Museum of Natural & Other Curiosities
In June 1797, he opened a museum in his Painting Room. He regularly used newspaper advertising to solicit donations for the museum, thank contributors, and promote his displays. His collection included portraits, wax works, and other curiosities, man-made as well as natural. His natural curiosities included a dwarf cow, a two-headed calf and a "sagacious" goat.
By 1808, his collection had outgrown the space available at the Old State House, so he acquired the Talcott Mansion, built in 1725 by Governor Joseph Talcott (1724-1741) and moved his museum there. It was open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. “except the evening before and after the sabbath”. The building stood until 1900 when the property was sold by the Moseley family and the building razed.
After Steward’s death in 1822 the museum was relocated to 131 State Street, Hartford. It reopened in the new location on January 6, 1824 and Charles Dickerson became its proprietor. He was succeeded in 1832 by Caleb Wright. The collection remained intact until at least 1840. Some objects from the museum, including a number of portraits, were donated to the Connecticut Historical Society, which used them to recreate the museum at the Old State House.
Read more about this topic: Joseph Steward
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