Mattatuck Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1877 as The Mattatuck Historical Society |
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| Location | 144 West Main Street, Waterbury, CT 06702 |
| Type | Art museum, history museum |
The Mattatuck Museum is a special place in Waterbury, Connecticut, USA. It's like two museums in one! This museum shows the history, industries, and culture of Waterbury and the nearby Central Naugatuck Valley area. It also has amazing art. You can see artworks that show Connecticut's history, its people, and its beautiful scenery. Many of these artworks are by artists from Connecticut. A really cool part of the museum is its collection of 15,000 buttons from all over the world.
Contents
Exploring the Museum's Collections
The Mattatuck Museum loves to show off the work of painters and sculptors. These artists were either born in Connecticut or lived there for a long time. The museum's art collection covers art from the 1700s, 1800s, and 1900s.
Famous Artists You Might See
Some of the well-known artists whose work is at the museum include Alexander Calder and Frederic Church. You might also see art by Arshile Gorky, John Frederick Kensett, and John Trumbull. These artists helped shape the art world.
Waterbury's Unique History and Buttons
The museum also celebrates the cool things that happened in Waterbury. It shows how the city grew and what made it special. One of the most interesting collections is the 15,000 buttons. This huge collection was given to the museum by the Waterbury Button Company. They used to have their own Button Museum!
Interactive Ways to Learn
Since 2008, the museum has offered special tours. You can take a self-guided tour of downtown Waterbury. These tours point out the city's amazing buildings and architecture. The museum also has a regional history exhibit. This exhibit uses fun, interactive displays. You can listen to people's stories and watch old movie clips. This helps you learn about Waterbury's past and present.
Supporting New Artists
The Mattatuck Museum also helps new artists. It holds something called the Connecticut Biennial. This is a competition for artists who live or have a studio in Connecticut. Winners get prizes like products and gift certificates from local businesses. It's a great way to encourage new talent!
The Story of Fortune
In 1999, the Mattatuck Museum got a lot of attention for something very special. It was a human skeleton. Later, it was discovered that the skeleton belonged to an African enslaved man named Fortune. He had died way back in 1798.
Learning About Fortune's Past
For a long time, people didn't know who the skeleton was. It was used as a teaching tool and was thought to be from the late 1700s. People even called it "Larry" because that name was written on the skull. The skeleton was given to the museum in the 1930s by the McGlannon family. Their family had connections to Dr. Preserved Porter, who had enslaved Fortune.
From Display to Respectful Burial
The skeleton was on display in a glass case until 1970. Then, it was taken out of public view. In the late 1990s, a group called the African-American History Project Committee investigated. They finally found out who the person was – it was Fortune. The museum then created a special exhibit to honor Fortune. This exhibit shared the stories of African-American enslaved people in Waterbury in the early 1800s. Fortune was finally laid to rest in Riverside Cemetery (Waterbury, Connecticut) on September 13, 2013.
See also
- List of historical societies in Connecticut
