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• Wadsworth Atheneum
  The Wadsworth Atheneum is the oldest public art museum in the nation, with huge holdings of American and French impressionist paintings, modern masterpieces and contemporary artworks, Hudson River School landscapes and marvelous works in American decorative arts and furniture. The unique castle like structure looks quite odd in downtown Hartford, Connecticut, but is easy to access by the state's two major interstate highways, I-95 and I-84, and the train, since it is the biggest art museum in the state. More commonly known as the Wadsworth, the museum was built on this site, which was the family home of Daniel Wadsworth, and was designed by Ithiel Town and Alexander Jackson Davis. Building began in 1842, but wasn't opened until 1844, and it has stood the test of time. The Wadsworth family was one of the oldest in the early city and one of the most influential men at the time, who gave many valuable relics to the new museum to be shown upon its opening. This first collection was made up of 2 marble busts, one portrait miniature, one bronze sculpture and 78 paintings; with the building being used for other venues like dance and dramatic performances, benefits, social functions and exhibits of historical relics. During the turn of this century, the museum struggled for funding, going through 5 directors and 3 acting directors, with a deficit of $284,000 in 2006, and by 2007 it had risen to $540,000. During October of that year, plans to expand into the former Hartford Times building were scrapped after realizing that the initial cost of $16 million would be closer to $19 million by the time it was finished, and way too much for a museum in trouble. Housed in the huge original castle, plus 4 wings that were added later, over 50,000 relics are located here that represent ancient Egyptian, Roman, and Greek bronzes, 18th century French porcelains that include Sevres and Meissen, Hudson River School landscapes, paintings from the Baroque, Renaissance, French and American impressionist periods, early American clothing and decorations, historical artifacts, early African-American art and historical relics and much more. This awesome collection spans over 5000 years of history and culture. Outside the building is a statue of Nathan Hale, that was created by Enoch S. Woods, dated 1899, and a short walk away is the better-known sculpture of Hale by Bela Pratt, which is a replica of the original at Yale University. Even since its early beginnings, the museum has had many firsts; in 1933, they sponsored George Balanchine's immigration to this country from the former Soviet Union, and just after he arrived and formed the New York City Ballet, his first performance was held at the Wadsworth. They were the first museum in the nation to acquire the works of Salvador Dali, Piet Mondrian, Frederic Church and Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio and numerous other famous international artists. During the leadership of A. Everett Chick Austin, the first exhibition of surrealism was held in 1931, and the first Picasso retrospective was shown in 1934; as well as the world premiere of the opera Four Saints in Three Acts by Gertrude Stein and Virgil Thompson was here.

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• Amistad Trail
  In 1839, 53 Africans were on their way to Cuba to be sold into slavery, on board a ship called the Amistad, when they took over the ship which was captained by Joseph Cinque; who said that the ship must be taken back to Africa, where he and his men could be let off to go to their families and homes. The mutineers, instead, chose to sail into Long Island Sound, where the ship was taken control of by the United States Navy and brought to New Haven, Connecticut. The ensuing trial became a landmark case before the nation's Supreme Court, which was argued by former American President John Quincy Adams. He said, and the court did agree, that all human beings were naturally free and entitled to that freedom under the American constitution; allowing the Africans to be freed and choosing to return to Sierra Leone. The Amistad trail is part of the Connecticut Freedom trail, with over 60 locales that have historic importance, and are found throughout the state. Every one of these locations became an important part of the African journey from slavery to freedom in the state, plus there are many other important historic homes, graves, monuments, churches, and other sites on the Underground Railroad. The first stop is the Austin F. Williams House on Main St. in Farmington, that was built for the Africans by a local abolitionist, Austin Williams, while they stayed in that community, and later became the carriage house for Austin main house which he built later. The next stop was the Barney House, also in Farmington, that was built in 1839 by John Treadwell, who would become one of the Africans main supporters. The Canal House and Pitkin Basin was where one of the Africans, Foone, lost his life, and in his memory and honor, the rest of the group started their travel to other towns in hopes of raising enough money to go back to their homeland. The story is a long and tedious one, as it must have been for these heroic men, so far from their culture, families and homes; but certainly one that is very interesting and well worth continuing when you have the time, or better yet, take a trip to Connecticut and travel the trail yourself, all the while wondering what would have become of you if you had been walking in their shoes.

January 11, 2011