Hello friends and Hivians. Happy weekend to all of you. I hope everyone of you is doing great. Today I share an experience I had almost two weeks ago at a local small museum. The name of the museum is Sarphy County Museum. Let's travel back in time and see what this little cracker box has to offer.
It's not the size of a museum that counts but what it holds, tells and educates us. This museum is small and cramped but has a lot of stuff to see. This museum captures the local history of Sarphy County in the state of Nebraska. It currently resides in the oldiest city in the state, Bellevue.
One of the first things you will see in this museum is this Big wheel bicycle. This bike is referred to as a, "High Wheeler" or "Penny Farthing" and this one was made in 1883. It would be a thrill to ride one time, right? I say this because I think the ending would result in me falling off, haha.
The second bicycle I show you is even older. This one surfaced around the 1860's. This is a Velocipide bicycle referred to as the, "Bone Shaker." Now these older bicycles didn't have the modern amenities bicycles do now so I would assume riding in a bit of a rough terrain would be bone shaking,haha.
The next thing that stuck out was the numerous number of quilts. These were part of a temporary traveling exhibit. From simple designs to some that referenced history of the past. There was even some mannequin models show casing some quilt clothing.
They were cool to look at but after awhile I started to find them a bit annoying. I say this because they were hung and draped all over the place causing distorting views to take better pictures. The place is very small and really there was no way else to show them off. That will all change as they will be moving into a new larger facility in a couple of years.
Moving along we run into some musical things. So I show you some pianos and even a trumpet on one of them. On one of the chairs is also a violin These are late 19th/ early 20th century pieces. Ever since my dawn of arriving on Hive I always think of one person when I come across pianos. I think many of us know who that is. I wonder if this older music sheet is clear enough for her to play the sounds of the song on the right?
Speaking of musical instruments here is concertina. An accordion type instrument that plays by squishing and extending it. I don't know anybody who plays this type of instrument but it seems like it would be difficult to learn. It an instrument I simply haven't heard all that often, just on television.
Well radios have been available for over a hundred years now. At first they were used to get information out the general public. Sure you could listen to sporting events on them as well. I'm not sure when actual music was heard on them but I think that was a bit later. Now its interesting to see the size of them over years. Simply square sizes in the 1920's to a good piece of furniture later on. Now they are sort of becoming instinct.
What do you think of this music player? I think it's pretty cool and I wonder what sound it makes. It was incased in glass. You can tell it's very old, fragile and probably has a higher monetary value. Now let me show you some military memorabilia.
Here we have a collection of things from a Civil War(1860-1865) veteran. Pretty cool how these things were preserved over the years. Especially the document which exceeds 160 years old. While it's owned by his descendents it's cools how it's on loan to the museum for others to see.
Next up are some items from World War I (1914-1918). There were a few more items but I decided to take photos of these. I like the grenades but these are "dummy"ones used for training only. The sewing kit caught my eye just for the fact that it was referred to as a "housewife." Different times back then and a lot of those old terms aren't used anymore or at least for only select ears. The gas mask and cannister are iconic and was used to protect yourself from chemical warfare. I'll say we have come a long ways from this first model.
Here we have a nice collection of World War II (1941-1945) memorabilia. A few things here that include a water canteen, shovel, insignia (rank identifier),helmets,caps,and bags. This is the earliest American fought war with living veterans still. Most are in thier late 90's and older. They now serve as living history and unfortunately there days are numbered.
So there were a few displays showing how kitchen and living room life would have been back in the late 19th/early 20th century. It really puts things into perspective on how many things we now take for granted. Especially things that are powered by electricity.
A lot of things back than that may have been used in everyday life would have been bigger and heavier. Now look at the oversized calculator. Want to calculate your monthly expenses with it? Now does an iron have a different meaning to you now? Yes the name is fitting because iron is a heavy metal,haha. A fan made of all heavy metal unheard of now because it would be a safety hazard these days. The phone, well there's more of them so please let me put you on hold for second.
Look at all those telephones. Some dating back aways while some not from all that long ago. We have come a long ways since the first telephones. At a quick glance I have used or seen in action I think 8 of them. What's your number (not literally, haha)?
Here we have some farming tools that were used by the early pioneers in the region. No machines yet just man power tools or animal power if you were fornate enough. I like these old sleds I'm sure they weren't for the kids to go sledding in the snow. More than likely was used to get around in the snow. Probably was powered by a dog or two.
Here we have some of the weaponary that a lot of the pioneers and those immigrants moving west probably would have owned. At the top we have 1873 Springfield rifle, below it is muzzle loading double barrel shotgun, and an early .44 caliber revolver off to the right. The double barrel shot gun could have been yours for $2.00 back then.
Really there is quite a bit to see here despite it's small size. I look forward to its move to the new location. Only will it be much larger there is a lot more artifacts that will added. Also there will be plenty of room for temporary and traveling exhibits without impeding on any of the permanent displays.
Well that's all I have for you this time. Take care, stay safe and enjoy what's left of the weekend. Until next time!