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The return of the SHM’s lunchtime series finishes its spring run. In this installment, SHM Fellow, Walker Goodemote explores the curious biography of William and Frances Sewards’ eldest son, Augustus. Often considered the most reclusive and mysterious of the Seward children, Walker peels back the layers to reveal a most enigmatic personality. This event is free and open to the public and being hosted at the Equal Rights Heritage Center. 

 

Relive the “upset in Chicago” on the anniversary of the very day—May 18, 1860—that Abraham Lincoln defeated William Seward at the Republican Convention. Bestselling author and award-winning journalist Edward Achorn brings these stories to life in his new book, The Lincoln Miracle (2023). He will take us behind the scenes, moment by moment, to share how Lincoln overcame all odds to best the heavily-favored Seward, forever changing history in the process. This event is bring hosted at the Carriage House Theater, tickets are $10 for Museum Members and $15 for Non-Members. 

Experience an afternoon of creative writing, inspired by the words of the Seward family’s youngest child, Fanny. Join best-selling author and transformational writing coach, Laura Ponticello, and dive into the past to discover your inner artist. Express your written word in a group setting following a tea in the Seward gardens. Tickets are $20, reservations are required, and this event has a 25 person maximum. 

Click here to purchase tickets.

Join us for First Friday on May 5th, from 5-7PM. We will be hosting local photographer Todd Tanner in our gift shop gallery. This evening will also serve as the opening reception for our new exhibit, Rooted in Reform. This exhibit explores the founding of the Auburn Correctional Facility, the relationships to the Miller and Seward family, and the criminal justice system from its beginnings until today. This event is free and open to the public.

The return of the SHM’s lunchtime series continues. If William Seward had his way, the Dominican Republic would be a U.S. state today. The Secretary of State, however, came up short. In this talk, Purdue University Professor Emeritus of History Robert E. May will explain what went wrong and introduce you to the audacious woman from Troy, New York who defied all nineteenth-century gender norms and tried to bend Seward and U.S. foreign policy to her own will. This event is free and open to the public. 

 

A sequel to the SHM’s popular original, this brand new specialty tour explores even more of the artwork on display at the Museum, connecting various pieces to Seward family history. This tour has been crafted and will be delivered by former intern Macy Salico, who will discuss the social roles of painted portraiture, silhouette portraiture, posthumous portraiture, and manufactured art. Macy will also examine how families like the Sewards showcased gallery spaces depicting “illustrious Americans” to suit their political purposes.

Bring your lunch and enjoy a lecture as the Equal Rights Heritage Center at the SHM reprises this popular series. For our inaugural installment, join John Taylor, longtime head of the History Department at Trinity Pawling, for an examination of William Seward’s relationship with China at a critical moment in its history. In examining Seward’s diplomacy with China, Taylor will also explore how he came to receive such incredible objects as the large silk embroidery still on display in the stairway of the SHM today. This event is free and open to the public. 

 

Join us during our opening weekend for “The Real Housewives of Auburn” Specialty Tour, focusing on some of the more shocking and scandalous stories from the archives. Gossip, intrigue, and tales of bad behavior abound in accounts you won’t hear about on any other tour of the SHM. Tours are at 10am, 1pm, and 3pm, click the link below to reserve your spots now!

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Join us on Friday March 3rd for the start of our 2023 First Friday season! In the spirit of the women focused events that weekend, we will be hosting a show in our gift shop titled ‘FLX Waterfall Tour 2023’ by local artist Adinah Fluri which will be up the entire month of March. We will also be having a beer tasting from women owned brewery, Lunkenheimer Craft Brewing Co., and rooms in the Museum open for interpretation. We look forward to seeing you there!

 

Pulled from the Seward family papers at the University of Rochester, this specialty tour focuses on some of the more shocking and scandalous stories from the archives. Gossip, intrigue, and tales of bad behavior abound in accounts you won't hear about on any other tour of the SHM.

 

Tours at 10am, 1pm, and 3pm

Tickets: $15. Reservations recommended.

Click Here to Purchase Tickets

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