Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library has unveiled Almost Unknown: The Afric-American Picture Gallery, a groundbreaking exhibition inspired by an 1859 essay by William J. Wilson, a free Black journalist and educator. Viewing from May 3, 2025, to January 4, 2026, the exhibition—curated by historian Dr. Jonathan Michael Square—brings to life, for the first time, the gallery Wilson vividly imagined more than 160 years ago.
Wilson’s essay, published under the pen name “Ethiop” in the Anglo-African Magazine, describes an imagined gallery space curated to celebrate and critique the experiences of free and enslaved Black Americans in the 19th century. Through a fictional guided tour, Ethiop presents works of art, literature, and decorative objects as both cultural celebration and social commentary.
Dr. Square, assistant professor of Black Visual Culture at Parsons School of Design, was invited to Winterthur to interpret Wilson’s vision using the museum’s vast collection of nearly 90,000 decorative art objects. The resulting installation features drawings, paintings, sculptures, and artifacts that reflect the spirit of Wilson’s imagined gallery and tell stories of Black life in the United States and across the African Diaspora.
Highlights include a silhouette attributed to Moses Williams, a trivet in the form of an African symbol crafted in early America, and first editions of Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe and Poems on Various Subjects by Phillis Wheatley. While these may not be the exact works Wilson described, they represent Square’s thoughtful interpretation of the essay’s themes and its enduring relevance.
“William J. Wilson’s essay is a curious text that challenges us to consider our past, reflect on our present, and imagine a more inclusive future,” said Square. “The objects visitors will see may not be the exact ones that Wilson described. Instead, they reflect my reading of the text and its relevance today as it is revealed in the Winterthur collection.”
The exhibition extends beyond the gallery walls with a special house tour highlighting Square’s interpretations and Almost Unknown: Continue the Journey, a thematic exploration of additional objects throughout the estate.
Winterthur will also host Looking Back to the Future: Realizing “The Afric-American Picture Gallery”, a symposium on November 14–15, 2025. Designed for educators, museum professionals, scholars, and the broader community, the event will feature Fred Wilson, renowned for his seminal 1992 exhibition “Mining the Museum,” as the keynote speaker.
With Almost Unknown, Winterthur not only brings to life an influential but overlooked literary work, it also amplifies long-silenced narratives in American history, inviting visitors to engage in meaningful conversations about art, identity, and cultural memory.
Continue the Journey Tour through the house museum is an extension of the exhibition in the galleries. Tours are offered Tuesdays–Sundays, 2:30–3:45 pm, and require advance registration. An additional $10 is required with the purchase of admission.
