The Montgomery Museum of Art & History at 300 Pepper St. in Christiansburg has a new exhibit with 45 objects in it that review all 245 years of Montgomery County history.
Titled “Montgomery County in 45 Objects: 1776-2021: 245 Years of History” and inspired by similar exhibits in Richmond, Va., and the United Kingdom, this exhibition allows objects, both beautiful and mundane, to tell the Montgomery County story.
The 45 objects have been gathered from the museum’s extensive collection, through the courtesy of the Christiansburg Institute and through the generosity of private collectors who have loaned objects for this exhibit.
What were the interactions of English and German settlers with native people? On display is a 1790s ironstone platter once owned by the Harman family, who were among the county’s earliest settlers. A Confederate sword made in Christiansburg, juxtaposed with slave shackles, helps bring the reality of slavery and the Civil War to life.
Commemorative pins from the opening of Route 11 and a horse doubletree (wagon harness) help us to consider changes brought by new technology and how the methods of transportation have changed the county.
With a tangible link to the county’s past, the objects elicit stories for discussion and thought. Central to the role of museums, objects such as the 45 on display in this exhibit celebrate, commemorate, and speak for those who came before.
The exhibit will be on display through December.
