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Object Story: Pair of Fire Buckets

These buckets were kept in the home of William Gookin, a tailor, and are decorated to show his family’s membership in the Mechanic Fire Society of Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Object Story: Oval Shaker Box

This large oval box was made at the Shaker community in New Lebanon, New York.

Object Story: Landscape with Riding and Walking Figures, a River, and a Village (Overmantel)

Painting made to hang over a mantle depicting various people along a pathway.

Object Story: Portrait of Hatter John Mays of Schaefferstown

Portrait of the hatter John Mays around 1830.

Quilting: A Living Tradition

Many museums exist for the purpose of preserving objects, many of which are handmade and not produced anymore.

Object Story: "Lone Star" Appliqued Chintz and Pieced Quilt

Quilt made by Mary Seeds Moon around 1840 in the popular Lone Star pattern.

Understanding Context: Different Ways to Make Sense of an Object

Activity: What Can a Basket Tell Us

Explore different features of Indigenous baskets to understand the lives of people from different times, places, and cultures.

Object Story: Basket

An ash splint basket created by a Mohegan artisan, a Native American tribe from the Northeastern woodlands region of North America.

Overview: Out of Many, One?

Americans have long created an identity based on distinct principles and values that define the country. This unit explores the tensions between being an individual and being part of a group or nation and provides insight into what it means to be an individual in America, today and centuries ago.