Past Exhibitions
Alice in Museumland
November 30, 2018 – February 18, 2019
Visitors of all ages are invited to stumble down the rabbit hole into the story of Alice in Wonderland. This much-loved tale is told as an interactive experience, using nineteenth-century objects and images from the Museum’s extensive collection, with a whimsical tea party at the center of it all. Children and adults alike can follow Alice’s journey by exploring one-of-a-kind museum artifacts, including antique tea sets, stuffed animals, playing cards, and miniatures. Generously sponsored by:
Flappers: Fashion and Freedom
July 31, 2018 – January 27, 2019
In this key moment in the struggle for women’s equality and freedom of expression, this exhibition examines the history and social impact of fashion and its relationship to the women’s movement of the 1920s. Drawing on the Fairfield Museum’s rich costume collection, this exhibition raises questions about the relationships between the “New Woman” of the 1920s and the representations of freedom of movement, behavior, and thought that defined modern American womanhood. Presented with support from Connecticut Humanities.
Click here for an online version of this exhibition.
Culper Ring: The Spies of George Washington
May 19-November 12, 2018
A series of graphic novel-style panels designed by illustrator Kirk Manley tells the dramatic story of the spy ring that operated between New York City, Long Island, and Fairfield during the Revolutionary War.
Manley’s artwork communicates the drama of espionage during the war, underscoring the challenges faced by American forces arrayed against a formidable foe. Visitors will be able to see, through the eyes of specific historical characters, the risks that both military officers and ordinary civilians were willing to take to help their cause. This exhibition explores the motivations and contributions of the spy ring, bringing to life the risks that they took to secure and transmit intelligence. Copies of the graphic novel are available in the museum shop.
An American Story: Finding Home in Fairfield County
February 8-July 23, 2018
This exhibition highlighted the experiences of refugees and immigrants who have built new lives in Fairfield County. A series of photographic portraits and biographical narratives share how eight individuals from Cambodia, Congo, Cuba, Hungary, India, Rwanda, and Syria have rebuilt their lives and created a sense of home. This exhibition was created in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants.
Day to Night: Stephen Wilkes
April 29-June 3, 2018
Stephen Wilkes of Westport is renowned for his amazing Day to Night series, in which he shoots breathtaking iconic landscapes, portrayed from a fixed camera angle for up to 30 hours, to capture fleeting moments over the course of a full day to night. Fairfield’s Jennings beach has now joined Stephen Wilkes’ Day to Night portfolio from around the world. Jennings Beach, Fairfield, Day to Night has been generously commissioned and donated to the Fairfield Museum by the Saft family in memory of Marcia Saft, a former Board member, friend and longtime supporter of the Fairfield Museum. With the end of this exhibition, the piece is on view in our Creating Community gallery.
Watch a short video about the making of Jennings Beach, Fairfield, Day to Night by clicking on the “play” button below:
Winter Wonderland
December 1- February 18, 2018
Whether you love it or simple endure it, winter is a defining part of our New England experience. Winter Wonderland at the Fairfield Museum celebrates the history of some of the different winter activities beloved by generations – such as sledding, skating, and skiing. It also explores how people deal with the more “unloved” aspects of winter, such as shoveling snow and coping with blizzards.
Uncle Sam Wants You! Fairfield and the Great War
September 28, 2017 – January 21, 2018
How did government-sponsored messages about World War I affect those who lived through it? The federal government used posters, publicity campaigns, and censorship of critical viewpoints to inspire support and sacrifice – on the home and military fronts.
This exhibition explored these messages and how they influenced people in the Fairfield and Bridgeport area, where war time manufacturing made the city a boom town. Click here for an online version of this exhibition.
