Historic Happenings Blog

If Not Now, When? Painting During the Pandemic: New Works by Bill Curran August 30 - September 27, 2020 When the Covid-19 pandemic temporarily closed the Hoboken Historical Museum, Bill Curran’s job as Museum Associate went virtual. He suddenly found himself at home with more time to paint, yet, ironically, deprived of the inspiration he usually finds along his daily walks through Hoboken: flower pots on stoops and window sills, sailboats on the Hudson, and city parks. At first, without all the errands and appointments that normally organize and fill his days, he wasn’t sure what to do, and he wasn’t painting for a while. Another artist friend suggested, “Just paint what you feel, when you feel it.” So Bill moved a large easel closer to his window that overlooks the raised flower beds behind Hoboken City Hall. Then he laid out his paints and brushes on the table, so that whenever he feels inspired, he can simply pick up his tools and make art. A flower that had fallen on the

The History of U.S. Presidential Elections & New Jersey's Role ​by Brian Armstrong

CUT FROM DIFFERENT CLOTH: The Art of Women’s Handwork, 1865-1925 To honor the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 2020, MCHS presents the exhibition series Cut from Different Cloth exploring various facets of women’s history. The first exhibition, The Art of Women’s Handwork, 1865-1925, delves into the evolution of women’s role as a home-based, family clothier with the advent and availability of the sewing machine. From seamstresses to pieceworkers, garment makers, and factory workers, occupations open to women during the Industrial Revolution often revolved around the needle, and machine sewing changed both the nature and perception of handwork. These trailblazing female craftswomen brought both changes in the workforce and legislation that guided their professions. Tragedies such as the fires at Wolf Muslin Undergarment Factory and Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, as well as the radium poisoning at Radium Luminous Materials Corp., poig