Current Exhibition
A Haven of Happiness: Inventor Michael Pupin in Norfolk
May 31, 2024
Michael I. Pupin immigrated to the United States in 1874 arriving in New York with 5 cents to his name. The bright young man came here at the urging of his mother, as his education and prospects were few in his home town of Idvor, Banat, in what is now Serbia. Taking the first job
Collections & Video Presentations
Our collections database is viewable at our online archive. We also have a series of virtual presentations created for the Norfolk Historical Society.
Past Exhibitions
A Farmer, a Sportsman and a Diplomat: The Romance of Collecting in Norfolk
The exhibition A Farmer, a Sportsman, and a Diplomat: The Romance of Collecting in Norfolk is on view from June 6 to October 11, 2015. It features three very different but equally compelling collections associated with Norfolk residents and housed at the Norfolk Historical Museum.
The exhibition A Farmer, a Sportsman, and a Diplomat: The Romance of Collecting in Norfolk is on view from June 6 to October 11. It features three very different but equally compelling collections associated with Norfolk residents and housed at the Norfolk Historical Museum: a group of patriotic-themed shelf clocks dating from the 1830s collected
From the Mills to Main Street: Irish Families in Norfolk
This exhibition explores the lives of Irish-American families in Norfolk and their work on farms, in factories, in commerce, and in the building and service industries.
The nineteenth century saw the great tide of Irish immigration to the United States reach enormous proportions. For centuries the Irish had suffered under anti-Catholic penal laws, confiscation of lands, export embargoes, and deplorable living conditions. Following the 1845 potato blight and devastating famine, the Irish emigrated in droves. It is estimated that as many
From Village Hall to Infinity Hall: 130 Years of Culture, Commerce, and Community
This summer the Norfolk Historical Society celebrates the 130th anniversary of Village Hall, now known as Infinity Hall.
130 Years of Culture, Commerce, and Community This summer the Norfolk Historical Society celebrates the 130th anniversary of Village Hall, now known as Infinity Hall. Built in 1883, Village Hall was a remarkable community cultural center that was conceived of by a group of Norfolk women. After numerous fund-raising events which included package parties, ice
A Photographer in the Northwest Hills: Frank DeMars & Postcards of Norfolk
This summer the Norfolk Historical Museum brings many of these unseen images of Norfolk and surrounding towns back to life in an exhibition of the postcards of Frank DeMars (1872-1942).
When Peg Giles inherited her grandfather’s photographic equipment, she realized she had a treasure trove of some 5,000 images on glass plate negatives, many of which had never been seen before. This summer the Norfolk Historical Museum brings many of these unseen images of Norfolk and surrounding towns back to life in an exhibition of