Exhibits

Past Exhibits

2011

John Paul Jones

American Naval Hero, Real & Imagined. Captain John Paul Jones (1747-92), the celebrated naval hero of the American Revolution, spent time in Portsmouth in 1777 and again in 1781-82. He is believed to have been a tenant of the Widow Purcell in the John Paul Jones House in 1781 while he supervised the building of the Navy’s ship America nearby. In this exhibit, the Portsmouth Historical Society focuses on their famous historical character for the first time and hosts several Gallery Talks and a fall Symposium to consider aspects of the actual career and folk culture symbolism of John Paul Jones.

Ongoing Exhibits

An Uncommon Commitment to Peace: Portsmouth Peace Treaty 1905

Created by the Japan-America Society of NH in 2005 for the 100th anniversary of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty, the exhibit offers a complete retelling of the story of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty. Stories that have never been told before, images and artifacts from public and private collections, and illuminating original research bring the story of the resolution of the Russo-Japanese War into dramatic focus. Indeed, before the assembly of this particular presentation, the events of the Summer of 1905 were not clearly understood for what they were: one of the earliest demonstrations of how ordinary citizens can have extraordinary influence on world events. The exhibit is also a starting point for the Portsmouth Peace Treaty Trail. Free maps for self-guided tours of the iconic sites of the Treaty summer of 1905 are available at the museum. For more information on the exhibit and 105th anniversary commemorative events taking place through 2010, visit portsmouthpeacetreaty.com.