HIST-252: History of Money

Explore History of Money, an online exhibition of objects curated from the collection of the Mount Holyoke College Museum of Art by the students of History 252.

Though we all interact with money in one form or another, the use, meaning, and material history of money has changed over time, place, and culture. People use money in many different ways, not all of them economic in the strict sense that is often considered when thinking about its history. Money is a material and social technology that shapes relationships between things, but also relationships between people, communities, nations, and empires.

This virtual exhibition was designed, researched, and presented by the following students:

Moss Beeler ‘26
Lily Callahan ‘26
Zora Duquette-Hoffman ‘26
Xinran Fan ‘25
Isabella Gallo ‘26
Maggie Herman ‘26
Elspeth Howland ‘26
Anusha Lamsal ‘25
Bridget Maloney ‘24
Hannah Model ‘27
Xan Seney ‘25
Maria Sipes ‘26
Georgia Swanson ‘26
Claire Westrich ‘26
Peregrine Whitney ‘25

Special thanks to the staff at the Mount Holyoke Art Museum (Ellen Alvord, Emily Wood, and Nina Frank) and our Ed Tech Team (Stephanie Friedman and Skye Myerson).

History 252 was taught by Desmond Fitz-Gibbon, Associate Professor of History at Mount Holyoke College in the Spring semester of 2024.