Pomo Indians; Pomo Indians--Social life and customs; Musical instruments; Indians of North America--Music; Indians of North America--California
Clap sticks are used to keep rhythm in most Central Californian Native American dances. The stick is hit against the hand, causing the two split sides to clap together. 4-8 men clap sticks simultaneously while singing. At a certain point in the...
Miwok Indians; Miwok Indians--Social life and customs; Musical instruments; Indians of North America--Music; Indians of North America--California
Clap sticks are used to keep rhythm in most Central Californian Native American dances. The stick is hit against the hand, causing the two split sides to clap together. 4-8 men clap sticks simultaneously while singing. At a certain point in the...
Dolls; World War 1939-1945; Lithuania -- History -- German occupation, 1941-1944
This particular doll was made by Sofia Rukuira while in a Soviet Union labor camp in 1944. Losing her home, Sofia was moved to one of these camps along with her husband, Anton, and two sons. All except one son survived the ordeal and moved to...
Ancient Egyptians believed in life after death. They developed a process, called mummification, to preserve the body after death for its use in the afterlife. During embalming, the process used to create a mummy, specific internal organs were...
Saudi Arabia; Islam; Islam -- Customs and practices; Middle East -- Social life and customs; Veils; Headgear; Clothing and dress; Women in Islam
In some parts of the Middle East, a Muslim woman covers her body with a black cloak called an abaya and a veil called a burqa. Usually a burqa is black and made of cotton or crepe. They come in various styles and lengths. There is a thin strip...
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...
Coins; United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783; Indiana -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783; American Revolution Bicentennial, 1776-1976 -- Indiana; Indiana; Clark, George Rogers, 1752-1818; Henry, Patrick, 1736-1799; Gibault, Pierre,...
If you were celebrating your 200th birthday, how would you celebrate? Some Indiana collectors assembled these coins celebrating four pioneering men. During the Revolutionary War, Virginia Governor Patrick Henry authorized George Rogers Clark to...
Mali; Dogon (African people); Dogon (African people) -- Social life and customs; Dogon (African people) -- Religion and mythology; Dogon (African people) -- Rites and ceremonies; Dance; Sculpture
Like many cultures, the cliff-dwelling Dogon peoples of rural Mali in West Africa have special beliefs and practices related to death. It is believed that after a person dies, even if his body is removed, his spirit remains in his home. The spirit...
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...
In Ancient Egypt, there were many types of breads including pastries and cakes. Because sugar was not available, the wealthy people used honey as a sweetener, while the poor used dates and fruit juices. Pastry cutters were used to cut a piece of...
Masai (African people); Masai (African people) -- Social life and customs; Masai (African people) -- Rites and ceremonies; Kenya; Cows; Milk; Containers; Gourds
The Maasai peoples live mostly in southwestern Kenya. Cattle are very important to the Maasai and considered sacred. Many ceremonies involve the ritual slaughter of cattle, with meat being distributed among the community according to social rank....
Eisenhower, Dwight D. (Dwight David), 1890-1969; Presidents -- United States; Campaign paraphernalia; Political collectibles; Presidents -- United States -- Election -- 1944
The tradition of campaign souvenirs began in the 1840 presidential campaign. More than 100 years later, Dwight D. Eisenhower, nicknamed Ike, used these buttons to easily win the United States 42nd Presidential election in 1952 against Adlai...
These cats can be found throughout the United States and into Mexico, primarily in scrub country, broken forests and brushy and arid land. This expert climber gets its name from its stubby or 'bobbed' tail. The bobcat feeds on prey such as rabbits,...
Ethiopia; Ethiopia -- Social life and customs; Baskets; Food habits; Manners and customs
Ethiopian cooking is to be enjoyed by groups of people, not just an individual. A central serving dish called a messob is placed in the center of a table, while people use injera, a flat bread made from wheat, barley, and water, as an eating...
Toys; Space toys; Apollo 11 (Spacecraft); Moon -- Exploration; Space flight to the moon; Nineteen sixties; Nineteen seventies; Project Apollo (U.S.)
The race to space captured America’s imagination during the 1960s and early 1970s. Inspired by the Apollo program’s command and lunar modules, this toy allowed kids to recreate Apollo 11’s first lunar landing on July 20, 1969. Neil Armstrong...
Toys; Helicopters; Models and modelmaking; Vietnam; Art -- Vietnam; Folk Art -- Vietnam; Nineteen nineties
Toys made from recycled materials have developed into an art form all their own in many parts of the world. Sometimes, children make them to play with. However, often times, teenagers and adults create them to sell to tourists or to distributors of...
Pakistan; Pakistan -- Social life and customs; Baskets; Implements, utensils, etc.; Wheat
Over 70% of crops in Pakistan are harvested manually with sickles, curved, hand-held tools typically used for harvesting grain crops. The wheat is then threshed, dried and cleaned. Women usually clean the grain manually using the winnowing basket....
About 85 species of chameleons are known, most living in Madagascar and Africa, although some live in Asia and one in Europe. There are several groups of lizards that can change their color, but the chameleon is the most accomplished. Pigments in...
These fossils are what are commonly known as “sand dollars”. Some types of "sand dollars" are flat when viewed from the side, while others are shaped like a biscuit. All have a shape on top that looks like a five petalled flower,...
One of the most apparent features of the skull of a Great Horned Owl is the size of its eyes. All owls have large eyes that give them more efficient vision under low light conditions. Their eyes also have a ring of boney plates, called a sclerotic...
