Text by John Mayer
Images from Maine Historical Society
Time was like me
They life posses'd
And time shall be
When I shall rest
--- from the Brewster Family Memorial, ca. 1805
Each artifact in this exhibit is a record of its place and moment in time. They were made by (or for) Maine people with careful deliberation and a sense of purpose.
Some objects are utilitarian in form – fire buckets, street signs, quilts. Others are personal documents – a family record, a miniature portrait, a needlework sampler. All have some decorative quality that reveals a human emotion or a personal story.
Bold and colorful for public display, or perhaps somber and intimate for the family parlor – the things people made reveals much about their interests, their concerns, and aspects of the world they lived in.
Families and others have saved the objects, and the Maine Historical Society has added them to our collections not only because they reflect an often personal history, but because they express the particular artistic vision and experience of the makers. In this way, these materials are the art of the people.
This exhibit is based on one that was in the Maine Historical Society gallery from June 27-December 30, 2008.
Exhibits
Folk Art in Maine: Introduction
Artifacts, some utilitarian, some decorative, some personal, reflect the artistic vision of the maker.
Our Family Record: Objects in Context
These personal pieces that tell a family history or otherwise recall family members and their interests were displayed in the home and became part of the family record.
Drawings, paintings, objects and images helped families to remember loved ones, the place they lived, and the sea that affected life for many in Maine.
