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Patios, Pools, & the Invention of the American Backyard to be presented by Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service

Exhibition to show transformation of American backyards over time

Thursday, March 14th at 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Eustis Estate, 1424 Canton Avenue, Milton, Mass.

Patios, Pools, & the Invention of the American Backyard is presented by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) and the Smithsonian Gardens’ Archive of American Gardens. SITES has been sharing the wealth of Smithsonian collections and research programs with millions of people outside Washington, D.C., for more than sixty-five years. SITES connects Americans to their cultural heritage through a wide range of exhibitions about art, science and history, which are shown wherever people live, work, and play. Join us for an opening reception on Thursday, March 14th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Admission is free for Historic New England members, $15 for nonmembers. Advance tickets are required and can be purchased here: https://my.historicnewengland.org/477/2859

Historic New England is crowdsourcing home videos to potentially use in our upcoming exhibition at the Eustis Estate, Patios, Pools, & the Invention of the American Backyard. We are looking for film footage (transferred to an MP4 file or uploaded to YouTube or Vimeo) showing families at leisure in their New England back yards, whether it be at cookout with family and friends, playing games, swimming in the pool, etc. The footage will be displayed on touchscreens and tablets during the run of the exhibition, and may be used on HistoricNewEngland.org and in publicity for the exhibition. Click here for more information and to submit a link to your video.

Patios, Pools, & the Invention of the American Backyard is on display from March 16 to May 26. The Eustis Estate is open Fridays through Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.