Upcoming Exhibits
The Art of A. Elmer and Cleon Crowell
A Bird in the Hand:The Carvings of Elmer and Cleon Crowell
Heritage Museums & Gardens is pleased to present its second exhibit in the newly renovated American History Museum. A Bird in the Hand: The Carvings of Elmer and Cleon Crowell highlights the museum’s large collection of Crowell bird carvings.
As a boy in East Harwich, Elmer Crowell was interested in birds, hunting and art. He began his career by making a few carvings for friends and eventually began to carve full-time. He opened his workshop just as tourists were beginning to come to the Cape and many bought his carvings as souvenirs. It wasn’t long before he and his son Cleon were working in a factory-type way to keep up with all the orders.
Along the way, Elmer Crowell carved some of the best bird carvings ever made. His work is highly regarded not only for the quality of the carving but also the fine painting. Heritage is fortunate to care for hundreds of carvings, as well as the materials the Crowells used to create their masterpieces including paper patterns, source materials, and tools. The exhibit includes many fine examples of carvings, as well as a replica of his workshop. An activity center for children is also included where they can dress as a birdwatcher, scout for particular birds in the exhibit, hear bird calls and more.
Lost Gardens of New England and Cape Cod
Sunday, June 29, 2008 – October 31, 2008
10:00AM - 4:00PM
American History Museum
Heritage celebrates the bygone gardens of New England in the newly renovated History Museum. Through October 31. Free with Museum Admission.
In the newly-renovated space in the History Museum we are pleased to present a traveling exhibition from Historic New England, Lost Gardens of New England, supplemented by a special addition about the lost gardens of Cape Cod. Visitors will be transported into a secret garden featuring historic photographs and paintings of what once were some of New England’s most beautiful gardens. The exhibit also features exquisite examples of antique garden seating and statuary.
The main idea of the exhibit is an examination of the region’s rich history of garden design that illustrate the major themes of American landscape history. New England gardens of the Colonial period and the New Republic were influenced by English design. By the middle of the nineteenth century, however, a distinctive American style emerged. It embraced the native picturesque landscape while seeking, through design, to tame and refine the national character. Shortly before 1900, New Englanders turned to history for inspiration and created a wide variety of revival gardens. The images in the exhibit capture a garden at a single moment in time. In many cases, the images are the only record of a garden’s existence. Today some of the gardens are parking lots, others lay in ruins, some have the potential for renewal. The images preserve the legacy of New Englander’s landscapes and provide inspiration to all who view them.