Two New Digital Exhibits Feature Newport and the American Revolution

August 28, 2015

The Newport Historical Society is pleased to debut two new digital exhibits that accompany and expand upon physical exhibits on display at the Colony House and at the Wanton-Lyman-Hazard House’s Revolution House exhibit.

Tying together the recent visit from the French ship L’Hermione with Revolutionary history, Fraternité: All Things Come Back to Newport explores the friendly occupation of the French between 1780-1781 through biographies of key French military figures, maps, and objects in the Society’s collections. This exhibit includes the recently acquired gentleman’s ceremonial sword which is believed to have been given as a gift to Newport resident Daniel Lyman by the Marquis de Lafayette. The Newport at War exhibit examines the American Revolution as it was experienced on the ground through a diverse array of voices, from Hessian and British soldiers to ordinary citizens such as Mary Almy and John G. Wanton.

In a speech given at the occasion of the arrival of L’Hermione, Executive Director Ruth Taylor observed, “Newport has an amazing, significant history, as does Rhode Island as a whole, and it is not sufficiently known, even right here in the State.” Built using the TourSphere app, these digital exhibits will go a long way towards ensuring that this important history is accessible to students, casual researchers, and serious scholars alike, whether they live in Newport or abroad. They can be accessed by downloading Explore Historic Newport from the App Store or Google Play, or by visiting NewportHistoryApp.com.