United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865; Soldiers -- United States -- History -- 19th century; Soldiers; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Equipment and supplies;
The Civil War Soldier did not have a lot of space, so what little personal items he could carry had to be small. The “housewife” is a small sewing kit the soldier could use to repair his uniform while on campaign. To help keep clean, the mirror...
Sweden; Germany; Folklore - Germany; Drinking cups; Marriage customs and rites; Weddings--Equipment and supplies
The story of the bridal cup is inspired by a true story in 1450 from Nuremberg, Germany. The young daughter of a nobleman fell in love with a goldsmith. The young woman’s father did not approve and forbade them to be together. He imprisoned the...
Archaeotherium was a pig like animal whose narrow head was covered in numerous knobs. From the shape of its teeth it is thought Archaeotherium could eat nearly anything from tubers (plants like potatoes) to dead animals. This specimen consists of...
In life Brittlestars are in one piece, but upon dying their different sections tend to separate and disintegrate. Whole fossils like this are extremely rare and preserved only when the animals were suddenly buried whole. Brittle arms were useful...
In life Brittlestars are in one piece, but upon dying their different sections tend to separate and disintegrate. Whole fossils like this are extremely rare and preserved only when the animals were suddenly buried whole. Brittle arms were useful...
Can you imagine sitting perfectly still for hours at a time, just so someone could paint your picture? Miniature painting came into practice during the16th century in Europe. Originally called "liminings" or "painting in...
Can you imagine sitting perfectly still for hours at a time, just so someone could paint your picture? Each painting was carefully created using small brushes and watercolor to capture detail and personality. Painted on small ivory disks, the...
Founded in the United States in 1912, Juliette Gordon Low began the Girl Scouts based upon Sir Robert Baden-Powell’s Boy Scouts and Girl Guides program in England. Now in 90 countries, 3.6 million Girl Scouts explore the world around them...
Just half a turn and there's your worm proclaims the logo on this "Bob Bet Bait Box" made about 1935. The box was designed to fit over your belt, keeping worms handy and secure in the moveable barrel-shaped enclosure. What other bait...
Cliff-dwellers; Indians of North America -- Southwest, New; Pueblo Indians; Bowls (Tableware); Anasazi
The Ancestral Puebloans (Anasazi) lived in the present-day Four Corners region, which includes New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona. They lived in this area from AD1 and AD1300 and are thought to be the ancestors of the modern Pueblo Indians now...
Indians of North America; Indians of North America -- Great Plains; Indians of North America -- Rites and ceremonies; Amulets
Plains Indian mothers collected their baby's umbilical cord and sewed it inside a buckskin amulet. An amulet is an object thought to have magical powers for luck or protection. The amulet could be the shape of a lizard, turtle or other geometrical...
Rocking chairs; Furniture; Pioneers -- West (U.S.); Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865; 19th Century
Can a chair tell stories? Well, if it could this one would have many to tell! In 1851 Mrs. Kelley traded this chair with her neighbor for a long handled frying pan. Her neighbor, wanting to join the rush for gold in California, needed a pan more...
Real or artificial? This question was faced by many American families in the late 1950s through the '60s when decorating for the holiday season. Advertisers extolled the virtues of low-maintenance artificial Christmas trees over cut trees: no messy...
Cliff-dwellers; Indians of North America -- Southwest, New; Anasazi; Storage jars; Pueblo Indians
The Ancestral Puebloans (Anasazi) lived in the present-day Four Corners region, which includes New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona. They lived in this area from AD1 and AD1300 and are thought to be the ancestors of the modern Pueblo Indians now...
Buddha was once a living man named Siddhartha Gautama, a wealthy and privileged man. When he was 29 years old, Siddhartha asked his driver to take him to a local village so he could see how the common people lived. Shocked by the poverty and...
Mary Todd Lincoln was often ridiculed by her contemporaries for spending money and her forceful personality. She was a well educated woman who terribly missed her husband, President Abraham Lincoln, and sons Willie and Tad. This doll was made about...
Mirrors; China; China -- Social life and customs; China -- History -- Ming dynasty, 1368-1644
Over the past 3,000 years, mirrors have become more than just a grooming aid in the Chinese culture. Mirrors, through the years, were also used as tokens of love, political gifts, and burial items for the afterlife. They were usually owned by the...
Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865; Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865 -- Assassination; Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865 -- Death and burial; Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865 -- Funeral journey to Springfield; Badges; Indianapolis (Ind.)
After President Lincoln's assassination, his body was carried by train from Washington, D.C. to Springfield, Illinois for his funeral. Along the way, the train made stops so people could pay their final respects. This badge was worn by Samuel...
While American students demonstrated nationwide against the Vietnam War (1964-75), soldiers serving there often longed for home and their loved ones. Vietnamese vendors catered to American soldiers' needs for sentimental mementoes to send home as...
Russia; Russia -- Social life and customs; Cookery, Russian; Implements, utensils, etc.
Traditional Russian cuisine consisted of grains, fish, wild game, and berries. Settlers took all the ingredients from the environment. Not until the rule of Peter the Great in the 17th century and the growing contact with Western countries did...
