BRUNSWICK — To mark the 125th anniversary of Pejepscot Historical Society and the ongoing Civil War Sesquicentennial, the society announces a new exhibit titled “Brunswick and the Civil War: the Local Story of the War in Art and Artifacts,” an upcoming talk on “The Civil War and the Movies,” and a 19th-century book club.
According to a news release, the exhibit employs contemporary paintings to tell the broad story of the war and presents them alongside an array of unique artifacts to tell the personal stories of those who lived through this defining moment in the nation’s history.
These artifacts include Civil War weaponry, letters written to and by local soldiers, soldiers’ payrolls and diaries, and much more, telling the story of the war as it affected those here in the Pejepscot region and those who left the Brunswick area to serve far away.
The exhibit also explores how the Civil War has been remembered over the last 150 years, and what impact it has had on our national identity. On display are the souvenirs soldiers themselves brought back to Brunswick from the field of battle, as well as examples of the many ways our best-known local officer, Joshua Chamberlain, has been commemorated over the years.
This exhibit is installed at the Pejepscot Museum and Research Center at 159 Park Row. All art and artifacts on display are from the Pejepscot Historical Society collection.
The Pejepscot Museum and Research Center is presently open Wednesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m. through 4 p.m. The exhibit is open to the public free of charge, though donations are welcome.
On Thursday, Feb. 21, at 7 p.m. in Curtis Memorial Library’s Morrell Meeting Room, the society will present a discussion on “The Civil War and the Movies,” led by Time magazine film critic Mary Pols and Bowdoin College history professor Patrick Rael. In anticipation of the Academy Awards a few days later, Pols and Rael will lead a conversation on how the Civil War has been portrayed in popular films over the years, including this year’s Oscarnominated “Lincoln.”
Admission is $3.
To mark the society’s 125 years of service to the communities of Brunswick, Harpswell and Topsham, the organization will be revisiting some landmarks of 19th- Century American literature. The first text will be Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women.” Participants are invited to begin reading the novel now and to join PHS director Jennifer Blanchard, whose doctoral studies were focused on 19th-century American literature and culture, for a discussion of the book and its times on Friday, March 22, at 4 p.m. at the Pejepscot Museum and Research Center.
All ages are welcome. Please register for the book club by calling PHS at 729-6606 or emailing info@pejepscothistorical.org. All registrants will receive discussion questions to guide their reading.
Participation is free.
For more information, call 729-6606.
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