Exhibits
Featured Exhibit:
The Magnificent Life & Art of Mabel Loomis Todd
The Amherst Historical Society and Museum opens the 2023 season with The Magnificent Life & Art of Mabel Loomis Todd, an exhibit that offers a fresh interpretation of the Society’s founder.
Developed by visiting curator Diana Limbach Lempel, the exhibit explores Todd’s work as a nature writer, painter, conservationist, lecturer, and the editor of Emily Dickinson’s poetry.
Viewers can get to know Mabel Loomis Todd, founder of the Amherst Historical Society, through her botanical artwork, nature writing, and efforts in both historic preservation and nature conservation.
More Exhibits at the Amherst History Museum
The Dairy Industry and Amherst’s Past
June is National Dairy Month! Amherst’s logo, ‘The Book and Plow’, may not do justice to the town’s history of dairy farming. According to Carpenter and Morehouse’s History of the Town of Amherst (p 285), “The dairy industry in Amherst attained prominence at an early...
It’s Official! Weights & Measures
Introducing our most recent addition to the collection: the official cabinet of weights and measures used by the Town of Amherst beginning about 1900. Today, we are assured that a gallon is exactly that when we purchase gasoline–the pump bears the official seal of the...
The Spectacular Mabel Loomis Todd
What do you know about Mabel Loomis Todd? For the majority of those who know her name, she is primarily associated with Amherst as the editor of Emily Dickinson’s poems and letters and her long-term relationship with Emily’s brother Austin. While true to fact, these...
Past Museum Exhibits
Special Exhibit: Black Neighborhoods and Families in Amherst
Ancestral Bridges Exhibit of Historical Photographs and ArtifactsThis exhibit will be up through Saturday, Nov 5.Pictured: Charles Thompson, "Professor Charley" employed by Amherst College and the Stearns Family.This special exhibit, curated by Ancestral Bridges, is...
Artifacts Inspire
An Exhibition of Work by Fiber Artists of Western Massachusetts In May 2015 the Amherst Historical Society and Museum invited the nine members of Fiber Artists of Western MA to tour the collection and create pieces that reflected their curiosity about and fascination...
Mabel Loomis Todd in the World
By Julie Dobrow To the extent that she is remembered today, Mabel Loomis Todd (1856-1932) is mostly remembered either as the first editor of Emily Dickinson’s poetry, or as the woman who had a lengthy affair with Emily’s older brother, Austin. But Mabel led a full,...
Heath Connections – The Emersons of Amity Street
Sally, John, Felicia, Frances, Alma and Laura These are the names of the Emerson family members who came to live in Amherst in January 1846. They moved here from Heath, Massachusetts and after 1853 the family lived in the Simeon Strong House. Heath is located 17 miles...