Exhibit launch: Illustrating History

Join the Vermont Historical Society on Thursday, July 3rd as part of Montpelier's Fourth of July festivities to celebrate the launch of our latest exhibit, Illustrating History!

If a picture is worth a thousand words, what do those words say about the way we imagine American history?

Throughout American history, illustration of historical events has been an important way of teaching and sharing certain narratives about the ideals of the country. Vermonters would have seen those ideas reinforced through advertising, political campaigns, classroom education, books and poetry, and many more printed publications.

Illustrating History will present high-quality reproductions of illustrations depicting events across 250 years of Vermont history. Through these images we will explore the themes of pastoralism, revolution, and settlement. The exhibition will draw entirely on the rich collections of the Vermont Historical Society.

This exhibition will open at the Vermont History Museum on July 3, 2025, and be on view through June 2026.

We'll be celebrating the launch of this exciting new exhibit throughout the day with admission to the museum by donation, crafts, and a book sale from our library!