Exhibits

2021 – 2022 Exhibit: Transformations

The Museum will document the history of the many buildings along East Market, West Market, Mill, and Montgomery Streets in Rhinebeck through our historical photographs and artifacts alongside modern photographs. Please feel free to share any information you have on these buildings and businesses along these streets.

2018 – 2020 Exhibit: The Women of Rhinebeck and World War I in Rhinebeck

1918-1919 marks the end of World War I and the anniversary of celebrations in Rhinebeck to welcome home the soldiers. The Museum has a great collection of World War I ephemera including a uniform, draft registration card, airplane propeller, and more. In addition to remembering Rhinebeck’s World War I veterans, we want to recognize the many women in Rhinebeck’s history. We profiled women’s achievements in the workplace as nurses, teachers, and more, women’s involvement with agriculture and gardening, women’s art and crafts, women’s organizations, and the women who worked to improve life in Rhinebeck. This selection of images represent some of the items in the display since you cannot visit us in person this year to see them.

2016-2017 Exhibit: Rhinebeck’s Agriculture

Take an exciting look at photographs not used before in other exhibits. Some are from the Vogel-Weaver family photograph album, the Vincent Astor Real Estate Appraisal of 1959 done following his death, the private partial collection donated by the late Ada (Scism) Harrison, and the Kieley family photograph collection donated upon the death of the late Rose Ellen Kieley Debus several years ago. Some of the other photographs will come from the Collection of the late photographer Frank Asher and the Clifford Gubler Collection showcasing the work of photographer Virgil Shaffer, both from Rhinebeck. Barn and farmhouse architecture will be a big part of the exhibit.

Besides photographs, rustic metal and wooden artifacts from the Museum collection related to activities that took place on local farms, including parts of an actual violet house that stood on Ackert Hook Road. These were donated over the years by numerous families and persons with connections to Rhinebeck. We are also collecting some exciting loaned additions from Friends of the Museum to help tell the story.

Several years ago the Museum showcased an extensive exhibit on the Dutchess County Fair, which coincided with the then-new book, The Dutchess County Fair by local photographer/author Molly Ahearn. Then, the Museum had a two-year exhibit on Rhinebeck: Violet Capital of the World. This exhibit in contrast is intended to highlight some of the working farms in the area.

2015 Exhibit: Rhinebeck Schools

2013-2014 Exhibit: Romantic Rhinebeck: Textiles Through the Past

The Museum is proud to offer an exhibit for 2013 and 2014, which will show textiles from various age groups as donated by local families. These will include not only clothing but samplers and household handmade items such as dresser scarves, doilies, home spuns, quilts, and others.

To accompany the textiles there will be a display of military items to go with the uniform that will be on display, a series of men’s and ladies’ personal grooming items, hats, and other such objects. Objects with violets and children’s toys will also be used to help tell the story of the clothing.

A display of period Godey prints will also be shown as will a large variety of Rhinebeck photographs taken at various times showing locals in their finery and their daily wears. In 2014, the exhibit will be changed so that different textiles may be seen.