Historical Society of Early American Decoration

10/02/2026

Historical Society of Early American Decoration HSEAD’s Fall Workshop wrapped up this weekend in Southbury, CT. The purpose of the workshop is for members to come together as a community to LEARN, CREATE, and CELEBRATE.

Members took part in hands-on classes in tinsel painting, country painting, bookbinding, painted furniture, rug hooking & watercolor. Thank you to everyone who came out to learn, create, and celebrate together. Check out a few candid pics and videos highlighting what that learning and creativity looks like.

https://hsead.org/meetings/historical-society-of-early-american-decoration/

09/30/2026

What a weekend! Another wonderful Fall Workshop is in the books! This year, HSEAD's annual Fall Workshop brought members together September 24–27 at the Wyndham Hotel in Southbury, CT, for four days of hands-on learning in early American decorative arts. Participants dove into classes spanning tinsel painting, country painting, Japanese bookbinding with pop-ups, painted furniture, rug hooking, and watercolor foundations — plus a Saturday banquet to cap things off. Thank you to everyone who joined us to keep these traditions alive!

Keep your eyes peeled for more pictures and videos!

09/30/2026

Did you know HSEAD has regional chapters across multiple states to help you connect and find your community?

That's right, the Historical Society of Early American Decoration HSEAD has 10 local chapters spanning Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont — from Charter Oak to Strawbery Banke to William Penn. Chapters hold periodic meetings, workshops, and community events, giving members a chance to learn and connect in person. Whether you join nationally or dive into a local group, there's a place for you in this tradition. Explore our chapters: hsead.org/community/chapters

09/25/2026

12 Techniques. 200+ Years of History. A Tradition Worth Preserving!

Did you know that early American decorative painting includes at least 12 distinct techniques — from tin painting and theorem stenciling to reverse glass gilding and Pontypool work?

Since 1946, the Historical Society of Early American Decoration HSEAD has preserved these folk art traditions that flourished from the late 1700s through the Victorian era, each rooted in a specific region and craft tradition, from Connecticut tinware to Welsh Pontypool designs.

Discover THE ART WE LOVE: hsead.org/about/decorative-The Decorative Arts Trust

09/17/2026

Step into our Galleries and take a peek into a window of early American folk art.

Explore photographs of member work from HSEAD's Annual Exhibition — including A Awards, B Awards, Applicant pieces, and "On Our Own Time" submissions — spanning the past three years.

Each piece showcases early American decorating techniques from the 18th and 19th centuries, preserved and celebrated by our members. Browse the collection and see the artistry that keeps this tradition alive: hsead.org/galleries

Celebrating 80 years of The ART THAT WE LOVE!

Photographs of member work from HSEAD's Annual Exhibition — A Awards, B Awards, Applicant pieces and On Our Own Time — covering the past three years.

09/16/2026

Some organizations write their history in press releases. Ours is written in addresses. In 1945, Esther Stevens Brazer — the woman who first documented Early American Decoration — passed away, leaving behind a body of research her students weren't ready to lose. In 1946, they founded the Historical Society of Early American Decoration HSEAD to make sure it wouldn't be. By 1953, they'd opened a museum at Innerwick, the Brazer family home in Queens. In 1958, that collection moved to the Farmers Museum in Cooperstown. In 1981, it moved again to Albany. In 1990, when the lease ran out, the pieces were divided between members and the American Folk Art Museum in New York City, where most still live today. We became a 501(c)(3) in 2000. In 2013, we opened a Research Center in Schenectady, and in 2018, we finally bought a permanent home in the city's Stockade District — where our collections have stayed put ever since. Eight decades, half a dozen addresses, one unbroken thread. Come check out the new website to see where it's led.

https://hsead.org/about/our-history/

HSEAD was founded in 1946 by students of Esther Stevens Brazer (1898–1945), author of the first book on early American decoration, to carry on her work.

09/14/2026

Featured in The New York Times

“Locating Girlhood: Place and Identity in Early American ‘Schoolgirl’ Art,” an exhibition opening Oct. 9 at the American Folk Art Museum in Manhattan. https://folkartmuseum.org/exhibitions/locating-girlhood/

"Formulated in dialogue with the sesquicentennial, the exhibition constitutes an effort to offer a broader sense of artistic expression around American art by eliminating hierarchical distinctions between art and the decorative arts, and challenging the image of so-called “‘schoolgirl art' as somehow inferior."

The Historical Society of Early American Decoration (HSEAD) is proud to be a major sponsor of this exhibition. One of “our” pieces in the HSEAD collection, now owned by AFAM, is in the exhibition.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/09/arts/design/young-women-artists-american-landscape.html?smid=url-share

Once dismissed as exercises in dainty femininity, the handiwork of schoolgirls is now celebrated for anticipating the art of the Hudson River School and beyond.

09/10/2026

🚀 IT’S HERE! Our BRAND-NEW Website Is Now LIVE! 🌐🎉

We’ve been working behind the scenes, and we’re thrilled to finally share it with you!

✨ HSEAD has a new online home—designed to make it easier, faster, and more engaging to discover everything we offer.

Whether you’re looking to learn more about HSEAD, explore our work, connect with us, or stay up to date, it’s all just a click away.

🔥 Go check it out today!
👉 Visit the NEW HSEAD Website: https://hsead.org

💻 New look. New experience. Same commitment.

THE ART WE LOVE!

Head over to the new site, take a look around, and share it with someone who should know about HSEAD!

09/07/2026

🇺🇸 Happy Labor Day from the Historical Society of Early American Decoration! 🇺🇸

This Labor Day, we honor the generations of craftspeople, artisans, tradespeople, and workers whose skill, patience, and dedication helped shape American homes, communities, and traditions.

The decorative arts remind us that history is often preserved through the hands of those who make, build, paint, carve, and create. Today, we celebrate that enduring spirit of craftsmanship and the people who continue to keep these traditions alive.

Wishing our members, friends, and supporters a safe and happy Labor Day!

08/27/2026