Our Museum Collection

The Museum Collection of the East Tennessee Historical Society consists of more than 16,000 artifacts and provides a foundation for fulfilling ETHS’s mission to preserve, interpret, and promote the history of East Tennessee’s 35 counties.

Illustration of a room with a table and chair.

East Tennessee’s Museum Collection

The Museum Collection is primarily comprised of objects of material culture that were either made or used in the region or somehow illustrate East Tennessee life and experience in a significant way. A concerted effort is made to represent people of varied backgrounds and from many time periods through the collection.

Particular strengths of the Museum Collection include

  • Decorative arts, especially furniture and paintings
  • Textiles, especially quilts
  • Civil War items, both from Union and Confederate armies, representing the “divided loyalties” so predominate in East Tennessee
Creche folder thumbnail.

Creche

84
Also known as The Christmas Stump
ETHS Collection folder thumbnail.

ETHS Collection

1531
Artifacts that will be available in the HUB.
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History Under the Covers

21
Textile highlights from the "History Under the Covers" presentation.
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Lewis Buckner

3
Quilts and Coverlets folder thumbnail.

Quilts and Coverlets

232
They Sang What They Lived folder thumbnail.

They Sang What They Lived

10
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Tourism

90
Tourism in East Tennessee
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WNOX - Earl Scruggs Center Search

94
All Entries folder thumbnail.

All Entries

1887
Donate to the Collections Photograph of two people at Charlie's Bunion by William Britten.

Donate to the Collections

Historical objects are powerful connectors to the past. As educational tools from which we can learn about individuals and eras, these artifacts are a valuable historical resources.

Artifact Acquisition Fund

Artifact Acquisition Fund

Artifacts transcend time to communicate the stories of the past. These “messengers from the past” place us in the presence of history. Help fund our next acquisition.

Artifact Conservation Fund

Artifact Conservation Fund

In some cases, objects are in need of conservation work. Conservation work can be a very expensive cost and in many cases one that the museum cannot afford. Fund our next conservation project.