Historical Society Has Opened Exhibition Celebrating The Life of Margaret Fitch Brewster

NEW HAVEN — Margaret Fitch Brewster (1884-1963) was a New Haven society woman who found inspiration and influence in the many charitable organizations and cultural movements that she participated in and helped to establish during her lifetime.

A new museum exhibition at New Haven Colony Historical Society revisits her life and times. Among the many highlights of the show are nine dresses worn by Ms Brewster during her lifetime and later bequeathed to the society.

“Substance and Style: Margaret Fitch Brewster and the Emergence of the Modern Society Woman” opens at the historical society on June 11. The special exhibition posits Ms Brewster as a woman who expanded the traditional role and obligations of her gender and class to pursue positions of power and influence in many important organizations and movements of the early 20th Century. The show will remain on view until January 15, 2005.

Historical artifacts, artwork, archival images and Ms Brewster’s very own day and evening dresses are used to interpret a woman who devoted much of her life to helping children in New Haven, preserving historical landmarks of local and national significance, pursuing her horticultural interests, and celebrating woman’s fashion.

Public programs, including lectures, panel presentations and roundtable discussions by local scholars and professionals, as well as a graduate student seminar, will explore the many significant contributions of New Haven women in both historical and contemporary context.

Six major themes lead the visitor on a fascinating journey into the complexity of Ms Brewster’s life. “Growing Up in the Gilded Age” follows her formative years and her preparation for a life of noblesse oblige. “Managing the Country House” looks at Ms Brewster’s many roles in creating and maintaining her Edgerton estate and other family properties in New England.

“Heritage Matters” explores her pursuits in preservation, genealogy, and local, state and national history organizations. “Mothers and Orphans” traces her devotion to the New Haven Orphan Asylum (now the Children’s Center of Hamden) and other children’s charities.

“Dressing the Part” looks at how woman used fashion as a means for making artistic statements. “Gardens and Art” highlights Ms Brewster’s gardening talents and horticultural pursuits, including being the founder of The Garden Club of Dublin (New Hampshire) and serving as director of the Garden Club of America.

The New Haven Colony Historical Society, founded in 1862, is at 114 Whitney Avenue. Museum hours are Tuesday to Friday from 10 am to 5 pm, and Saturday from noon to 5 pm. The historical society’s library is open Wednesday through Friday during regular museum hours.

For additional information call 203-562-4183 or visit www.NHCHS.org.