The Ward Museum Oyster Exhibits

Art Of The Industry

OYSTER CANS OF THE MID-ATLANTIC SHOWCASES THE HISTORY OF A BYGONE ERA.

Bold, bright colors, fanciful images, clever names and strong graphic design dominate the look of historical oyster cans. This exhibit features a variety of these unconventional art pieces from around the region and country.

Art of the Industry:
Oyster Cans of the Mid-Atlantic 

Sept. 20 through Feb. 16, 2020 Welcome Gallery

War Over The Waves

THE WARD MUSEUM PAYS TRIBUTE TO THE  OYSTER WARS OF THE CHESAPEAKE

After the Civil War, oyster harvesting exploded in the Chesapeake Bay, with watermen attempting to meet the demand of restaurants in major East Coast cities, such as New York and Philadelphia. Many men from Virginia to New England set their eyes on the Chesapeake and tried to claim a piece of it as their own. But as states put restrictions on harvesting, access to oysters became scarce. In the end, these tenacious mollusks created fortunes for some and were the downfall for others. The exhibit features art and artifacts from — and provides historical perspective on — the time of “the oyster wars” — when watermen, oyster pirates and authorities clashed in an attempt to control the oyster industry and access to the Bay.

War Over The Waves:
Oyster Wars of the Chesapeake 

Oct. 4 through Jan. 20, 2020 LaMay Gallery

EXTRA! EXTRA! Frank Leslie’s Illustrated’s front page from January 1888 read: “Maryland—The Oyster War—A State Police Steamer Overhauling a pirate boat on Chesapeake Bay, off Swan Point.”

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