Cape Ann Museum facts for kids
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Cape Ann Museum
Captain Elias Davis House (left); 1936 addition (center); 1968 addition (right) |
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| Established | 1875 |
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| Location | 27 Pleasant Street Gloucester, Massachusetts |
| Type | Local museum |
| Public transit access |
Newburyport/Rockport Line
Gloucester Station  CATA Post Office – City Hall, Main St & Pleasant St |
The Cape Ann Museum is a special place in Gloucester, Massachusetts. It is an art and history museum. The museum shows off the amazing art and history of Cape Ann. You can see art from local artists and art groups. These include the Rocky Neck Art Colony and the Folly Cove Designers. The museum also has cool items from Gloucester's past. These items tell stories about fishing, sailing, and granite quarrying.
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History of the Cape Ann Museum
The Cape Ann Museum started in 1875. It was first called the Cape Ann Scientific and Literary Association. Dr. Herman E. Davidson was its first president. He led the group until 1878.
In 1923, the association moved to its current home. This is the Captain Elias Davis House. It is located at 27 Pleasant Street. Around this time, the museum also got the collection from the Gloucester Historical Society. Its name changed to the Cape Ann Scientific, Literary, and Historical Society. Later, it became the Cape Ann Historical Association.
The museum started collecting more items. These included American art and decorative pieces. It also gathered objects about sailing, fishing, and other local industries. These items show the culture and life of Cape Ann.
In 1937, Alfred Mansfield Brooks became the curator and president. He worked there for 30 years. During his time, he collected the largest number of Fitz Henry Lane paintings in the United States. In 2007, the museum's board voted to change its name. It became the Cape Ann Museum. This new name better showed what the museum does today.
Exploring the Captain Elias Davis House
The Captain Elias Davis House was built in 1804. A successful sea captain named Elias Davis built it. This house holds many of the museum's furniture pieces. It also has decorative art items. Many of these objects belonged to Elias Davis and his family. The house is right next to the main museum galleries. Six of its twelve rooms are open for visitors to explore.
Museum Expansions and New Spaces
The Cape Ann Museum has grown a lot over the years. It needed more space for its growing collections. The museum expanded or updated its galleries five times. These changes happened between 1936 and 2014.
- 1936: The museum added a two-story building. It was built behind the Elias Davis House. This new part had more space for exhibits. It also had an auditorium on the ground floor. This addition was first planned as a separate building. But it was connected to the Davis House soon after it was built. A new entrance was also added. Catalina Davis helped pay for this construction. She also gave many family treasures to the museum. These items are now in the Captain Elias Davis House. She also left money to help the museum keep going forever.
- 1968: The museum bought the land next to the Davis house in 1965. Then, they built a four-story building. This building has gallery space and storage. The first floor gallery now shows art by Fitz Henry Lane.
- 1989–1993: The museum bought another building in 1989. It was the old New England Telephone building. Over the next four years, the museum buildings were greatly updated. They made exhibition spaces bigger. They also created a new education room. Office spaces were developed. An elevator was added. A third-story link was built between the buildings. The Library and Archives also got bigger.
- 2002–2014: In just over ten years, the museum did many more updates. They renovated galleries in 2002. An outdoor sculpture court was added in 2006. A beautiful park and sculpture garden were created in 2011. This park is across Pleasant Street from the museum entrance. A new main gallery was built between 2013 and 2014. They also created a special gallery. This gallery holds the large Fresnel lens from the Thacher Island Lighthouse.
Cape Ann Museum Green Campus
On September 17, 2020, the Cape Ann Museum opened a new campus. It is called the Cape Ann Museum Green. You can find it off Grant Circle and Route 128 in Gloucester. This new area is four acres big. It is home to three historic buildings from the museum. These are the White–Ellery House (built in 1710), a barn (around 1740), and the Babson-Alling House (around 1740).
The Green also has the Janet and William Ellery James Center. This is a 12,000-square-foot building. It holds the museum's collections and archives. The building was designed by a company called designLAB from Boston. Part of this building has 2,000 square feet of space for exhibits and programs.
Museum Collection Highlights
The Cape Ann Museum has many amazing things to see. Here are some of the most important items:
- The largest collection of Fitz Henry Lane paintings. These show ships and landscapes.
- A small model of Gloucester port from the 1800s.
- The Cape Ann dory boat used by Alfred Johnson. He used it to cross the Atlantic Ocean in 1876.
- The original Fresnel lens from Thacher Island.
- Sample books and displays from the Folly Cove Designers.
- Artworks by famous artists like Gilbert Stuart, Winslow Homer, Cecilia Beaux, Frank Duveneck, John Sloan, Milton Avery, and Stuart Davis.
See also
