From Bridgeport News, Bridgeport, Connecticut
The Barnum Museum has made available two online exhibitions of the collection in conjunction with the Connecticut Civil War commemoration, entitled “Community Solidarity: Bridgeport during the American Civil War” and “Heroes of the Home Front: Life North of the Battlefield.” The exhibitions can be seen right now at barnummuseumexhibitions.org without registration.
Thousands of men throughout the north were called to arms, and the citizens of Bridgeport and the surrounding region banded together to support the Union cause. Bridgeport’s large labor force, vital port and rail system enabled the city’s major manufacturers to increase production and distribution.
“Community Solidarity” contains examples of Bridgeport’s role including the Wheeler & Wilson Manufacturing Co., which was one of the most prominent suppliers of sewing machines for government-contract arsenals.
“The story of the war will never be fully or fairly written if the achievements of women in it are untold,” said author Frank Moore in his book “Women of the War.” The war movement stimulated the expansion of women’s roles in society and the industrial world.
“Heroes of the Home Front,” an award-winning exhibition curated by Kathy Maher in 1997, is now digitally presented at the Barnum Museum’s online exhibition Web site. Artifacts and text explore the role of women in the Civil War and the unprecedented changes in their roles and responsibilities in the United States.
Following tornado damage suffered on June 24, 2010, the Barnum Museum has been completely closed to the public in order to assess damage, begin the preservation of the collection and repair the building structure. Even though none of the exhibits are open for in-person viewing, the museum is making a technological investment to have portions of the collection available online so people interested in the life and times of P.T. Barnum can have a virtual experience.
