Conference on Newburyport and the China Trade, 1844-2024

The Museum of Old Newbury preserves and interprets the history of “Old Newbury” including Newbury, Newburyport, and West Newbury from pre-settlement to the present. Founded in 1877, the Museum carries out its mission through the preservation and administration of the Cushing House, the Perkins Engraving Plant, and other historic structures on its High Street campus and furthers its purpose through lectures, exhibitions, educational programs, publications, and research.

Museum of Old Newbury

Join us to explore aspects of Newburyport and the China Trade, from Caleb Cushing and the Treaty of Wanghia in1844 to the present.

Wilkie Center for the Performing Arts @ The Governor's Academy

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Join us for a full day Conference on Newburyport and the China Trade, 1844-2024: Commerce, Diplomacy, and the Arts in the Years of the Dragon.Newburyport is forever linked with China through diplomacy and trade.In 1843, Caleb Cushing of Newburyport resigned from the U.S. Congress to become America’s first commissioner to China. He arrived in China with four American warships, laden with gifts including revolvers, a telescope, and an encyclopedia, and used both threats and flattery to achieve his ends. The subsequent 1844 Treaty of Wanghia, named for the village where it was signed, was the first treaty between the U.S. and China. It was one more way in which Newburyport and the China Trade were inextricably linked.Join foreign policy experts, award-winning authors, master craftsmen, art specialists, and more as we explore the links between Newburyport and the China Trade, then and now.Sessions include:<ul><li>When America First Met China: An Exotic History of Tea, Drugs, and Money in the Age of Sail</li><li>Newburyport's Caleb Cushing, The Treaty of Wanghia, and the birth of Sino-American Diplomacy</li><li>Postcards from the Pearl River: Chinese Export Painting and Decorative Arts in the 18th and 19th Centuries</li><li>Vessels of the China Trade — Types and Technology</li><li>Panel: Modern China: Education, Foreign Policy and Lasting Legacies of the China Trade</li></ul>Optional, limited-space "field trips" (registration required, conference attendees only): <ul><li>Napier Ship Model Studio Tour - Visit the studio/workshop of Rob Napier, a ship model professional engaged in building and repairing models for individuals and institutions. Rob’s original models are created on a broad groundwork of documentation found in the historical, photographic, and artistic records. His work has won awards at national and regional competitions, and he has judged numerous ship modeling events. 3:45-4:45, $10/person (conference attendees only).</li></ul> <ul><li>Private Tour of the Phillips Library and Hawkes Collection Center - Join Jennifer Hornsby (Reference and Access Services Librarian) and Dana Gee (Technical Services Librarian) for a tour of the Peabody Essex Museum's Phillips Library and its home facility, the James B. and Mary Lou Hawkes Collection Center. Our 120,000-square-foot facility provides state-of-the-art preservation, protection, and care of PEM’s extensive collection of art and culture–including the Phillips Library's reading room, digitization lab, and stacks. Come take a look behind-the-scenes! 3:30-4:30, free (conference attendees only).</li></ul> <ul><li>Newburyport Relics of the China Trade: Behind-the-scenes at the Custom House Maritime Museum - Join curator Kevin MacDonald for a special tour of the rich collection of art, artifacts, and documents that speak to Newburyport's engagement in the China Trade. This year, the CHMM celebrates it's 50th year. When it opened in 1975, the Museum of Old Newbury loaned, and then gifted, over a thousand items which were foundational in the CHMM's ability to tell the maritime story of Newburyport. The majority of these artifacts are on display and many pertain to the China Trade. A new exhibit presents and interpretes these objects, souvenirs of a time past when clipper ships raced across the oceans. 3:45-4:45, $10/person (conference attendees only).</li></ul>Register now!This full-day event includes lunch and is hosted by The Governor's Academy.

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Conference on Newburyport and the China Trade, 1844-2024

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Discover more events from Museum of Old Newbury, from Community to other experiences you might love.

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Museum of Old Newbury Guided Tours - August, September, October, 2026

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