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The Stars and Stripes: Fabric of the American Spirit™

July 1, 2011 – January8, 2012

Great Star Flag, c. 1851-58, The Pierce Collection of American Parade Flags


This exhibit, featuring one hundred flags from The Pierce Collection of American Parade Flags, traces the history of our national emblem from its humble beginnings in 1777 into the twentieth century.   Raised at Fort McHenry, Iwo Jima, and the World Trade Center – the American flag has been a constant symbol of our individual freedom and national unity.  These one hundred flags represent one hundred moments in America’s history.   The unique story of each presents the more intimate side of this internationally recognized ensign.   We invite you to experience over two centuries of United States history through a celebration of the Stars and Stripes.

This exhibit is sponsored in part by


The Ripple Effect

September 1 – October 30, 2011

Rory Mahon's sculpture "Windchime Pods" on Morven's front lawn.

Morven Museum & Garden is proud to host The Ripple Effect, a water-themed outdoor juried sculpture exhibition, in September and October. The exhibition was inspired by a collaborative initiative of the Garden State Gardens Consortium entitled “Liquid Assets: Using and Conserving Water in Our Gardens.” Nine member institutions of the Consortium, including Morven, plan to integrate the theme of water into their September programming.

Visit Morven’s gardens this fall to view a dozen creative works by area artists exhibited throughout the property. Varying in size, shape, color, and texture, each sculpture portrays a unique perspective on water.

Viewing of this exhibition is open from dawn to dusk.

For information on other “Liquid Assets” events in New Jersey, please visit www.gardenstategardens.com.

Ribbon of Life | The Delaware and Raritan Canal

March 2, 2011 – June 19, 2011

Image courtesy of the D&R Canal Commission

Over 180 years ago, Commodore Robert Field Stockton, owner and resident of Morven, obtained a charter from the New Jersey State Legislature for the construction of the Delaware & Raritan Canal.   This spring, Ribbon of Life: The Delaware &Raritan Canal, an exhibit on loan from the D&R Greenway Land Trust, will grace the elegant rooms once inhabited by the Commodore.   Featuring a collection of over fifty images, this exhibit explores the canal as a vibrant site of leisure and industry throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.  Intertwined with hand colored views along the canal of cities, towns, factories, and countryside, museum visitors can experience firsthand accounts of canal travel from the perspective of 19th century travelers.  These reminiscences recall a time when the D&R Canal was not only a spot for pleasure and relaxation, but home to bustling factories and mills; a time when this Ribbon of Life was the busiest canal in the United States.

Morven Through the Centuries

November 20, 2010 – February 20, 2010

Samuel Witham Stockton with his extended family on the front porch of Morven, c. 1885. Morven Archives.

A home for over 200 years, Morven’s residents have shaped its history from pre-revolutionary days well into the 20th century.  This exhibit explores the diverse objects that make up Morven’s permanent collection while interpreting every generation of this historic home’s inhabitants. From photographs, to furniture, to archaeology and film, Morven Through the Centuries, provides a peek into Morven’s fascinating past.

The Kennedys | Portrait of a Family: Photographs by Richard Avedon

August 7, 2010 – October 31, 2010

All images courtesy National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution. Photographs by Richard Avedon.

This exhibit from the Smithsonian National Museum of American History provides a behind the scenes look at the legendary first family as seen through the lens of acclaimed fashion photographer Richard Avedon. The exhibit presents twenty-seven photographs taken in January 1961 of the President-elect John F. Kennedy and his young family. The black and white photographs offer a snapshot of the new first family on the brink of Kennedy’s inauguration. Originally completed for a piece in Harper’s Bazaar, only six appeared in the magazine’s February issue. These rarely seen photographs offer an intimate look into the lives of John, Jackie, Caroline and the six-week old John, Jr.

The exhibition and national tour are sponsored by the History Channel.