Made in Museums - Travels to Curious Museums

Confession:  I am not a car person

I’ve always thought of the automobile as just a mode of transportation.  Nothing fancy, totally practical.  However, the marketing person in me completely understands the emotional appeal cars can have on people.  And the product manager in me can appreciate a good design in any form.  So I was completely surprised after my visit to the Lane Motor Museum when I had this strange desire to just pick up one of the microcars in their collection and take it home.  Maybe it’s my recent fascination with all things tiny (no Game of Thrones for me – I binge watch shows about tiny homes).  Or maybe it’s just the mash-up of something so practical in a package that seems so impractical.  Whatever the reason, their vast collection of microcars is just one reason to visit the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. 

Home to the largest collection of microcars, and also one of the largest amphibious vehicles – the 60 Ton LARC – the Lane Motor Museum has enough variety to satisfy both the hardcore and casual car enthusiast (and even just the average museum nerd!).  Focused primarily on European cars -- although there are cars from all around the world -- the museum goes beyond the traditional car museum by collecting cars that are odd, unique, or are truly one-of-a-kind.  Most of these cars are models that were never sold in the United States, and most of them are not the type of car you’d find in the typical homeowner’s garage.  Whether it’s a prototype car, a test car, a modified car, a failed innovation, or a product designed for a very specific niche, all of the cars in their collection reflect a specific point in history and a specific cultural influence that drove its development. 

So let’s get started traveling through their amazing collection!

Museum Highlights: 

Lane Motor Museum – starting out with just 80 cars from the founder’s private collection, the building that houses the museum was originally a Sunbeam bread factory.  The original 80 cars have now grown to a total of 545 – with about 150 cars on display at any time -- and the collection now includes scooters, motorcycles, bicycles, a few airplanes and some canoes.  Rumor has it that sometimes on a hot summer day visitors can still smell the faint odor of baking bread.   

Restoration & Care of the Collection – listen to the episode to hear about how they “exercise” the cars, the restoration process, and the challenges of finding parts for foreign cars no longer in production and never sold in the U.S. 

The “Vault” Tour – when you visit, make sure to take the Vault Tour.  This tour goes down into the basement where you see cars not on exhibit.  I love behind-the-scenes tours and this one doesn’t disappoint.  This area includes vehicles in the queue for restoration, ones that are actively being worked on, and some that are just waiting for their moment to be brought upstairs for an exhibit.    

World Flags – don’t forget to look up when you visit.  Hanging from the ceiling throughout the museum are flags from around the world.  Underneath each flag are cars manufactured by that country.  In the U.S. we tend to think of the automobile as only an American invention, but around the world numerous car manufacturers have adapted, modified and developed cars uniquely qualified for their geography, their time in history, or for their specific customers. 

1947 Tatra T-87 Saloon – Tatra was a well-known Czechoslovakian automobile manufacturer.  This sleek, silver Tatra T-87 was the luxury car of its day and was regularly used as the chauffer vehicle of Czechoslovakian military officers.  Notice the big fin on the back?  These cars were very heavy, especially in the back end, so the fin was a design feature that helped with stability. 

1938 Tatra T-97 – look closely at the front of the T-97.  Does that design remind you of any other car?  Ferdinand Porsche, father of the Volkswagen Beetle, was heavily influenced by the design of the Tatra and incorporated key design elements into the Volkswagen Beetle.   

How did the Tatra cars contribute to defeating Hitler?  Listen to the episode for the full story to find out how the design of the Tatra automobiles did their part in the war effort.  If you’ve ever wondered if design can have a direct impact on the world, then this story proves it. 

1958 Tatra T-603 – with its unique, 3-headlight design, the T-603 has a very rounded front end.   The back fin seen on earlier Tatra cars is replaced by a rear window for visibility, but the body definitely grew in size.  

1962 Citroën 2CV Sahara – the 2CV is an iconic French car.  Developed before World War II, it wasn’t produced until after the war because the engineers wanted to hide it from the Nazis.  When it was introduced at the 1948 Paris Auto Show, journalists laughed at it.  They didn’t get it.  Made from thin sheet metal, with a tiny two-cylinder engine, seats that looked like lawn chairs, a rollback roof, and a very cushy, rolling suspension, the 2CV did not conform to what everyone at the time thought a car should be.  Of course, the engineers weren’t designing the car for the average Parisian, but to replace the farmer’s horse and cart.  After World War II much of the population in France was very rural.  This car was designed to be durable, travel across fields and in places with very few roads, and be simple enough to be repaired by a rural farmer with just hand tools. 

