To celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, a new Tryon Palace exhibit — Freedom and Identity: Symbols of a New Nation — will open July 4 and run through Jan 17, 2027, in the Duffy Exhibition Gallery at the North Carolina History Center. This large exhibit will showcase furnishings and decorative arts from the Tryon Palace Museum Collection that illustrate the emergence of a uniquely American style in the late 18th century.
Following the American Revolution, citizens were ready to break free from the high ornamentation of British Georgian style. Reflecting their newly won independence, an aesthetic emerged fostering their sense of community and American identity.
Americans wanted to show their patriotism within their homes by displaying images of champions of liberty—George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and the Marquis de Lafayette. Decorative arts and furnishings featured many symbols; eagles, cornucopias, stars, and arrows represented the strength and plenty of the United States. Classical elements from ancient Greece, such as columns, urns, lyres, and scrolls, represented democracy and appeared in furnishings.
Federalism found a solid footing, not only in government but in style. The new American Federal style was characterized by symmetry, straight lines, geometrical designs, and minimal ornamentation. Pieces featured reeded accents, stringing, inlay with contrasting colors, tapered legs, and brass elements.
The Collections staff began creating this exhibit over a year ago, discussing possible ideas to celebrate the Semiquincentennial through the Tryon Palace Museum Collection. One strength of the museum collection was its furniture and decorative arts. Those pieces provided an opportunity to create a relatable, American Revolution story told through furnishings, giving visitors a unique perspective on the New Nation.
The Collections staff created a list of what pieces the exhibit might include. This formed the initial search of the collection database to ensure enough objects were displayed to fill the gallery. Next, staff created a “story board” for the different sections of gallery, listing the contents of each section, examples of objects, text panels, and images. Then it was time to physically locate the objects. The Collections team was excited to run across items that were not on the list but perfectly complimented the vision of this patriotic exhibit.
The entire Tryon Palace team is proud of this exhibit and looks forward to sharing this part of the American story with you starting on Independence Day.