Springfield History Museum News

The story of the Irish in the Connecticut Valley is a rich and distinct tale of trial and triumph for one of the many immigrant groups of the area. A new exhibit at the Springfield Museums titled The Irish Legacy: Immigration and Assimilation in the Connecticut Valley during the Industrial Revolution explores the experience of the Irish community in the Connecticut Valley through various artifacts and images including books, musical instruments, religious objects, and photographs. The exhibit will be on view in the Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History from June 11 to August 25, 2013. MassMutual is the 2013 Premier Sponsor of the Springfield Museums.

The John F. Kennedy Experience: An Exhibit by Frank J. Andruss Sr., is an exhibition of rarely seen photos and memorabilia covering various periods in the lives of John and Jacqueline Kennedy. The exhibit is now open at the Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History.

The oldest surviving Stevens-Duryea automobile is now on view in the Lyman & Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History. The 1903 vehicle is on loan from a private collector.

Storm Stories: Path of Fury, a multi-media exhibition that looks back at the June 1, 2011 tornado, will be on view from June 1 through October 28 at the Lyman & Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History at the Quadrangle in Springfield. Admission to the history museum will be free for everyone on June 1.

In the digital age it is hard to believe that at one time images of family members were hard to obtain, expensive, and relatively rare. Before the advent of photography around 1850, the only way to capture a likeness was to hire an artist to paint a portrait. A selection of these paintings by artists James Sanford Ellsworth and Joseph Whiting Stock are on view at the Wood Museum of Springfield History through May 6 in the exhibition Wandering Folk Artists: Family Portraits in the Early 19th Century.