ArtsThursdays: Revolutionary Teas

In-Person Special Event

Join us for a free, fun evening at the Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology—perfect for a date night, a friends’ outing, or meeting new people.

This special edition of ArtsThursdays explores the revolutionary era in the United States through one of its defining symbols and flashpoints: tea.

From 6:00 to 7:00 pm, tea historian Bruce Richardson will present the illustrated talk, "Five Teas that Launched a Revolution." The presentation will trace the history of five Chinese teas that were tossed into Boston Harbor in 1773—teas that came from the very same East India Company warehouses that supplied the tea caddies of fashionable homes in London and Bath.

While the world knows how Britain’s love of tea has inspired countless “tea things,” Richardson will remind us that residents of colonial Boston, Philadelphia, New York, and Charleston shared a similar passion for fine furniture, silver, and porcelain devoted to their own tea rituals. Their daily cup became a ceremony—a gathering that helped spark a party, a revolution, and the birth of a nation. All this commotion over a simple cup of tea!

During the evening, visitors can:

• Sample historic teas enjoyed in 1773 Boston.
• Purchase copies of A Social History of Tea (Benjamin Press, 2013) by Bruce Richardson and participate in a book signing.
• Enter a free raffle to win museum gifts and membership.
• Explore the Peabody Museum galleries from 5:00 to 9:00 pm, including Resetting the Table, an exhibition about food, power, status, and cultural identity.

Free and open to the public. Let us know you are coming! RSVPs are encouraged, but walk-in visitors are always welcome. Free event parking at the 52 Oxford Street Garage 4:30–9:30 pm.

Presented by the Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology and Harvard Museums of Science & Culture.

ArtsThursdays is a university-wide initiative supported by Harvard University Committee on the Arts.

This event is presented to mark the 250th Anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence.

About the Speaker

The Wall Street Journal has called tea historian and author Bruce Richardson the "Johnny Appleseed of America's tea renaissance."

He is the Master Blender at Kentucky's Elmwood Inn Fine Teas, where his creative tea-blending skills have brought him to the attention of such museums as The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, The Peabody Essex Museum, The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, and the Cincinnati Art Museum. Each of these institutions has commissioned him to design signature tea blends inspired by artwork in their collections.

Bruce has authored fourteen books on tea. His latest book, A Social History of Tea, details tea's influence on British and American commerce and culture over the past four centuries. He also serves as a contributing editor at TeaTime Magazine and lectures at art and tea events worldwide.

In 2011, Bruce was named Tea Master for the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum where he oversees the significant role tea played in one of America's most iconic historical events.