1938 Citroën Berline Traction Avant – introduced originally in 1934, the front-wheel drive of the Berline Traction Avant was a breakthrough in technology.  However, the company spent so much money developing this model that it actually bankrupted the company, and ended up being sold to Michelin. 

Of course, the museum wouldn’t just have the standard Berline Traction Avant.  Notice the large pontoons on each side of the front fenders?  During World War II, some of these cars were converted to run by burning wood or coal instead of gasoline.  Gasoline was rationed by the Nazis.  Instead of asking the Nazis for gasoline rations, French engineers came up with another solution.  This specific model in the museum runs on coal.  Coal would be put into one of the pontoons and lit on fire.  The methane gas from the burning coal would then run through a tube underneath the car and up into the second pontoon to cool down before being cleaned and filtered through a special carburetor.  The car couldn’t go as fast or as far as it could on gasoline, but those limitations were worth it instead of asking the German army for fuel rations. 

Mignet Flying Fleas – the Lane Motor Museum also includes a collection of unique, French staggered wing airplanes nicknamed “the flying flea”.  Originally sold as a set of plans that the owner could use to build the plane themselves, these planes were unique in the fact that they did not include a rudder pedal.  This meant the plane couldn’t roll, which supposedly meant it wouldn’t ever stall.  Of course, owners have reported that it’s true that they don’t stall – instead, they just kind of fall out of the sky, which is the reason most of these planes are equipped with parachutes.  The specific flying flea in the picture (HM.293) is unique for its foldable wings – a design improvement so the owner could just store the airplane in their garage versus having to pay expensive hanger fees. 

1964 Amphicar 770 – originally developed in Germany, the 770 was the most successful amphibious car ever produced.  Built on a very intuitive platform using the steering wheel to steer and the front wheels acting like rudders, the 770 is still taken out every August to a local lake and rides are given to visitors.      

1961 Chevrolet Corphibian – designed by two Chevrolet engineers as a side project, this amphibious vehicle prototype modified a Chevrolet Corvair pickup truck.  Once the truck was driven into the water, all of the marine controls are located in the bed of the truck.  Unfortunately, Chevrolet never went forward with the idea and this Corphibian is the only one in existence. 

1959 U.S. Army LARC LX – the largest amphibious craft, the LARC LX (Lighter, Amphibious, Resupply, Cargo) is capable of transporting 60 tons of cargo.  Outfitted with four diesel engines (one for each wheel) the LARC is the largest vehicle at the Lane Motor Museum and sits out behind the museum due to its 62’ length, 26’ width and 20’ height.  The tires alone are 9’ high.  Listen to the episode to hear how the museum acquired the LARC and how it was transported from Florida to Nashville.  And, yes, it still runs – they actually used to crush cars with it.   

1964 Peel P-50 – recognized in the Guinness Book of World Records as the smallest production car, this is where the start of my fascination with all things microcar began.  This single-seat microcar was built by a fiberglass manufacturer and is only 4’ high.  Weighing only 250 pounds, there was no need for a reverse gear.  The driver would just simply use the convenient handle at the rear of the car to pick up the car and turn it around.  Fun fact:  depending on the country, some microcars would only have 3 wheels because cars were taxed by the number of wheels. 

1965 Peel Trident – of course, the next evolution in microcars would be the two-seater so t

Confession:  I am a secret puppet person (I just didn’t know it)

I certainly didn’t think of myself as a puppet person before I visited the Worlds of Puppetry Museum in Atlanta, Georgia.  But after visiting and talking to Jill Malool, Director of the museum, I realized I’ve been a closet puppet person for years.  Roaming through their amazing collection, I kept seeing puppets that reminded me of various times in my life. 

Of course, there’s the classic Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street (sorry, Big Bird, Oscar is still my favorite).  And we all know Kermit and the fabulous Miss Piggy from The Muppets.  I then remembered that my sister Vicki and I had Ernie and Cookie Monster hand puppets when we were little that I had totally forgotten about until I was walking through the Jim Henson Collection (strangely, I don’t remember having a Bert). 

