Understanding Museums

Museums give us a connection to arts, culture, and history through the vast collections and exhibitions in their facilities. The reason why I posted some blogs about some of my favorite museums is to show the diverse types of museums and collections that are out there. There are so many types of museums and ways they have displayed their collections. Every collection offers varied experiences for its patrons and having creative ways to tell the stories behind their collections.

 Employee at B.F. Goodrich Tire Company in Miami, Oklahoma (Photo from Ottawa County Historical Society Collection- Dobson Museum in Miami, Oklahoma) 

Photographs are able to tell great deal about stories of the exhibits within museums. The above picture is from the B.F. Goodrich exhibit, which went on display in February 2012 at the Dobson Museum. There is so much more to building exhibits, than just artifacts or original materials. Many great exhibitions include videos and other secondary materials that evoke a message just as powerful as primary source materials and artifacts. My plan for future blogs is to go into greater detail about the processes of being an intern in a museum and working with exhibits just like the B.F. Goodrich exhibit and many others. 

Dobson Museum at Miami, Oklahoma

The Dobson Family came from Kentucky to Ottawa County, Oklahoma in the 1890s. The Dobson family had a couple of mines in the Picher area. They also ran the Ice Company in Miami back in the early years. The Dobson Family had three children who never married Wayman, Solomon, and Nellie. They all lived together in the Dobson Home on A Street SW in Miami until their deaths. Wayman passed away in 1945, Solomon in 1960, and Nellie in 1968.

Dobson Home in Background with Dobson Memorial Center Sign

Dobson Home at 106 A SW, Miami, Oklahoma 

Memorial to Ms. Nellie Dobson at Entrance 

Main Gallery looking West. 

East Side of Lower Level Gallery

 West Side of Lower Level Gallery with Mining Pictures on Wall. 

Boy Scout Jamboree Tepee on display at Dobson Museum. 

Museum Entrance with B.F. Goodrich Tire Sign

Gardens in Dobson Courtyard 

Gardens on Northside of Dobson Property 

It was stated in Ms. Nellie Dobson's Will, that her home and property to be left as a home for the collections of the Ottawa County Historical Society. In 2011, the Dobson home was placed on the State and National Register of Historic Places. The museum has vast collections,which observe the rich history of Ottawa County, Oklahoma. The collection includes exhibits in but not limited to: Mickey Mantle, Charles Banks Wilson, Native American Tribes of Ottawa County, Mining, B.F. Goodrich, British Flyers, Orrick Sparlin Photographs and Negatives, County Pioneers, Route 66, Sunbeam Farms, etc. The gardens which look amazing all year round are kept up by a strong group of volunteers, that dedicate time to keep the Dobson Memorial Center looking great. You will see throughout different times of the year people taking Graduation, Engagement, Wedding,and  Family pictures at the Dobson Museum and Home.

The museum has two levels of galleries for patrons to enjoy with temporary exhibits every year. In 2012, "B.F. Goodrich Full-Circle in Miami" was opened and an exhibit area of the museum is still dedicated to the B.F. Goodrich Tire Company. In 2013, "Sunbeam Farms: A Black Angus Dynasty" and "Route 66: The Mother Road of Ottawa County" opened are both currently on view for patrons to enjoy along with the numerous permanent collections housed within the museum. The Orrick Sparlin Collection has thousands of pictures and over 43,000 negatives housed at the Dobson Museum. The main task I work on is scanning the negatives and preparing them to be used in exhibits and to file them for future research and use. It has been a 2 1/2 year project already and only about 5% of the collection is actually scanned as of today.

The museum is open Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday Afternoons from 1:00-4:00 p.m. and closed on holidays. You can also check out more by visiting their website at www.dobsonmuseum.com or checking them out on Facebook. Every Sunday the Ottawa County Historical Society has a unidentified picture in the Miami News-Record from the collection along with the thousands of other unidentified pictures. Submissions of names on the "Can You Identify History?" pictures can be submitted via website, email, or calling 918-542-5388. There is a Calendar of Events on our website so you can always stay up to date on what is happening at the Dobson Museum.

