Vermont Historical Society Announces new exhibit: Illustrating History
The Vermont Historical Society is pleased to announce a new exhibit at the Vermont History Museum in Montpelier: Illustrating History, which will remain on display through June 2026.
Illustration of historical events has been an important way of teaching and sharing certain narratives about the ideals of the country throughout America’s. Vermonters would have seen those ideas reinforced through advertising, political campaigns, classroom education, books and poetry, and many more printed publications. As the United States begins to celebrate the 250th anniversary of its founding in 2026, Illustrating History is an introspective look at how Vermonters viewed our history through the lens of commercial illustration.
Amanda Kay Gustin, VHS’s Director of Collections and Access says “Our collections are rich in illustrations from all three centuries of Vermont’s history, and through this artwork we can see certain stories and images about Vermont created and then reinforced. Visitors can come to enjoy the variety and beauty of the art, and they can also reflect deeply on how their ideas about Vermont have been created by the illustrations around them.”
Illustrating History draws entirely on VHS’s rich collections to present nearly 50 high-quality reproductions of illustrations depicting events across 250 years of Vermont history. This exhibit is split into four main themes: pastoralism, revolution, and settlement, along with a dedicated section that showcases the iconic illustrations that the National Life Corporation used for its advertisements.