I turned the corner and saw Gumby and The Corpse Bride characters showcasing stop motion puppetry.  I remember watching Gumby on Sunday mornings before church.  There are puppets from the Mystery Science Theater 3000 (that show still cracks me up!).  Then I wandered over into the Global Collection and saw marionettes, which reminded me of all the puppet shows I’ve seen growing up. 

At the time I visited was also the opening of the Dark Crystal exhibit.  I hadn’t thought about that movie in years, but seeing the Mystics, Skeksis, Garthim and Jen reminded me of what a fantastic movie that was and how it was all created with puppetry.  

I also saw puppets I had never seen before:  shadow puppets from India, puppets that “walk on water” from Vietnam, and almost life-size puppets from Japan.  And in a variety of materials:  wood, fiberglass, leather, paper, felt.  And I think they have puppets from every country and region in the world:  Italy, Central Europe, Indonesia, Myanmar, Turkey, China, Taiwan, Egypt, Korea, Japan and Mali.  Puppetry can be traced back hundreds, and even thousands of years in some regions.  It didn’t hit me until I stood in the middle of the Global Collection and saw all the creativity around me that The Worlds of Puppetry Museum showcases how cultures around the world and throughout time have expressed themselves through puppetry to tell their stories and share their history. 

So let’s get started in traveling through their amazing collection!

Museum Highlights:

The Worlds of Puppetry Museum – the original museum started out in an old elementary school building, but then has been added on since then.  On the behind-the-scenes tour you get to visit the old classrooms upstairs where they offer puppetry making classes for kids. 

Jim Henson Collection:

Muppet Workshop – when you enter the Jim Henson collection there are a series of workstations with corkboards on the wall covering a specific aspect of how to make a puppet.  Pinned to the board are hand sketches showing how a particular puppet moves, photographs of Jim Henson, little pieces of fur and felt, and some of the most interesting notes about how to make a puppet come to life. 

Big Bird – since his debut in 1969, Big Bird has remained as curious as an inquisitive six-year-old.  So how do you animate a giant puppet like Big Bird?  Listen to how the puppeteer works his mouth, and both wings, while at the same time being able to see where he’s going inside this giant puppet.  Jill, the Director of the museum, shares a wonder story between two generations and how they connect through this yellow bird. 

Oscar the Grouch - my favorite Sesame Street character.   The same puppeteer, Caroll Spinney, made both Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch come alive.  We all know the green Oscar of today, but you can see the original drawings for Oscar that pink was his original color. 

Another fun fact about Oscar’s color from the behind-the-scenes tour?  In the first season on Sesame Street Oscar was actually orange, but the orange color didn’t show up very well on television so he became green.  How did they explain on the show how Oscar suddenly changed colors?  Well, he visited a swamp and liked it so much he never showered again. 

Kermit the Frog – Kermit came from humble beginnings as a “found object” puppet because he started from Jim Henson’s Mom’s old coat and a couple of ping pong balls, but has developed over time into the iconic Kermit we know today. 

Miss Piggy – fabulous in feathers, satin and diamonds, Miss Piggy was the ultimate diva with a mean “harrumph” karate chop.  Don’t mess with Miss Piggy.  I always liked that about her. 

The museum also had a picture of Miss Piggy from the Pigs in Space skit.  Who else remembers that?  I absolutely loved that skit because my family were also sci-fi fans. 

Global Collection:

Shadow Puppets from India – I think these were my favorite puppets in the museum.  The texture and details on each puppet is amazing.  With the light shining behind the puppets, you could see the tiny pinholes punched in each one that really brings out fine details and highlight specific areas on each puppet. 

“Puppets that Dance on Water” – during rice harvest celebrations in Vietnam, puppets started perform in ponds over a thousand years ago.  Hidden by a screen, the performers would stand waist-deep in the water and control the floating wooden puppets with submerged rods, cords and chains. The model the museum has would be a reflection of contemporary times where there are also indoor performances with specially built pools and pagodas. 

Horse Marionette – this wooden horse marionette from Burma shows just how large and heavy these puppets can be.  It’s a little hard to tell the scale from this image, but it’s probably 4’ tall to the top of the head and probably that long from tip to tail.  Imagine reaching your arms straight out and holding something this large and heavy for hours?   

Puppets from Around the World – we didn’t have time to talk about every puppet in the Global Collection, but I wanted to share a few of them to show the variety of this art form found around the world. 

