CURRENT EXHIBITION

This superb assemblage of 18th- and 19th-century furnishings gathered over a lifetime by two outstanding connoisseurs of Americana is being shown for the first--and probably only--time outside of rural New England. The paintings, furniture, textiles, ceramics, and decorative arts that Bertram K. and Nina Fletcher Little chose for their country home, Cogswell's Grant, in Massachusetts, offer a unique reflection of life as it was in New England during the past two centuries. Cogswell's Grant is undergoing renovation as a permanent home for the collection. The exhibition includes approximately 115 objects of rare and remarkable quality reflecting the Littles' extraordinary contributions to the study of American decorative arts. It is particularly fitting that the exhibition travel to the Museum. Not only did the Museum have a close relationship with the Littles during their lifetime, but it has also been fortunate in acquiring several important works from the Littles' collection, most notably the striking pair of portraits (c. 1789) of Mr. and Mrs. James Blakeslee Reynolds, attributed to Reuben Moulthrop. The exhibition has been organized by the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities and The American Federation of Arts. It is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support has been provided by Sotheby's. The New York presentation is made possible by Virginia G. Cave, Mrs. Daniel Cowin, Jacqueline L. Fowler, Vira Hladun Goldman, Mr. and Mrs. John H. Gutfreund, The Joe and Emily Lowe Foundation, Inc., and Marguerite Riordan. Additional support has been provided by Cirker's Moving & Storage Co., Inc.

Exhibition catalog available. See shop page for ordering information.