Willliam Hosley, Principal, Terra Firma Northeast, Cultural Resource Development Consultant

This richly illustrated lecture looks closely at the people, places and things that figured prominently in the cultural and artistic life of the Connecticut Valley during its first two centuries.  Aspects of regional history are explored through the study gravestones, architecture, household furnishings, and regional industry. The Valley's transformation from a provincial and agrarian culture to the vanguard of the 19th century's high-tech industrial revolution will be discussed. The lecture revisits the themes and materials presented in the award-winning The Great River exhibition (Wadsworth Atheneum), while providing further insights into the industrial transformation that occurred after 1840. In 2014, the cover story essay for the Winter Antiques Show in  NY  cited The Great River on a list of 100 milestones in 150 years of American arts and preservation - a list that began with saving Mt Vernon and included milestones like the founding of the Colonial Williamsburg and the opening of the American Wing at the Met. 

William Hosley is a cultural resource development and marketing consultant, social media expert, historian, writer, and photographer. He is passionate about local history and historic preservation and has developed a deep attachment to dozens of places worth caring about. He was formerly Director of the New Haven Museum and Connecticut Landmarks ,where he cared for a chain of historic attractions. Prior to that, as a curator and exhibition developer at Wadsworth Atheneum, Bill organized major exhibitions including The Great River: Art & Society of the Connecticut Valley (1985), The Japan Idea: Art and Life in Victorian America (1990), and Sam & Elizabeth: Legend and Legacy of Colt's Empire (1996)., that spawned the Coltsville National Park. As an expert in heritage tourism, Bill has studied, lectured and advised museums and heritage destinations around the country. Bill has also served as a content specialist for PBS, BBC and CPTV film documentaries.