Wide Awakes Exhibition at the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History

“The Connecticut Museum of Culture and History, a Smithsonian Affiliate, is pleased to unveil Wide Awakes: Campaigning for Lincoln, a new exhibition on view from September 14, 2024, to March 16, 2025. Through objects, photographs, documents and more, the exhibition transports visitors to the cusp of the election of 1860 to discover the story of the Wide Awakes, a grassroots campaign organization founded by five young men in Hartford, Connecticut. During a time of deep political division and fears of a civil war, the Wide Awakes quickly became a nationwide movement and helped elect President Lincoln. They donned capes as uniforms, marched with torches and signs, and matched their bold image with bold actions. The attention-grabbing pageantry of the Wide Awakes—many of whom were too young to vote—provoke relevant questions about political organizing that this exhibition aims to explore.

 “We planned to open this exhibition during an election year, knowing that many people have strong feelings about politics and the political division in our country,” Ben Gammell, Director of Exhibitions at the Connecticut Museum, said. “This exhibition is about young adults who took action, not about one party versus another. We hope that visitors of all ages will be encouraged to engage in thoughtful discussion about democracy and political action.”

The exhibition will feature the stories behind the organization’s founding members, as well as the impact of the Connecticut movement on national politics. Highlights include personal letters and photographs, as well as a large, hand painted Wide Awakes flag bearing the iconic eye symbol. The flag required significant restoration in preparation for its display. “It is a great privilege to share these primary sources with our community,” Robert A. Kret, Executive Director and CEO at the Connecticut Museum, said. “Our exhibitions and collections teams have gone to great lengths to ensure the flag was properly conserved so that it could be shared with our visitors. It is a moving experience to see how these objects can tell such a powerful story.”

The Connecticut Museum will host several public events throughout the duration of the exhibition, including a celebratory opening reception on Thursday, September 19 at 6 pm. On Thursday, October 17 at 6 pm, the Museum will welcome Jon Grinspan, Curator of Political History at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, for a special presentation regarding his latest book, Wide Awake: The Forgotten Force that Elected Lincoln and Spurred the Civil War. “Jon Grinspan’s work has been a great resource throughout the development of this exhibition,” Clare Nelson, Exhibition Developer at the Connecticut Museum, said. “We’re both grateful for his expertise on the subject and thrilled for him to join us in person this October.” In addition, guided Gallery Talks will take place once a month, falling on Sundays at 2 pm. All events are open to the public. To learn more about Wide Awakes: Campaigning for Lincoln and the schedule of related programming, visit connecticutmuseum.org/exhibition/wide–awakes–exhibition/.”