Celebrate the opening of the Norwalk Historical Society’s new exhibit, Self and the World: Experiencing Photography in 19th Century Norwalk, on Wednesday, November 16, 2016 from 6:00pm – 7:30pm at the Norwalk Historical Society Museum. The museum is located at 141 East Avenue next to the Norwalk Health Department, in the red brick house with blue double front doors. Parking is available at Norwalk City Hall, 125 East Avenue. RSVP to: [email protected].

Self and the World: Experiencing Photography in 19th Century Norwalk is curated by Elizabeth Avery with graphic design by Scott Kuykendall. The exhibit takes you on a journey through the development of photography in the second half of the nineteenth century. This coincided with a period of growth in Norwalk’s economy and population. Norwalkers embraced photography in all of its forms as it evolved. There are never before seen daguerreotypes, family portraits, cartes de visite photographs, plate glass negatives and an original early Kodak camera, that helps tell the story of the early age of photography and its influence on the people of Norwalk.

On display will be 19th century stereoscopes (stereo viewers) which were America’s most popular form of entertainment in the late 1800’s and 1900’s. Visitors will have an opportunity to touch and view stereo cards through a modern 21st century stereoscope. The role of the photographer is also celebrated, which includes a female amateur photographer Ada Betts, African-American photographer Augustus Washington and American Civil War photographer Edward Tompkins Whitney.

In addition, visitors will be able to experience the museum’s other exhibits which include: Norwalk Collects: Celebrating Four Historic Collections and Eating off the Landscape: The Farrington Lockwood Dessert Service, curated by Elizabeth Pratt Fox, and Norwalk: Portrait of Diversity, with photography by the late Tony Velez. The gift shop will be open and features one-of-a-kind, hand-crafted items by Connecticut artists. Spend an evening surrounded by history.

Curator, Elizabeth Bloom Avery, is a recent addition to Norwalk. At Universities throughout the Midwest, she taught the History of Photography, Urbanism, and Film Studies. She co-curated an exhibition of contemporary art at the David and Alfred Smart Museum of Art in Chicago. In Norwalk she researches historic buildings for the Norwalk Historical Society and serves as a docent for the Norwalk Arts Commission. She holds a B.A. from Carleton College and a Ph.D. in Art History from the University of Chicago.

For more information visit www.norwalkhistoricalsociety.org, e-mail [email protected] , or call 203-846-0525.

The Norwalk Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. For information: [email protected] or 203-846-0525.