BHS Monthly Meeting

Bennington Historical SocietyThe mission of the Bennington Historical Society (BHS) is to recover and preserve information about the history of the Bennington region and share this information with the community through projects, publications, programs, and other activi......More

Bennington Historical SocietyThe mission of the Bennington Historical Society (BHS) is to recover and preserve information about the history of the Bennington region and share this information with the community through projects, publications, programs, and other activities. The Society is a volunteer-operated program of Bennington Museum and serves to support the Museum’s mission by fostering a greater understanding of our common heritage. BHS members conduct oral history interviews, and collect and transcribe diaries, letters, and other documents that provide insights into life in and around Bennington. The BHS organizes and presents programs throughout the year, both virtually and in person, which are free and open to the public. The group meets on the first Monday of every month and these meetings are open to all BHS supporters and Museum members. Donate to the BHS today or become a Museum member to participate in these meetings and to sign up for the newsletter!

Bennington Museum

Transient Beauty GALA

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Snowflake Bentley

Wilson “Snowflake” BentleyA Bennington Historical Society PresentationWilson Bentley was born on February 9, 1865 in the town of Jericho, Vermont, A farmer by trade, he attracted world attention with his pioneering work in the area of photomicrography. Most notable in h......More

Wilson “Snowflake” BentleyA Bennington Historical Society PresentationWilson Bentley was born on February 9, 1865 in the town of Jericho, Vermont, A farmer by trade, he attracted world attention with his pioneering work in the area of photomicrography. Most notable in his life long work with rain, dew and frost, was his extensive work with snowflakes. On January 15, 1885 he became the first person to photograph a single snow crystal. He would go on to photograph well over 5000 snow crystals (never finding two the same), and his documentation of this work advanced the study of meteorology in his time. In this program, Bentley great-grandniece, Sue Richardson, will talk about the extraordinary gift that “Willie” gave us through the beauty of his photographs, but also the struggles he faced in perfecting his process. Sue will help us get to know him on a more personal level through photographs, family stories and his writings. About the Presenter Sue Richardson is the great-grandniece of Wilson “Snowflake” Bentley and grew up on her grandparents’ farm in Jericho, about 3 miles from the farm where Wilson was born and lived out his life. She is a 9th generation Vermont and the 7th generation of her family to live in Jericho. Sue’s grandmother, Amy (Bentley) Hunt was the favorite of Willie’s 8 nieces and nephews and spent a great deal of time with him while growing up on the family farm. Though Vermont was always home, Sue spent 5 years living in Tucson, Arizona followed by 21 years in Williamsburg, Virginia prior to returning to her “beloved Green Mountain State” in 2011. For the past 5 ½ years, Sue has served on the Board of Directors of the Jericho Historical Society, whose dedication to preserving the work of Snowflake Bentley has ensured that his legacy continues to live on. Bennington Museum requires the use of a face mask that covers both the mouth and the nose at all times while inside the building. Thank you for helping to keep all of our visitors and staff healthy. The Bennington Historical Society is a volunteer-run program of Bennington Museum. The BHS offers its programs at no charge. Please consider supporting the efforts of the BHS to share the history of our region by making a donation. Support the BHS 

Bennington Museum

Museum ABCs: Snowflake Bentley

Museum ABCs: Snowflake BentleyLearn about the Vermonter called Snowflake Bentley, see art inspired by his snowflake pictures, and create snowy art to bring home. This month we will explore snowflake-inspired art and learn about Wilson “Snowflake” Bentley, the first pers......More

Museum ABCs: Snowflake BentleyLearn about the Vermonter called Snowflake Bentley, see art inspired by his snowflake pictures, and create snowy art to bring home. This month we will explore snowflake-inspired art and learn about Wilson “Snowflake” Bentley, the first person to take photographs of snowflakes and wonder if any two were ever the same. Examine snowflakes under a magnifier, enjoy snowflake stories, and create beautiful snowflake art to bring home. The Museum ABCs program is a collaboration between Bennington Museum and the Bennington Free Library. The program is intended for children ages 3 to 5 and their adult companions and supports early literacy and a lifelong love of museums and learning. Museum ABCs is offered at no charge to participants, thanks to generous support from The Bank of Bennington.

Bennington Museum

Museum ABCs: Snowflake Bentley

Museum ABCs: Snowflake BentleyLearn about the Vermonter called Snowflake Bentley, see art inspired by his snowflake pictures, and create snowy art to bring home. This month we will explore snowflake-inspired art and learn about Wilson “Snowflake” Bentley, the first pers......More

Museum ABCs: Snowflake BentleyLearn about the Vermonter called Snowflake Bentley, see art inspired by his snowflake pictures, and create snowy art to bring home. This month we will explore snowflake-inspired art and learn about Wilson “Snowflake” Bentley, the first person to take photographs of snowflakes and wonder if any two were ever the same. Examine snowflakes under a magnifier, enjoy snowflake stories, and create beautiful snowflake art to bring home. The Museum ABCs program is a collaboration between Bennington Museum and the Bennington Free Library. The program is intended for children ages 3 to 5 and their adult companions and supports early literacy and a lifelong love of museums and learning. Museum ABCs is offered at no charge to participants, thanks to generous support from The Bank of Bennington.

