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This summer the Berkshire Historical Society will offer a variety of exhibits in celebration of the Berkshires as “Home.” Ranging in time from 1863 to the early 20th century, the exhibits will explore the themes of place, leave-taking and home coming.

The summer of 1863 was a time of unwelcome change for Herman Melville and his family. Having failed as a writer and unable to support his family, he swapped his beloved “old farmhouse” for a townhouse in New York in order to look for employment. While Melville never fought in the war, he used his brother’s influence to gain access to the sites of earlier battles. In response to those visits, he wrote a book of poems, *“Battle-Pieces”. *
In January of 1863, President Abraham Lincoln created the Massachusetts 54th Regiment, allowing Black men to fight for the Union. That spring and summer many men from Berkshire County joined the regiment (later known as the Glory Regiment) and, under Col. Robert Gould Shaw, went off to war. Michael Melle will create two outdoor sculptures for the Society this year. The first will honor the men of the 54th as they enlist to go to war. The second will feature William Bartlett, Melville’s *“College Colonel”, *who, grievously wounded several times, continued to return to battle.

Pittsfield, though far removed from the battlefields of the Civil War, was active in support of the Union Army. “No End in Sight:The Homefront, 1863”, uses a series of panels to tell the stories of a dozen Pittsfield citizens. Curated by John Dickson, the exhibit will be in the large barn.

Edwin Hale Lincoln, a drummer boy in the Union Army at 14, came to Pittsfield in the 1890’s as a photographer. He came to call Pittsfield his “home city” and remained the rest of his life. Using images from the Berkshire Historical Society’s extensive collection of Mr. Lincoln’s glass plate negatives, curator Alfred De Maio created the exhibit “Home City: Photographs of Pittsfield, Massachusetts”. The photographs, printed by the Chicago Albumin Works,speak to both Lincoln’s amazing artistry and his enduring affection for his chosen city.

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The Berkshire Historical Society presents Kimball-Salisbury Women; Chicago to Tor Court. The exhibit is open 11-3 Thursdays through Sundays through March 31, 2013. For more info call Arrowhead at 413-442-1793. No guided tours of Herman Melville’s Arrowhead at this time.

Arrowhead is pleased to offer two types of discount this summer. The first is a joint offering with two other outstanding Pittsfield museums: Berkshire Museum and Hancock Shaker Village. Purchase a full-price adult general admission ticket at any of the three museums to be eligible for a discount of $3 off an adult ticket at the other two museums. The admission receipt from the first museum (valid for seven days) serves as the discount at the other participating museums. The second discount is available in the Berkshire Visitors’ Summer Guide to the Berkshires. The coupon must be shown to be accepted.

In A Boston Globe article, entitled Many Places to Visit, So Little Time, Arrowhead was named as one of six sites in Pittsfield and 96 in Berkshire County on the “1000 Great Places to Visit” List, as compiled by the Great Places in Massachusetts Commission.The mission of the group was to identify 1000 natural, cultural, and historical sites in the state that resonate with tourists and local visitors alike.

As a reminder, if you come upon publicity or articles regarding Arrowhead, Melville, or Berkshire History, please save them for our archives. Thank you!