Talkin’ ‘Bout My Generation: Fairfield in the 1960s and 1970s
March 31-September 17, 2017
Explore how the changing culture and politics of the 1960s and 1970s affected Fairfield and its region. Costumes from the Museum’s collection highlighted the fashion of the era, and a timeline illustrated how the key national events of these turbulent decades were echoed in the local area. Stories of Fairfielders who served in the Vietnam War and those who protested against it were both included. Selected record albums and a soundtrack represented the vital role of popular music during this era. High school and local memorabilia evoked memories of growing up in Fairfield during these years of change for the town.
Click here for an online version of this exhibition.
Fairfield University, 1942-2017:
A Proud Past, An Amazing Future
May 11-July 30, 2017
This exhibition celebrated Fairfield University’s 75th anniversary, with then-and-now photographs, sports memorabilia, and a timeline of the university’s history.
Rising Tides – Fairfield’s Coast: Past to Future
September 29, 2016-March 19, 2017
Fairfield’s coastline thrives, attracting people to work, play, and live along the shore, but rising sea levels and shifting weather patterns are changing our relationship with the coast.
This timely exhibition explored our shoreline’s long history of coastal resilience, through stunning photographs, artifacts, and documents, and examined how climate change presents new challenges for the future. It won an Award of Merit from the American Association for State and Local History in 2017. Click here for an online version of the exhibition.
After and Onward
January 18-February 3, 2017
This photographic exhibit displayed the strength, endurance and perseverance of the people of Fairfield, five years after Superstorm Sandy. This documentary project was a collaborative effort between the current art teachers of Fairfield and the faculty and student photographers of 2012.
Connecticut, 1940: Farms, Factories and the Photographs of Jack Delano
May 15 – September 18, 2016
In 1940 and ‘41, photographer Jack Delano (1914–1997) documented farm and city life in Connecticut for the Farm Security Administration. In rare early color photographs as well as black-and-white images, Delano captured views of Connecticut as it recovered from the Great Depression, showing views of farmers, factory workers, and commuters. Born in Ukraine, Delano emigrated to the U.S. with his family in 1923 and studied art and music at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. A musician and composer as well as a photographer, Delano traveled throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico as a FSA photographer before serving in the Army Air Corps during World War II. After the war, he settled with his wife Irene in Puerto Rico, where he lived for the rest of his life. Click here for an online version of this exhibition.
Fabulous Animals: The Illustrated World of Robert Lawson
April 1 – September 18, 2016
Robert Lawson (1892–1957) had a long and distinguished career as an artist and children’s book illustrator and author. Perhaps best known for illustrations of The Story of Ferdinand and Mr. Popper’s Penguins, Lawson is the only artist and author to have won both the Caldecott and the Newbery Awards. A resident of Westport, Connecticut, Lawson and his wife Marie, also an illustrator, lived at Rabbit Hill, pictured in Robert Lawson’s book Rabbit Hill (1945). The exhibition features a range of Lawson’s original drawings and paintings. Sponsored by CT Humanities; special thanks to Maureen Aron and the Free Library of Philadelphia.
Look at Me! Recording and Sharing Our Selves
February 18-May 1, 2016
Today’s “selfie” phenomenon offers to opportunity to reflect on the history of how people have shared images of themselves. What was the function and use of a painted portrait, a photograph or daguerreotype, and how does it differ from a “selfie” taken on a cell phone? By examining paintings, silhouettes, early photographs, and miniatures of individuals from the Fairfield region, this exhibition considers how we have pictured ourselves over time.
Handcrafted: Artisans Past and Present
October 25, 2015–March 20, 2016
From antique furniture to sumptuous contemporary rugs, Fairfield County possesses a rich tradition of decorative arts. This exhibition highlights the diverse and talented artisans that have worked in the region in the past and the present, and explores the connection between the area’s strong history of decorative arts and present-day design trends.
Picturing the News: The Distinctive Vision of Harry Neigher and Frank Gerratana
September 10, 2015–January 19, 2016
Columnist and cartoonist Harry Neigher and photographer Frank Gerratana of the Bridgeport/Connecticut Herald portrayed and documented the news from the 1930s until the paper closed in 1974. Featuring a selection of Neigher and Gerratana’s work over four decades, this exhibition featured photographs, cartoons, sketches, and newspaper clippings exploring a range of local and national issues in entertainment, politics, and the arts.
