History Bites | Smokestacks to Mansions

Discover the captivating history of Connecticut’s industrial growth and the opulent lives of Gilded Age families with Christina Volpe, MA, PhD Candidate, and Curator at The Barnes Museum. This lecture takes you on a mesmerizing trip back in time, exploring the rise of industries and the lavish lifestyles of prominent families who left an indelible mark on the state’s history. Volpe will review the three historical Gilded Age family collections she has worked with in the state, and discuss some of Fairfield’s own Gilded Age families.

Free with Museum admission. Snacks and refreshments provided. Please feel free to bring your own lunch.

About the Speaker

Christina Volpe is an esteemed historian and curator specializing in the captivating era of the Gilded Age. With a focus on Connecticut’s role in the second industrial revolution and the material culture of the time, Volpe’s expertise stems from her degrees in archaeology and classics from the American University of Rome and an MA in public history from Central Connecticut State University. Her previous roles include serving as an assistant curator and archivist for prominent family archives, and she has contributed her knowledge to esteemed institutions such as the Wadsworth Atheneum and the Barnes Museum, where she assumed the role of curator in 2021. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Humanities from Salve Regina University (’26).

Generously sponsored by Cindy Raney & Team.