Exhibit on the Economic Life of New Hartford

The New Hartford Historical Society has recently been notified of a grant for $18,780 from the Connecticut Humanities Council for the exhibition "The Work of Two Centuries: The Economic Life of New Hartford," which will open on September 21. Additional funding for the exhibition has been provided by the Torrington Area Foundation for Public Giving ($3,750); Fleet Bank ($2,500); the New Hartford Lions Club ($1,000); O&G Industries, Inc. ($500); and Paul Cryan Photography ($500).

This exhibition will underscore the important role that immigrants played from the time of the industrial revolution to the end of the 1800s. The exhibition will consist of a timeline on New Hartford’s business and industrial history and six themes: The Work of Two Centuries: An Overview; Textiles and Immigrants: Making Cloth for a Nation by the Sweat of Their Brow; More Mass Production: Manufacturing Interests from the 1850s to the 1940s; Forging Ahead: The Demand for Metals; Solo Practitioners and the Growth of Services: Contributing to Commerce and the Community; and Recent Industrial Growth and the Future of New Hartford.

The Historical Society has selected all the photographs and prints for the exhibition, but would like to see what other business-related artifacts people in the area may have. Those willing to loan such artifacts for the exhibition should contact James Monroe Smith at 860-379-6894 no later than July 15.

In order to prepare and install the exhibition, the Historical Society’s headquarters will be closed to the public until the exhibition opens on September 21. Those needing special access to the Society’s collections may call James Monroe Smith for an appointment.