Fairfield’s Fairways: 120 Years of Golf
June 11-October 11, 2015
This exhibition celebrated Fairfield’s long history of golf over the past 120 years, from the founding of the Brooklawn Country Club when golf first emerged as a national obsession in the 1890s, to the Country Club of Fairfield, created during golf’s first “golden age” and the Patterson Club following World War II. As time went on, public golf courses – including Fairchild Wheeler, among the nation’s earliest municipal courses – opened up the sport to others in the community. The exhibition highlighted notable golfers from the area, including Georgianna Bishop, Julius Boros, Heather Daly-Donofrio, J. J. Henry, and Gene Sarazen.
Click here for an online version of this exhibition.
Fashion and Fantasy: 250 Years of Wedding Dresses
February 19-May 31, 2015
With beautiful wedding gowns spanning several centuries—from 18th-century silk and military-inspired
Civil War dresses to the ubiquitous white dress of today—this exhibition looked at how fashions and the traditions of “the big day” have changed over time, comparing the relatively simple rituals of the past with the more elaborate wedding events of today.
Mobilizing the Home Front: Posters from World War II
January 16-May 10, 2015
In honor of the 70th anniversary of VE Day, this exhibition features World War II posters that were used to raise support for the war effort at home. Part of the federal government’s overall propaganda effort, the posters incorporated strong messages and striking visuals in order to enlist every American, soldier or civilian, to help win the war. Some of the country’s top artists and illustrators lent their talents to persuade Americans to increase their productivity in factories, buy war bonds, and enlarge their wartime responsibilities. Click here for an online version of this exhibition.
The Pequot War and the Founding of Fairfield, 1637-1639
October 15, 2014 – February 8, 2015
This exhibit presented the story of the Pequot War in 1637, which led to Fairfield becoming established as an English settlement in 1639. The Pequot War was New England’s first major conflict, involving thousands of combatants in dozens of battles in Rhode Island and Connecticut, with the final English victory won in a swamp here in Fairfield in 1637. The exhibition featured unique items including the sword of John Mason, leader of the English forces during the war; an original copy of John Underhill’s Newes from America containing a first-hand account of the war; and a helmet and matchlock gun from the period. A section on current archaeology undertaken by the Mashantucket Pequot Museum’s Battlefields of the Pequot War project explained how we are still gaining new insights into this epic conflict.
Accused: Fairfield’s Witchcraft Trials
September 25, 2014 – January 5, 2015
In 17th century New England, religious beliefs and folk tradition instilled deep fears of magic, evil, and supernatural powers. How else to explain unnatural events, misfortune and the sudden convulsions and fits of local townspeople? Through a series of graphic novel-style panels, artist Jakob Crane retells the dramatic story of the witchcraft cases that took place in the Fairfield area in the 1650s and 1690s, providing a creative retelling of these troubling events in the community’s early history. Learn how neighbors, magistrates, and colonial leaders treated accusations of witchcraft and why the outcome of Fairfield’s witchcraft trials in 1692 was so different from what happened in Salem at the same time. The panels are available to purchase in a booklet here, or at the museum shop.
Growing Up in Fairfield: Memories and Milestones
July 3-October 2, 2014
What was it like to grow up in Fairfield in past generations? How has childhood changed over time?This exhibition looked back at the experience of growing up from the 1940s through the 1980s, focusing on play, school, work, and special occasions. To provide more historical perspective, the exhibition also includes items from the 1800s, showing how nineteenth-century children’s lives compare to those we remember. Click here for an online version of this exhibition.
