Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art

June 29–October 22, 2023

By 1850, Thomas Day (1801–1861) was the premier cabinetmaker in North Carolina. He appealed to wide-ranging clientele by blending the latest trends with his own flair, often customizing each piece. Loaned by the Columbia Museum of Art (SC), the featured bureau is one of more than 200 documented pieces of furniture attributed to Day.

This bureau tells a deeper and more complicated story of Day’s experience as a Southern free person of color in the decades prior to the Civil War. Born to a Virginia family of mixed-race ancestry, he was afforded some opportunities available to white citizens, such as owning property and running a business. At the same time, he was subjected to racist laws that restricted non-whites. Day’s unique story is one of professional success in his craft in spite of the challenges he faced in terms of social conditions and belonging within a community.