New exhibit offers 250 years of Vermont history through illustrations

MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) - As the country begins semiquincentennial celebrations, an exhibit at the Vermont History Museum in Montpelier examines how the state’s history is depicted over time.

“History is what happened, but history is also the stories that we tell about what happened,” said Amanda Gustin with the Vermont Historical Society.

A new exhibit at the Vermont History Museum asks the question -- “If a picture is worth a thousand words, what do those words say about the way we imagine American history?”

The museum spent about 18 months organizing the exhibit “Illustrating History.” It features 50 commercial illustrations -- think advertising, political campaigns, and classroom education materials -- all drawn from the Historical Society’s collection.

“It was kind of a really fu