The ultimate disposable in our throw-away society, the paper dress was all the rage in 1966-67. It didn't need to be cleaned; after a few wears, you simply threw it away & bought a new one. The first ones cost $1.25. Helen Griffith wore this...
Toys; Toy making; Airplanes; Handicraft -- Africa; Art, African; Burkina Faso; France -- Colonies -- Africa; Recycling (Waste, etc.)
Can you find the clues that tell how and where this artifact was made? If you look closely at the multi-colored metal, you can see pictures of little Dutch boys, dairy cows and windmills. This toy was made from "Bonnet Rouge" brand...
Toys; Toy making; Hydrocopters; Handicraft -- Africa; Burkina Faso; France -- Colonies -- Africa; Recycling (Waste, etc.); Art, African
Can you find the clues that tell how and where this artifact was made? If you look closely at the multi-colored metal, you can see pictures of little boys and girls wearing Dutch wooden shoes and the words "milk," "sweetened"...
Buick automobile; Automobiles -- History; Nineteen tens; Transportation -- History
In 1911, you could buy a Buick Model 14 "Bug" with wooden body for $550.00. This included the rubber top, oil lamps, gas headlights, horn and repair outfit. To know when you reached your top cruising speed of 30 miles per hour, you needed...
What would you do if you couldn’t go to the fair? In the late 1930s, a 7-year old boy with polio couldn’t go to the county fair not far from Vincennes, Indiana. His neighbor promised to bring the fair to him. The model includes a carousel, a...
Would you like people to know you were answering the telephone in your pajamas? This 1970 telephone used a small camera at the top to record you and send it down the telephone line! AT&T introduced the phone in 1964 at the World’s Fair in New...
In Japanese folklore there are seven treasures and seven deities of good luck. The deities include one from Japan, three from India, and three from China. The story begins on New Year's Eve, when the "treasure ship" with all seven deities...
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...
Fire fighters; Fire extinction -- Equipment and supplies; Helmets
If you were fighting a fire, how would you protect yourself? Helmets like this one helped protect the wearer from falling objects- specially the back of the neck. Made before 1900, this style is made from leather. Today, some fire fighters continue...
Zoetropes; Optical illusions; 19th century; Toys; Motion Pictures -- History
The zoetrope or “wheel of life” was invented in 1834 as an optical toy that creates the illusion of motion. In this zoetrope, the images of a woodchopper are placed around the inside of a simple drum with an open top. There are slots around the...
Puppets; Hand puppets; Mr. Rogers' neighborhood (Television program); Rogers, Fred
You may know Mr. Rogers from “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” Did you know that Mr. Rogers was a puppeteer and the voice of most of the puppets on his TV show? Daniel Striped Tiger was his first TV puppet, but Mr. Rogers was also the voice of...
Bathing suits; Clothing and dress; Popular cultures; Costume -- History -- 20th century; Nineteen sixties
Would you want to wear a paper swimsuit? The ultimate disposable in our throw-away society, paper clothing was all the rage in the late 1960s. Even though many users felt that the paper was itchy, the clothing never needing to be cleaned you simply...
This never-worn dress from 1956 was originally for sale at Zukors (part of a West Coast chain of women's ready-to-wear specialty stores) in San Francisco. It is very representative of the style of the time. If you’ve ever watched popular 1950s TV...
What do you suppose this man is smiling about? Carved from a Walnut shell, this face is an example of folk art. Whether carved, painted, sculpted or stitched, folk art is created by artists without formal art training. Sometimes people passed the...
Indianapolis Speedway Race; Board games; Games; Automobile Racing; Automobile Racing -- Indiana -- Indianapolis
Can you hear the roar of the engines? Can you feel the wind the cars whip around the curve just in front of your eyes? Cars have been racing in the Indianapolis 500 since 1911. With games like this 1930s Speedway Motor Race board game, players...
This 1970s popularized version Frankenstein’s monster is inspired by the 1918 novel Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelly. The monster, brought to life by Victor Frankenstein, appears in numerous movies, comic books, and even a few...
Flags; Flags--Indiana; Astronauts -- Indiana; Columbia (Spacecraft); Space shuttles; Allen, Joe
This Indiana state flag rode into space with Hoosier astronaut Joe Allen during his November 1982 mission on the Columbia shuttle. Why do you think states have flags? Do you know the history of the Indiana state flag? To celebrate the 100th...
Yoruba (African people); Yoruba (African people) -- Social life and customs; Stools; Furniture; Beadwork
The Kingdom of the Yoruba peoples in West Africa was once very vast. The king, or oba, was highly revered and appeared in highly decorative attire during public occasions. He always wore an elaborately beaded crown. At the turn of the century, when...
Islam; Islamic learning and scholarship; Muslim students; Muslims -- Customs and practices; Koran
In the past, (mostly) boys learned to recite parts of the Qu'ran, the Muslim Holy book, in Qu'ranic schools. Muslims believe that God or Allah revealed this book to the prophet Mohammed. A Qu'ran board like this one was used to teach young boys...
Peru; Peru -- Antiquities; Chimu indians; Storage jars; Pottery; Indians of South America; Indians of South America -- Social life and customs
The Chimú, coastal peoples of ancient Peru often represented sea imagery in their art and everyday objects. This vessel represents a sting ray. The Chimú created ceramic vessels from molds, enabling them to make mass amounts of them quickly....
