The Forbes House Museum celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2014 with new and expanded programs, events and exhibits. This is a momentous year! Join us in celebrating a half century of preserving and sharing this historic landmark with residents of Milton, Greater Boston and beyond!
The Museum was founded in 1964 by Henry Ashton Crosby Forbes Ph.D. (1925-2012), curator and pioneer researcher/collector in the field of Chinese export art. He was the great grandson of Captain Robert Bennet Forbes (1804-1889), China trade merchant, philanthropist and civic leader in Boston.
The celebration will begin with a special lecture on Saturday, 8 February at 2pm. Irving Moy, President of the 14th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, Company F, will present, “Chinese Born Combatants in the Civil War; The Life of Corporal Joseph Pierce.”
Joseph Pierce (the name given to him upon arrival in the United States) was taken to the US in 1852 from Guangzhou, China by American sea Captain Amos Peck of Berlin, Connecticut. Corporal Pierce participated in the Battle of Gettysburg, and later married and settled in Portland, Connecticut.
The Museum will hold annual family events promising to be bigger and better. Preparations for the Victorian Egg Hunt on 12 April and the Civil War Concert on 10 August are well under way!
The annual elegant Keechong Dinner will take place at The Exchange Conference Center on Boston’s waterfront on Thursday evening, 3 April. Tickets for this signature fundraising event are $250 per person, and proceeds go to directly support the Museum’s building and grounds, collections and programs.
“This year, we are raising awareness for the Forbes House among residents in Milton and Greater Boston, inviting them to take advantage of our great programs and to ultimately support the Museum,” says Robin Taglaiferri, FHM Executive Director.
The celebration will include two concerts, one in May and October, with internationally acclaimed cellist, Luis Leguia, performing J. S. Bach’s Six Suites for Cello and Three Sonatas for Viola da Gamba.
Among the upcoming exhibits are a collection of 47 president Abraham Lincoln color postcards issued in 1909 for the centennial of his birth. New acquisitions will also be on view, including a Chinese Quianlong export porcelain bowl (ca. 1775) and a rare 1800 Chinese export cup and saucer, purchased through a grant from the Ruddy Taub Foundation of Los Angeles.
In the coming weeks, The Museum will run frequent stories on its happenings, inviting the public to get a new and closer look at the jewel of Milton.
Make a reservation to tour the Forbes House Museum! Tours are available by reservation on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.
For more information on programs, events and exhibits in commemoration of the Museum’s 50th anniversary celebration, call the office at 617.696.1815 or visit the website, www.forbeshousemuseum.org.