gazette}}
References
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External links
- [http://www.worcesterhistory.org/ Worcester Historical Museum website]
- [https://worcesterhistorical.com/ Worcester Historical Museum Library and Archives website]
{{Coord|42|15|54.0|N|71|48|15.6|W|region:US|display=title}}
{{Worcester, Massachusetts}}
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Category:History of Worcester, Massachusetts
Category:Museums in Worcester, Massachusetts
Category:History museums in Massachusetts
Category:Libraries in Massachusetts