Connecticut Humanities awards $20K to Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum

From left: Scott Wands, manager, grants and programs, CT Humanities; state Rep. Gail Lavielle; Susan Gilgore, LMMM executive director; state Rep. Terrie Wood; Jason Mancini, executive director, CT Humanities; Patsy Brescia, LMMM chairman of the board; state Sen. Bob Duff; and state Rep. Chris Perone.

Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum (LMMM) in Norwalk has been awarded $20,000 from the Connecticut Humanities for a Public Presentation Grant in support of the planning of the new exhibit “Bulls of Wall Street: High Finance, Power and Social Change in Victorian America.”

“We are very thankful to the Connecticut Humanities for supporting this very important exhibit,” said Patsy Brescia, LMMM chairman of the board of trustees, “and to all our state legislators for their continued efforts and support for our treasured institution.”

The exhibition, curated by Kathleen Craughwell-Varda, will explore the financial world of LeGrand Lockwood and his illustrious peers ”” Vanderbilt, Gould and Fisk ”” and the social and economic similarities and differences between Gilded Age American finance and today”™s. The exhibition will also examine the struggles and successes of minorities on Victorian era Wall Street, such as black Americans and women, who may have redefined the course of history and American culture.

“The Board of Trustees and I are truly grateful to the Connecticut Humanities for this very generous grant, which will launch the planning of a thought-provoking and innovative exhibit on 19th century American finance,” said LMMM Executive Director Susan Gilgore.

“We are very excited to bring to life the mansion”™s history with this focus and during this pivotal era and offer an in-depth and novel exploration on American finance to communities throughout the region.”

The outstanding expert advisors who will support Craughwell-Varda”™s research and findings are: John E. Herzog, who spearheaded the expansion of Herzog, Heine, Geduld Inc. into the third-largest NASDAQ market maker in the country; Janice Traflet, Howard Scott research professor of management, Bucknell University and author; and consultant archivist Steve Wheeler, archive director of the NY Stock Exchange from 1986 to 2015.