Miners Hall Museum at Franklin, Kansas

The Miners Hall Museum Foundation was founded in 2011 and the museum held its grand opening on May 1, 2012. The museum has vastly grown since that day with a massive collection and has hosted numerous temporary exhibits in its first couple years of operation at the Franklin Community Center in Franklin, Kansas. The small community of Franklin was struck by an EF4 tornado at 5:13 p.m. on May 4, 2003. Anytime a natural disaster strikes a community it takes awhile to get the community back and operational, but the community Franklin bounced back that a lot of larger cities who have been through natural disaster. Franklin, Kansas is quite a community with strong love and support and show anything is possible if you believe and put your time and effort into the project. In ten years after this natural disaster I don't think the town would ever imagine what happened to them next. In 2011, the Miners Hall Museum Foundation received notification they would be hosting a Smithsonian Traveling Exhibit in 2013. From May 11-June 23, 2013, the Smithsonian Traveling Exhibit: The Way We Worked was on site with a companion exhibit from the Big Brutus Museum at West Mineral, Kansas. The museum had over 6,000 visitors in 6 weeks from 38 states and 5 countries!!

"The Way We Worked" Exhibit at Miners Hall Museum 

The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) Union Hall in Franklin, Kansas sat were the Miners Hall Museum is today. The Union Hall has been gone for many years now. This land has a lot of history to tell as it is not only important to Franklin, but Crawford County, Southeast Kansas, the State of Kansas, and the United States. The location of the Union Hall in Franklin was where the Amazon Army organized in December 1921. This was a group of women who were daughters, mothers, wives, cousins, grandmothers, sweethearts, fiancés, friends... of coal miners who joined in the protests against the unfair labor practices and laws being implemented in the Southeast Kansas coalfields. They made newspapers all across the state and the nation.

Photograph Union Hall at Franklin, Kansas 

North Side of Miners Hall Museum Main Gallery 

West Side of Miners Hall Museum Main Gallery

This museum has quite a story to tell and what a story it is for all patrons to enjoy and many spend hours in our gallery admiring the artwork, artifacts, research library, and stories of the miners and their families who made their lives and homes in Crawford and Cherokee Counties in Southeast Kansas. We have two recently donated coal buckets, which one you see in the picture above. These coal buckets from the SEK Art Fest, which lined downtown Pittsburg and where auctioned over Labor Day Weekend. We are very proud to have these coal buckets to add to our collection. Many talented artists expressed their creativity in the SEK Art Fest. The coal buckets lined the streets of Broadway in Pittsburg, Kansas from June 1-September 1, 2013.

The following artwork was donated on May 10, 2013 to the Miners Hall Museum at the opening of the Smithsonian Traveling Exhibit by Antonio and Holly Martinez of Phoenix, Arizona. They own Sinfin Studio in Phoenix and truly captured the lifestyle and story of Southeast Kansas mining. I am also proud to say they are my sister and brother-in-law. Their pieces have made a wonderful addition to the museum.



Antonio Martinez. Working for the Man. Charcoal. 2013

This artwork embraces the entrance of Miners Hall Museum. 

Holly Boyd-Martinez. Outspoken Persistence. Acrylic. 2013



Holly Boyd-Martinez. Outspoken Persistence. Acrylic. 2013

The 6 Panels that make up Outspoken Persistence tell the story of mining in Southeast Kansas and include some key figures in the changes in the Southeast Kansas coalfields. 

Miners Hall Museum is open Monday-Saturday from 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest. Check out our Quarterly Exhibits on display July-September 2013: The American Civil War: A Nation Divided and October-December 2013 Slovenian Heritage. We also have a John F. Kennedy Collection, that will be coming soon to be temporarily on display at the museum.

Philbrook Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma

A breathtaking residence that was gifted in the late 1930s by Waite and Genevieve Phillips. This 23-acre property was not only a home, but for the past seventy years or more has been an art museum, which also has amazing landscaping and gardens on the property. The Phillips' families main objective was that the property be utilized as an art or cultural purpose within the city of Tulsa. This museum has a vast collection of artwork from a variety of artists including but not limited to Fritz Scholder, Rachel Whiteread, Leonardo Drew, Pablo Picasso, Maria Martinez, Thomas Moran, Giovanni Bellini and many more.

Gardens of Philbrook Museum in Tulsa. 

The galleries of this museum are fascinating the ability to walk through this museum and experience the talents of the artists exhibited throughout the museum. I remember when I was in high school our art teacher always took his classes on art trips every Spring. This was the first time I had ever visited the Philbrook Museum. I remember I was astounded that a museum like the Philbrook existed in Oklahoma. Art allows us to have a connection to the past through ideas, events, or people who are portrayed within the images of artwork. There are so many stories to tell with art and gives us insight into the ideas of the artist through certain events of their life and the period of the times it was created, which connects us back to history. The works within their collections allow patrons to experience a new admiration and appreciation for the art world. This is definitely a must see attraction in the Tulsa area. 

Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii

December 7, 1941 or better known as "a date which will live in infamy" delivered by Franklin Delano Roosevelt in his Presidential Address to Congress on December 8, 1941 after Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese. Pearl Harbor is one of my favorite places to visit, because of everything there is to do there. I have always been fascinated with historical sites from a very young age. I have been to Pearl Harbor twice in my life. One trip was on the 60th Anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. This site is one that is very quiet when you are out on the harbor. A visit is just one of those stops you make when you are in the Waikiki area. Another popular site is the Pacific Aviation Museum on Ford Island. The museum has the hangar and tower on the airfield there on Ford Island. This is definitely a stop for all aviation enthusiasts and any tourists interested in the types of planes used during the war. What an experience it is to visit historical sites and turning points in American history. The ability to be so close and actually stand on the ground or sail on the seas where events took place that most people only read about in history books. Every time I visit a museum or a historic site it is fascinating to be able to be there and see the terrain or views those men and women had who fought for our country. Pearl Harbor is just one of those places that makes you truly appreciate history and the sacrifices our military men and women face every day of their service whether it was 200 years ago or our citizens today serving their country. 

Aerial View of USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor

Pacific Aviation Museum on Ford Island 

The Nelson-Atkins Museum at Kansas City, Missouri

Front Lawn of Nelson-Atkins Museum 

This is my favorite art museum as it has become a world renowned art museum, because of its collections. What started as a dream by William Rockhill Nelson and Mary Atkins has became a true reality. However, the two had left their estates to form separate art museums, but the trustees decided to join the two estates to form the museum we know today. The museum collection began in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Nelson was a Newspaperman in Kansas City and Atkins was a widowed schoolteacher. 

Rear Entrance of Nelson-Atkins Museum 

The museum has excellent collections on display all the time. They have a fantastic collection of Contemporary and African art. Each Gallery exemplifies artwork from various artists from assorted periods. Their collections open up a new perspective for first time art museum patrons and give you a greater appreciation for the arts. I absolutely recommend this museum to anyone interested in viewing assorted art collections. It is not long after you begin your visit at this amazing museum, you realized why their collections are so world renowned. I enjoy every visit I make to Kansas City at the Nelson-Atkins Museum.

Chickasaw Cultural Center at Sulphur, Oklahoma

The Chickasaw Tribe is a strong tribe that migrated to Oklahoma from the region today known as Mississippi, Kentucky, Alabama, and Tennessee regions. They came to the southern region of Oklahoma in the mid-1800s. The Chickasaws came to Indian Territory among the Choctaws after the signing of the Treaty of Doaksville in 1837 forced the resettlement on the "Trail of Tears" to Indian Territory. The Chickasaws officially separated from the Choctaws to form their own government and gain their own authority in 1856. This just a little background on the tribe and now that the tribe has been in Oklahoma almost two hundred years, they have so much history of this area, but also their entire culture to share with the world. The Chickasaw Culture Center opened in Sulphur, Oklahoma in the Summer of 2010. My family went to the Culture Center shortly after it opened in 2010. 

Sign when you enter the Chickasaw Cultural Center. 

This facility truly is amazing to see what all it has to offer from a museum, research center, sky pavilion, amphitheater, restaurant, gardens, an honor garden,  Chikasha Inchokka Traditional Village, and Anoli Theater. You could spend hours touring and enjoying all the Chickasaw Nation has offered through this facility. I know when we were there the research center was not quite completed, so I am looking forward to making another trip in the near future to the cultural center. They really bring their culture and their history to life for all patrons. My favorite part was getting to walk through the village and the introduction to the museum was very cool and they should a introductory clip on the tribe before you enter the museum to help give you a little more knowledge of where they come from and how they have survived as a tribe all these years in Indian Territory and now Oklahoma. This is a definite stop anytime I am in Southern Oklahoma. 

Panel from inside an exhibit area in the museum. 

Big Brutus at West Mineral, Kansas

Big Brutus was operational in Southeast Kansas from 1963-1974. It was the second largest coal stripping electric shovel during the 1960s and 1970s. It cost $6.5 million in 1962. The final resting place and museum for Big Brutus was dedicated on July 13, 1985 at West Mineral, Kansas 

Big Brutus in West Mineral, Kansas 

This is a great museum and memorial to visit any time of the year as this facility is open all year round. They have displays dedicated to the rich mining history of Southeast Kansas with indoor and outdoor exhibits. The main reason why I enjoy this museum so much as it shows numerous pieces of equipment that was used during the coal mining days as you walk down the road towards Big Brutus from the museum. This museum provides the image of how miners worked every day with their variety of equipment within the museum's collection. I would definitely recommend this museum to anyone who has never been before. You are also able to go up inside Big Brutus. It is extremely interesting to see the interior of Brutus and the ability this machine had in the coalfields of Southeast Kansas.

