Forbes House Museum Welcomes Visitors to Exhibition

Open through Sunday, March 26, 2023, the exhibition tells the story of the Forbes family’s involvement in the 19^th century opium trade, the trade’s links to the current opioid epidemic, and its lasting impact on US-Sino relations.

Apex Translations of Plymouth, NC created the initial translations, which museum trustee Gail Wang then reviewed and edited to ensure historical accuracy.

“This is an important chapter in the Forbes family’s history, as well as American and Chinese history,” says Wang. “We’re pleased the exhibition has introduced the museum to many new visitors, and hope the translated text will be useful to the Chinese-American community in Boston and beyond.”

Barbara Silberman, the museum’s special project director, engaged a variety of scholars and other experts to help develop the exhibition’s content. To present an objective narrative, she interviewed local Chinese Americans, scholars of Chinese history, and staff of local Asian community organizations to ensure the exhibition reflected Chinese perspectives.

Guided exhibition tours are available Fridays-Sundays; tickets are available at www.forbeshousemuseum.org/opium-exhibition.

The exhibition was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, Mass Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom. The views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this exhibition do not necessarily represent those of the organizations.

The Forbes House Museum staff and trustees also announce that the museum is a new participant in the Card to Culture program, which provides discounted or free admissions to many museums and cultural institutions. Jointly sponsored by the Mass Cultural Council and several other commonwealth agencies and organizations, the program is available to Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT), Women, Infants & Children (WIC) Nutrition Program and ConnectorCare cardholders. Tickets for guided tours or events through the Card to Culture program are available by contacting the museum at 617-696-1815 or info@forbeshousemuseum.org.