Gallery Room: Quaker Costume, Objects and Ephemera

The exhibition “Quaker Costume, Objects and Ephemera” introduces the Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers, and their presence in New Bedford during the 18th and 19th centuries. Guided by values of simplicity, equality, and conscience, Quakers expressed their beliefs through everyday choices, including clothing, personal possessions, and household goods. Many of the items are on loan from the New Bedford Friends Meeting House on Spring Street. Though raised a Quaker, William Rotch Jr.’s wealth and public prominence eventually distanced him from the faith. Over time, his family, including daughter Sarah Rotch Arnold, shifted away from Quaker practices and eventually joined the Unitarians.

Exit the door by the back stairwell and hall.