Bringing Museums into the 21st Century

Many museums struggle with the ability to keep up with the demands of their patrons. This is seen so frequently in more rural settings. This is seen on so many levels of the demands from funding, availability, volunteers, rotation of exhibits, artifacts, etc. Our rural areas in the United States make up a large portion of museums, that are available in our country. There are so many amazing museums to visit all over the world, but people would be amazed at some of the museums, that are right out their backdoor and yet they live so close and never get the opportunity to visit those museums. Sometimes we travel half way around the world or across the country to see museums and forget the fact we have so many museums and historical landmarks near our areas, especially in the area I live in and grow up around all my life.

This week I am going to blog about some of my favorite museums. I will be looking at some smaller museums and some larger museums. I am looking forward to this weeks blogs. I will be sharing a museum a day starting Monday, September 9th-Sunday, September 15th.

Finding Your Way in Museums

Museums are ever changing in today's world, just as the rest of the world around us keeps evolving and becoming more technologically advanced. It is a goal of mine with the two museums I work with, that we keep making museums entertaining, interesting, and educational for all patrons to enjoy young and old. It is very important to keep the displays updated regularly and maintained in sufficient environments and the storage facilities for all artifacts currently not on display. Many museums are not equipped with the latest or most efficient equipment to preserve or store artifacts as many museums become overcrowded and look forward to needs of expansions and more efficient ways to care for the artifacts donated by former and current donors to expand exhibitions and collections. This is one of the many reasons why I chose the career path to work in museums.

Many Museums as this above picture of the Dobson Museum shows that museums try to utilize their spaces wisely to accommodate exhibits and gain storage space in some instances by using cabinets under cases or other rooms. 

I will go into greater detail throughout my blogs about working in museums and some of the tasks and challenges faced by museum staff and volunteers. I would like to share a little bit in this first blog about how I got to where I am today in my museums career. You never truly know until you try something with the opportunities your are given in life. 

I have always loved museums ever since I was a young child. My pursuit for a college education did not begin with museums. I first started going to school to become a teacher. I was interested in looking at becoming a History or Agriculture Education teacher. I was also interested in coaching in Baseball or Basketball. I always had the passion for agriculture and being raised on the farm. I grew up on a small farm in Northeastern Oklahoma. I had a great love for history also, my parents and grandparents played a big influence on me being such a history nut, because of all the stories they would tell when I was a child and growing up through school. They passed down their knowledge and experiences to me and they really taught me a lot about life.

It took me until my second year of college to realize, that I had a great calling in life. I was the recipient of the Dobson Educational Alliance Scholarship. I had applied for it through NEO earlier in the Fall of 2010. I began my internship with the Dobson Museum in February 2011. I worked approximately 9 hours a week working with displays and scanning of pictures and negatives from the museum collections. I also assisted with any tours or guests, that came through the museum.

I remember the first day I came in to work at the museum I was working with some other museum volunteers on some unidentified pictures. As I was sitting and sorting the notebooks of pictures. I had a picture that I actually knew who it was out of about 500 we were looking through that day. My grandma was the Ottawa County Deputy Court Clerk for 27 years. She was in a picture at the old Ottawa County Courthouse and I would say she was in her late twenties or early thirties. There are numerous amounts of pictures at the museum, that need identified and we have a strong group of volunteers who help at keeping the project moving along and being able to share our collections with patrons.

We all have the means to find our way in museums. We have the ability to preserve and learn from history every day of our lives. We are preserving history in many aspects of our daily lives and there are probably times we don't realize we are preserving history, because if we send a text or email message, post a status or an event on Facebook, take a picture with our phone or camera, create an artwork to express an idea or place, or even writing a journal entry; these are just some of the ways we take part in giving future generations information to look back on in twenty, fifty, and one hundred years from now. The possibilities are endless what our emerging technologies will bring forth for our museums of tomorrow. I am extremely excited about being a part of museum development through the 21st century.

Museums are excellent tools to explore, entertain, and engage our students of today and tomorrow to see where we have been, where we are, and where we are going with this world. I will be sharing some of my experiences with working in museums and being a museum studies student throughout my blog.