Dark Crystal Exhibit:

Jen – one of the two main characters from the 1982 Dark Crystal movie.  Jen, a Gelfling, is tasked with healing the magical crystal by replacing the broken shards back into the original crystal that was split.  Of course, it’s not that easy as he’s constantly under attack from the Skeksis who rose to power after the crystal originally cracked. 

Skeksis – the “bad guys” that are trying to stop Jen and Kira from healing the crystal.  Tall and vulture-like in their appearance, the amount of details in their costumes are amazing.  At the end of the exhibit, the museum shows the mechanics underneath the heads of the Skeksis puppets.  I love cutaway-type exhibits where you can see how something works.  Seeing the finished puppet first, and then how it works underneath, added an entirely new level of appreciation for the skill in creating these puppets.  

Mystics – the “kind” wizards that help Jen and Kira and want the crystal united.  Look closely at the detailed swirls on the mystics face – sometimes it looks like wrinkles and sometimes it looks like tattoos.  Over and over I saw this level of detail on puppets – even if no one was ever going to get that close to see it because of the artistry and care each creator had for the puppets.   

Confession:  I am not a gamer.

I mean, I’ve played games in arcades.  I’ve played pinball machines in the local Four Thieves bar when I was growing up (don’t worry, it was small town Nebraska and the family-friendly bar was also the only place in town that served food).  We even had an Atari when I was a kid (Space Invaders Rock!), but that pretty much was the peak of my gaming experience.  I flirted with various handheld games over the years – and definitely spent too much time playing Tetris.  However, my recent gaming experiences have been with my nephew at the holidays where he basically challenges me to play video games just so he can see how badly he can beat me. 

I’m definitely a casual gamer, but even I was hooked on the excitement of the lights and sounds of The Pinball Hall of Fame Museum in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Sitting down with Tim Arnold, founder of the museum, allows us to peek behind-the-scenes and experience what it takes to keep this type of museum open.  

This museum is unique for a couple of reasons: 

• It features pinball machines from every decade starting in 1933 when pinball machines were a small, countertop game played with marbles to the modern pinball machines known today.
• You can actually play every single machine in the museum. Set up like an arcade, the 250+ machines on display have been fully restored and you can play every single one of them for either a quarter or fifty cents. 

Tim rescues pinball machines and always restores them with the “designer’s intent” in mind.  As Tim puts it, “We've got a strict set of rules here about designer’s intent and also the flavor of the game when we're rebuilding a game. I could make all the old games just as powerful as the new games and make it really thrilling and make the ball go fast, but we don't do that because that was not the designer's intent and it's not the original flavor of the game.”  That craftsmanship and attention to the spirit of the games really highlights the authenticity of every machine in the museum. 

Museum Highlights:

1933 Jigsaw Pinball Game – the “original” pinball game was a countertop game found in bars.   The main board would have metal pins and balls (hence the name “pinball”).  The goal is to shoot the balls into the pockets.  You add up your score and either win definitely adult prizes like a free beer, cigar or money. This game is how the entire pinball industry started.  Who would have thought that this simple game in 1933 would grow into the $80 million industry it is today? 

Bowling Game  – this game used to be in every bar in America.  According to Tim, instead of going home after work and watching your big screen TV, you would go to the bar and play your friends on a bowling machine.

Joker Ball  – the game that every video poker machine in the world is based on.  The original “random number generator” is the rubber balls, which bounce around and determine which cards you get.  They made 200 of these machines in 1959 – only two are still known to exist.  An incredibly rare machine that you can still play at the museum. 

5th Inning Baseball Game  – similar in design to a traditional bowling game, this game is housed in a solid oak cabinet and features baseball instead of bowling.  Listen to the episode to find out about “the one that got away” and how a collector’s ex-wife strong-armed Tim into buying this game.   

SEGA Basketball Game  – one of the very first games produced by the Japanese video game manufacturer was an arcade basketball game wth an actual court and a rubber ball.  Whoever punches their number in first makes the ball go in that direction. 

“Wedge-Head” Pinball Machine Design – a sub-genre of pinball machine design are “wedge-head” machines versus the standard, square head.  The head is shaped like a wedge – wider at the top and tapering down towards the bottom – so you can put them in a row and still have room to touch the sides without getting too close. 