Fairfield’s Rockin’ Top Ten
January 25-April 8, 2014
Fairfield’s Rockin’ Top Ten celebrated the musical legacy of the Fairfield region, highlighting a diverse set of ten musicians including: Nick Ashford & Valerie Simpson, The Remains, Leonard Bernstein, David Brubeck, Jose Feliciano, Chris Frantz & Tina Weymouth, Richard Rodgers, Nile Rodgers & Bernard Edwards, Keith Richards and Donna Summer. Items representing each musician – instruments, sheet music, awards, and stage outfits – were complemented by a video “juke box” to showcase each artist’s work.
Wonder Women of Fairfield
February 25-April 28, 2014
This exhibition highlighted eleven notable women from Fairfield who reached beyond the expectations of their times and contributed to the community and nation, in fields ranging from military service to business to community philanthropy. The featured women included Margaret Rudkin, founder of Pepperidge Farms; Mabel Osgood Wright, author and conservationist; the first women from Connecticut to join the WAC during World War II and to fly a helicopter; and Fairfield’s first female legislator, among others. Click here on for an online version of this exhibition.
Picturing Fairfield: The Photographs of Mabel Osgood Wright
February-June 2014
This exhibit of conservationist and author Mabel Osgood Wright’s glass slides showcased her photographs of historical and pastoral Fairfield. At times nostalgic and sentimental, Wright’s photographs focus on Fairfield’s homes, gardens, people, and the local countryside and present Fairfield as a traditional New England town. Click here for an online version of this exhibition.
IMAGES at the Fairfield Museum
This annual juried photography exhibition provides an excellent opportunity for regional photographers to connect with prominent collectors, gallery owners, fellow photographers, and the public. Past IMAGES exhibits have combined the juried exhibition with a featured photographer with connections to the Fairfield region, including Bill Eppridge, David LaChapelle, Jay Maisel, Charles Ruger, Howard Schatz, and Philip Trager.
The Promise of Freedom: The Emancipation Proclamation
September 23, 2012 – February 4, 2013
Commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, this exhibition explored the quintessential ideals that have defined America. Key historical documents from private collectors included Lincoln’s signed copy of the Emancipation Proclamation, a signed Thirteenth Amendment, and historic broadsides and political cartoons that revealed Lincoln’s struggles with the issue of slavery and the Union. This was the only exhibition in New England that focused on this anniversary, placing the Emancipation Proclamation at the center of understanding American history from the Civil War to Civil Rights and today.
Bravo! A Century of Theatre in Fairfield County
September 25, 2011 – April 1, 2012
This exhibition celebrated the wealth of theatrical history that took place in our backyard from the late 19th century through the present day. Interactive stations offered a window into “behind the scenes” stage production and a colorful array of costumes, props, photographs and manuscripts from Westport Country Playhouse, White Barn Theatre and American Shakespeare Theatre combined to illustrate Fairfield County’s theatrical history. A rich slate of public programs offered even more opportunities to participate in activities, presentations and performances at the Museum and partnering institutions that provide the experience of live theatre while inspiring the artists and audiences of tomorrow.
Our Nation’s Generations: The New Beginnings Family
February 4 – March 6, 2011
This exhibition developed with New Beginnings Family Academy, a Bridgeport charter school, explored the larger theme of “Family” and 5th grade students’ reflections on “Who is a positive role model in my life?” The student’s large, vibrant “story quilt” modeled on the work of celebrated award-winning artist and author Faith Ringgold (b. 1930). Museum visitors also had a unique opportunity to see firsthand Faith Ringgold’s original artwork, including story quilts—Tar Beach 2 and Our Ancestors– and seventeen illustrations from Faith Ringgold’s children’s book Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in The Sky.
It’s a Hit! A Hometown View of our National Pastime
June 20, 2010 – April 3, 2011
Discover the legendary players and teams who played in Connecticut and the local heroes who achieved the American dream. Step onto the historic fields that attracted thousands of people to Bridgeport and hear the roar of fans in vintage radio broadcasts. Discover how the sport evolved through interactive displays of 19th century and modern baseball bats, gloves and balls.