Key West Art & Historical Society welcomes the public to the “Key West 200” exhibit at the Custom House Museum. This major exhibition commemorates the 200th anniversary of the first permanent settlement of Key West in 1822 and will be on display in the Bryan and Bumpus Galleries through December 11, 2022.
The exhibit will highlight Key West’s people, culture, and community beginning with the settlers and government officials who arrived on this remote island in early 1822. It will feature rarely displayed artifacts that tell the story of the people, industries, migration, culture, and architecture that shaped Key West over the course of two centuries. Divided by decade, the exhibit emphasizes many of the significant moments and people that have influenced so much of what we celebrate today.
Visitors to the exhibit will learn how Key West grew during its history through development and changes in migration patterns, advances in transportation and commerce, and historical milestones like the Civil War, the Great Depression and World War II. Centerpiece artifacts include sponging equipment; cigar roller tables and tools; 19th century homewares, clothing, journals and photographs; Overseas Railway memorabilia; Ernest Hemingway’s boxing gloves; Native American tools; Key West Hand Print dresses and artwork created by Cuban-American folk artist Mario Sanchez.
“Key West 200” is sponsored by the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs and The Helmerich Trust. For more information, call Cori Convertito, Ph.D. at 305-295-6616 x 112.