2-Player Games versus Single-Player Games – 2-player games require the game to re-set every time the players change, so you have basically a one-ball game that you’re playing three or five times.  On single-player games, you have five balls to get through an amazing series of quests to get to the prize at the end.  Single-player games are more sought after by collectors than 2-player games. 

Back Glass Artistic Styles – the back glass art of a pinball machine are truly works of art by themselves, and can also provide valuable clues about the machine itself. 

First, you can pretty much date a game based on the clothing and hair styles of the artwork. 

• 1970s machines show people with long shaggy hair.
• During the 1960s, the women all had miniskirts.
• In the ‘50s, the men wore hats and the women’s dresses were below their knees.
• And any game from the 1980s pretty much has aliens on it as influenced by the Star Wars

Second, the images on the back glass are created by multiple layers of ink silkscreened on the glass – up to 12 different colors in many cases.  In addition, the ink had to be transparent enough for the light to shine through the design, so that usually means the ink isn’t that durable and can easily be damaged.  If you look closely, on some machines you can see the design starting to flake off.  

Third, the artwork can tell you the type of location where the machine would have been installed.  Games destined for bars and pool halls with adults as the audience would be more “suggestive” (i.e., scantily-clad women).  While games destined for the roller rink or family-friendly arcades would have happy clowns. 

Jumbo Flipper – as manufacturers tried to differentiate their games, there were experimental ideas about machine design.  One of them was the Jumbo Flipper, which was a game with 6 inch flippers that are much longer than the normal 3 inch flippers.  The longer flippers were only used on this one game because, as Tim states, “it’s a horrible game to play,” but it’s in the museum because it’s a part of pinball history and people want to see it.  

Modern Game Design – one section of the museum is dedicated to modern pinball machines.  You can definitely tell the difference between the modern games and the older games.  Modern games have more flashing lights, ramps and two or three levels of play.  Also, definitely more movie-themed games.   

Lady Robin Hood Game – manufactured by Gottlieb, this is the very first game that had flippers, which revolutionized how pinball was played.  It was 1948 and pinball factories had stopped making games during the war and were producing parts for the military.  After the war, Gottlieb made three or four of the same games they were making before the war, but they were not that exciting for the market. So then one day they decided to put some bats or flippers in the game and give the player some control. That was the start of flipper pinball.   

Check out the full show notes on the website for a picture of this machine.  Look closely at the flippers in the Robin Hood game.  In the very first game with flippers, there was a total of six bats/flippers -- three up each side -- to propel the ball back up to the top of the game.  It didn't occur to Gottlieb until two years later to turn them around and put the flippers at the bottom.

Goalee Game – manufactured by Chicago Coin, the company decided to go all out on this game.  With a solid oak cabinet, ornate hand controls, and a spectator mirror, this one game cost as much as a car when it was produced in 1945.   

Crane Game (1950s) – along with pinball machines, arcades would have other games.  The crane in this “bean digger” game is actually on off-the-shelf toy.  Your job is to pick up the beans, put them in the hopper, and try to get a higher score.  Listen to the episode and hear how Tim responds to toy collectors wanting to buy just the crane in this machine.   

Crane Game – along with pinball machines, arcades would have other games.  The crane in this “bean digger” game is actually on off-the-shelf toy.  Your job is to pick up the beans, put them in the hopper, and try to get a higher score.  Listen to the episode and hear how Tim responds to toy collectors wanting the buy just the crane in this machine.  

Helicopter Game (1968) – another game found in arcades, this Helicopter game is a perfect example of how Tim has to find workarounds in order to restore games to playable condition.  To find a motor that would work to propel the helicopter, Tim had to buy a slot car motor and re-engineer the back of the helicopter to make the motor fit.        

Star Trek Game – here was my “nostalgia lock-up” moment.  Huge Star Trek fan -- I totally remember this game where you could sit in the cockpit like you are Captain Kirk and play the game.  I even remember the game buttons on the side of the chair.  Yes, it’s true, I was so cool as a kid.     

Game History Cards – initially when you walk into the museum, it feels like you’re walking i

Confession:  I love product design.

As a product manager, my world revolves around products and how they’re designed.  When I tell people that my day job is a product manager, the usual response is, “What is that?”  I’m not even sure my family completely understands it.  So I usually just tell people “marketing” when asked.  A product manager’s job is to figure out what customers want and then work with the engineering team to develop new products and launch them into the market.  However, there is a huge gulf of understanding (or misunderstanding) between concept, launch, and whether a product is successful.

