Curators in Conversation: Declarations Trail

In 2026, as the nation marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, four Boston-area institutions have collaborated on the Declarations Trail, which features a dozen rare copies of the Declaration–different printings, created for different audiences– on public view in multiple exhibition settings. This panel discussion brought together curators from the Boston Athenaeum, Leventhal Map and Education Center at the Boston Public Library, Houghton Library at Harvard University, and Massachusetts Historical Society to highlight objects and stories from each exhibition and to consider how we encourage contemporary audiences to reflect on American history.

Featured Speakers

• Reed Gochberg, Curator at the Boston Athenaeum
• Sara Martin, Editor in Chief of the Adams Papers at the Massachusetts Historical Society
• Garrett Dash Nelson, President and Head Curator of the Leventhal Map and Education Center at the Boston Public Library
• John Overholt, Curator of the Donald and Mary Hyde Collection of Dr. Samuel Johnson and Early Books and Manuscripts at Harvard University’s Houghton Library