Wellesley College, North Front. Courtesy of Wellesley College Archives.
"Like a Great Roman Ruin": The College Hall Fire and Anne Whitney at 100
March 17 – July 20, 2014

Co-curated by Jacqueline Marie Musacchio '89, Professor and Chair of the Art Department, and Andrew Shennan, Provost and Dean of the College, this exhibition includes objects and documents from the Davis, Archives, and Special Collections, as well as loans from the alumnae community. It examines art and life in College Hall from the founding of the College in 1870, to the great fire that decimated the building and its contents in 1914, to the fundraising and rebuilding efforts that followed.  The exhibition focuses particular attention on Anne Whitney's 1883 statue of sociologist Harriet Martineau (Gift of Mrs. Wilson Payne (Elizabeth Rogers, Class of 1926)), a sculpture with a surprising role in the life of College Hall and a fascinating history.  This exhibition is generously supported by Wellesley College Friends of Art, Wellesley College Archives, and the Office of the Provost and Dean of the College.