Join Us for A Donor Appreciation Event

Enjoy a reception, exclusive access to two special exhibitions and the opportunity to connect with the curators who helped with the development of each.

Declarative Acts and Revolutionary Actors

Discover the acts and actors that made independence possible

Historical events often seem inevitable, but, in the course of human events, the drafts, setbacks and revisions tell the story. The overlooked collaborators, working alongside leaders, coordinate the effort and spread the word to make change possible. Rediscover the declarative acts and revolutionary actors of American independence.

Declarative Acts and Revolutionary Actors features objects that fueled the revolution and unsung heroes who made independence possible. The exhibition showcases national treasures from Cincinnati Museum Center’s collections, including an original timber and chain from pre-Cincinnati’s Fort Washington, the regimental flag of the 1st Pennsylvania Battalion – one of just 30 Revolutionary War flags still in existence – and the document that united a nation, the Declaration of Independence. Cincinnati Museum Center’s Holt Broadside of the Declaration of Independence, dated July 9, 1776, is one of just five known to have endured the past 250 years.

Discover the supporting acts and actors that made independence possible.

“Equal to Any in the City:” Ball & Thomas Photographs 1840s–1870s

History through a new lens

Experience American history through the lens of one of the 19th century’s greatest photographers. James Presley Ball, a free man of color, used his incredible skill to transcend racial barriers and establish himself as one of the most sought-after photographers in the country. Discover J.P. Ball’s rise to international fame and entrepreneurial success through over 100 original photographs, curated from Cincinnati Museum Center’s J.P. Ball photograph collection, the largest in the United States. Follow the rise of a man sought after by some of the most prominent people from the mid-1800s – including Frederick Douglass and Queen Victoria – and ordinary African American families alike. Through his lens, Ball provides important documentation of African American lives, providing agency for people often underrepresented. Along the way, meet the talented Black artists working alongside Ball, including fellow photographer and brother-in-law Alexander S. Thomas and renowned painted Robert S. Duncanson.