Virtual Homeschool Workshop: Supplies for Soldiers

Did you know that nearly 55,000 people from Connecticut joined the Union Army during the Civil War? Look closely at a variety of images and posters to explore the ways in which people of Connecticut were recruited to be soldiers for the Union Army.

Virtual Homeschool Workshop: A Day in the Life

Explore a day in the life of soldiers, battlefield nurses, and women working on the homefront during the Civil War. Through close-looking at a variety of primary sources, including letters, diary entries, and newspapers, children will explore the variety of roles and responsibilities of women during the Civil War.

Short Attention Span Literary Club

Every other week, we get together to chat about short stories. Anyone can join in, no commitment required!

This week’s selection is “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry.

Family Program: Valentines for Kids

Happy Valentine’s Day! Using historic valentines from the CMCH collection as inspiration, create one-of-a-kind cards to give to your loved ones!

Behind the Scenes: Love and Lust

Valentine’s Day is around the corner, and we’ve got you covered. This behind-the-scenes tour of our collection will highlight objects associated with love and romance. Some of these stories are romantic, and some are a little risqué – so adults only please!

Lunch and Learn: Prescribing from the Bookshelf: Bibliotherapy and the use of Books as Medicine

Have you ever turned to a book for consolation? Treasured the escape of a novel? Found comfort in a poem, self-help book, or simply from reading the newspaper?

Please join us for a virtual presentation by Historian Mary Mahoney on bibliotherapy, or the use of books as medicine. This talk will offer an exploration of the varied ways readers, doctors, and librarians have imagined books as medicine in the past.

Family Exhibit Tour: Dressing Up the Past

Visit the CMCH for a special tour of Making Connecticut followed by a related craft! Through close-looking and hands-on activities, explore how clothing was made throughout history. Families will have the opportunity to card wool, “work” in a textile factory, and more!

A Paramedic’s Dispatches From the Front Line of the Opioid Epidemic

In April 2021, Canning released Killing Season: A Paramedic’s Dispatches From the Front Line of the Opioid Epidemic. A paramedic on the streets of Hartford for over 25 years, Canning has seen the impact of prescription painkillers, heroin, and the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl firsthand.