Bennington Museum

Music at the Museum: The Fretless

Music at the Museum presents: The FretlessJuno award winning quartet, The Fretless, is an essential player in the emerging movement mainstreaming traditional folk music. Through their deconstruction and transformation of the usual rhythmic, harmonic and structured arran......More

Music at the Museum presents: The FretlessJuno award winning quartet, The Fretless, is an essential player in the emerging movement mainstreaming traditional folk music. Through their deconstruction and transformation of the usual rhythmic, harmonic and structured arrangements of fiddle styles around the world, The Fretless is pushing traditional music to a new place and has now issued itself an atypical challenge in the mission to find and convert fans unfamiliar with “progressive” traditional music. Starting with its debut album in 2012, the band has steadily racked up recognition and awards, winning Instrumental Album of the Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards and Instrumental Group of the Year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards 2014 Canadian Folk Music Award recipients for Ensemble of the Year and Instrumental Album of the Year and in 2017, the band received their first Juno award for Instrumental Album of the Year. Music at the Museum is presented at no charge thanks to the generous support of Alison Nowak and Robert Cane.

Bennington Museum

"Noon" Year's Eve Party for Kids

Ringing in the New Year isn’t just for Adults!Want to celebrate the arrival of 2022 but bedtime is at 8:00? No problem! Put on your party clothes and join us at Bennington Museum as we welcome in the “Noon” Year with music, dancing, party hats, noisemakers, sparkling gr......More

Ringing in the New Year isn’t just for Adults!Want to celebrate the arrival of 2022 but bedtime is at 8:00? No problem! Put on your party clothes and join us at Bennington Museum as we welcome in the “Noon” Year with music, dancing, party hats, noisemakers, sparkling grape juice, and the countdown to Noon! Create your own special hat before moving on to the Silly Selfie Station to take a picture with friends and family. Get decked out in silly moustaches, boas, glasses and more. Create a beautiful fireworks print with paint and pipe cleaners. So much fun! Bennington Museum’s annual Kids’ “Noon” Year’s Eve Celebration is on Friday, December 31, 2021 from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm. Admission is $5/child . Adults are welcome to join the party at no charge, but to explore the galleries requires regular admission. Attendance is limited to the first 50 children’s tickets sold, so get yours early! (Tickets are not required for adults.) We will accept a limited number of walk-ins on the day of the party, if space is still available. Buy Your Ticket HereAbout the MuseumBennington Museum is located at 75 Main Street (Route 9), Bennington, in The Shires of Vermont. The museum is open Thursday through Tuesday, 10 am to 5 pm. It is wheelchair accessible. The Museum will be closing at 1:00 pm on December 24 and 31. It will be closed December 25 and January 1. Visit the museum’s website www.benningtonmuseum.org or call 802-447-1571 for more information.

Frauds, Fakes, and the Real Deal in Early American Samplers

Frauds, Fakes, and the Real Deal in Early American Samplersvirtual program presented by Michele PagánMichele Pagán presents an introduction to Bennington Museum’s sampler collection from a conservator’s point of view. This overview of all the samplers in the collection ......More

Frauds, Fakes, and the Real Deal in Early American Samplersvirtual program presented by Michele PagánMichele Pagán presents an introduction to Bennington Museum’s sampler collection from a conservator’s point of view. This overview of all the samplers in the collection will explore the methods and materials involved in creating these pieces of art and will make a chronology from the earliest examples – schoolgirl art – up to the present. Michele will raise questions about some of the samplers in the collection – are they really what we think they are? – and provide pointers about how to look for frauds and fakes in your own collection. About the Presenter: Michele Pagán is a recently-returned native Vermonter, who spent her childhood in Bennington. Bennington Museum was her first exposure to the work of museums. Today she is a textile conservator in private practice, “Saving history one piece of fabric at a time.” A practicing conservator since 1984, her previous clients and employers include the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, The Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of American History, the U.S. Department of State, Mount Vernon, Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, the State of Vermont, and the Bishop Museum in Honolulu, HI, among others. She holds a certificate in Museum Education from Tufts University, and she just completed the Smithsonian Institution’s online certificate for the C3 Framework for Teaching Social Studies. She presently works out of her studio in East Dorset. $12 for Bennington Museum Members$15 for Not-Yet-Members Purchase Tickets Here

A Virtual Interactive Discussion via ZOOM