On the Wing Introduction

The Museum of American Bird Art at Mass Audubon—just 5 miles south in Canton—is delighted to partner with Historic New England by sharing artworks from its collection in this exhibit. To demonstrate the breadth of the collection, we’ve chosen works spanning three centuries and a variety of styles and media. Inspired by the Head to Toe exhibition in the nearby galleries, many of the works we selected depict bird species that were once used in the feather hat trade. In 1896, Mass Audubon’s Founding Mothers, Harriet Hemenway (sister-in-law to Edith Eustis) and Minna Hall, established the organization to stop the slaughter of birds for women’s fashion.