The Forbes House Museum, Milton Historical Society and Milton Public Library are pleased to announce the opening reception of the exhibit, Mary Bowditch Forbes and the FHM Lincoln Collection, to take place on Wednesday evening, 25 June, from 6-8pm in the second floor Local History Gallery at Milton Public Library, 476 Canton Avenue, Milton.

The artworks and memorabilia are drawn from the permanent collection of the Forbes House Museum, acquired Mary Bowditch Forbes (1878- 1962), granddaughter of Captain Robert Bennet Forbes, over a fifty year period beginning in 1909. The exhibit is comprised of paintings, prints, drawings, photographs and documents highlighting aspects of the American Civil War and the building of the FHM Lincoln Cabin.

Among the works on view are a series of Currier and Ives prints depicting major battles in the Civil War and portraits of Thomas Murdock, the Dorchester carpenter who built the exact replica of Lincoln’s Hodgenville, Kentucky birth cabin on the grounds of Forbes House.

The exhibit is made possible through a partnership between three Milton organizations spearheaded by Brian Doherty, President of the Milton Historical Society, Dan Hacker, Assistant Director of the Milton Public Library and Robin Tagliaferri, Executive Director of the Forbes House Museum.

The project is also made possible through the support of Will Adamczyk, Director of the Milton Public Library, and his staff.

“The exhibit is gift to the residents of Milton,” says Tagliaferri. “We wanted to give back to the community for its support of the Museum over the years.”

The Forbes House Museum is celebrating its 50^th anniversary, offering new and expanded programs and events throughout 2014.

“The exhibit also commemorates the 150^th anniversary of the Civil War which took the lives of over 600,000 people, including the 25 soldiers from Milton whose names are engraved on the Civil War Memorial in Town Hall,” says Doherty.

The exhibit will remain on view through the summer months, culminating with a number of lectures, including a talk in September by historian, Anthony Sammarco.

For more information on programs and events at the Forbes House Museum, Milton Historical Society and the Milton Public Library, visit their websites:

• www.forbeshousemuseum.org/
• http://www.miltonhistoricalsociety.org/
• http://www.miltonlibrary.org/