50 for 250 is coming!

We are pleased to announce that the 50 for 250 exhibit and book will debut at the Vermont History Museum in Montpelier on Friday, July 3rd!

To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, we selected 50 objects from its collections that explore the last 250 years of Vermont’s story. Through accompanying essays and photography, these items explore the historical significance, themes, trends, and material culture that make up Vermont’s history.

These objects and the accompanying research underpin a new major exhibit that will go on display at the Museum on July 3rd, and to celebrate the exhibit opening, admission will be by donation! The exhibit will include 49 objects (the 50th object is on display at the Vermont State House) and will invite visitors to explore and contemplate the role they played in our history.

The full exhibit will run through January 2027 in Montpelier, when some of the objects will move to the Vermont History Center in Barre. Items in both locations will remain on view through June 2027. 

The accompanying book is a premium, oversized trade paperback that contains the project’s essays and additional photographs related to each item. It will retail for $34.95 and will be available directly from VHS, online outlets, and select bookstores throughout the state. You can preorder it here. 

VHS members will have an opportunity to attend a special member event on June 25th at the Vermont History Museum, where they will be able to tour the exhibit with VHS staff and meet the authors of the essays. You can find details and register for the event here. 

VHS Director of Collections and Access Amanda Kay Gustin says: “The 250th anniversary of the beginning of the American experiment is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on where we've been and where we're going as a country and as a state. VHS holds thousands upon thousands of treasures, objects that help us connect Vermonters to their state's story, building a bridge between the past and the present. When we learn about and better understand the past we build empathy, deepen understanding, and chart a better course for the future."
“I'm excited for people to see just how many stories there are to tell in Vermont history,” Gustin says. “Our little state has had so much happen in 250 years, and so much of it still directly impacts our lives today.”

VHS Executive Director Stephen Perkins says that his “earliest memories of museums involve a sense of wonder at the artifacts and artwork on display. Questions of how and why a craftsman made an item. Who used that tool? What choices did an artist make while creating a work of art? Someone made a choice to save, preserve, and cherish these items on display.”

“When studying history, we so often focus on the written word, losing the voices of those who did not leave a written record,” Perkins says. “Exploring Vermont history through objects opens new avenues of research and understanding - a way of experiencing the past through materials, both extraordinary and ordinary. I'm so very excited to read the fifty essays produced by writers from all over the state with many different viewpoints as they experience fifty special objects.”

The project was funded in part by the following organizations and individuals:

• The National Endowment for the Humanities
• James and Judith Pizzagalli
• The Alcyon Foundation
• Joanna and Stephen Caswell
• Lyman Orton and Janice Izzi
• Donald and Patricia Whelpley
• Funded in part by a bequest from the estate of Gary Adamski and our many donors and members.