What is “good” design?  And how does design affect us in our daily lives?  And how can there be a museum about something as subjective as design?  What is the difference between design and art? 

On this episode I sit down with Laura Flusche, Executive Director, of the Museum of Design Atlanta -- which you’ll also hear referenced as MODA.  Located in Atlanta, Georgia, MODA is a museum dedicated to the world of design.  Laura defines design as, “a creative process that inspires change, transforms lives and makes the world a better place.”  I love the idea of exploring the abstract concept of what design is and then the reality of how we interpret and interact with design every day. 

Museum Highlights:

Normally, this is where I include images from the museum’s collection, but we’re changing the format this time.  Why the deviation?  Reflecting the fluidity of what design is, MODA is unique in that it doesn’t have a permanent collection, but rotates a different exhibit every 3-4 months.  So the exhibit they had on display when I visited – Craftivism – closed the week after I was there.  The next exhibit Design for Good:  Architecture for Everyone will be on display when this episode airs, but if you’re listening to this in the future, there will be an entirely different exhibit on display then.   In that spirit, below are some images of the museum and a few from the Craftivism exhibit to give you an idea of the space, but when you visit the Craftivism exhibit will be gone and new one in its place. 

Actually this constant change reflects the larger, overarching mission of the museum -- how design impacts the world and inspires change.  That story flows through the museum regardless of the specific exhibit on display.  In this podcast episode you’ll hear Laura share the stories about the impact of many different exhibits – past, present and future – and on how design affects people’s lives. 

The Museum of Design Atlanta gives us a behind-the-scenes look at design, how it affects every person every day, and explores both the functional and aesthetic sides of design.  Transforming the intangible, creative world of design into tangible processes and products is incredibly hard, but is so valuable.  Understanding the thought process behind design allows us to appreciate what is involved in developing a product, and why some products work and some don’t.  The next time you use a product and wonder, “what were they thinking?” – good or bad – well, you’ll have a better answer to that question after listening to this podcast episode and/or visiting MODA.  I am so thankful that I found this museum and was able to share their stories with you. 

If you’re a museum nerd like me, then add this museum to your “must-see” list and tell them, “I heard about you on the Made in Museums podcast.”

If you love to document your travels to off-the-beaten-path places, then show me where you're heading or where you've been by sharing your stories with me at Made in Museums on Facebook,  Twitter, and Instagram.  If you want to let me know about a curious museum that you’ve visited, and that I should cover on this show, contact me through social media or just send me an email.

Resources:

Museum of Design Atlanta website

Classes and Workshops – if you’re in the Atlanta area, MODA offers a variety of classes, workshops as well as a dedicated workspace with hands-on activities tied to the current exhibit.  Professional lectures are always scheduled throughout the year. 

In the episode, Laura referenced the next exhibit, Architecture for Good, and the companion book Design for Good:  A New Era of Architecture for Everyone by John Cary.  If you can’t make it to the museum, but still want to check out the book, here is a link to find out more information. 

Want to learn more about how design works?  Check out the excellent 99% Invisible podcast.

Confession:  I have never even tried embroidery.

I’ve done some crocheting when I was younger.  Took up knitting when I was older, but I have never gotten the hang of working with a needle and thread.  The closest was sewing lessons, but all I made was an apron and I was done.  The pinnacle of my needle and thread work is being able to sew a button on a shirt really, really good (I mean, like, that button is never coming off again). 

I have always loved artisan crafts and admire the skill involved in producing a functional work of art by a master.  A friend introduced me to the John C. Campbell Folk School and I love to flip through their catalog of classes each year, but always figured I just don’t have the skills necessary to master any of these.  Recently though, I’ve become intrigued by Temari balls.  I had no idea of their connection to the art of needlecraft until I visited the Embroidery Museum in Louisville, Kentucky when Gwen shared with me how Temari balls were her gateway into the art of embroidery and needlecraft. 

Sitting down the Gwen Nelson, past president of the Embroiderer’s Guild of America (EGA) and Cynthia Welch, EGA Administrator, opened my eyes to the beautiful world of embroidery and needlecraft.   The EGA operates the Embroidery Museum, which is both a museum and the headquarters of EGA.  The museum is small, and when you enter, you feel like you’re walking into a private art gallery.  And after you listen to this episode, I think you’ll agree that the amazing work and creativity by the embroiderer’s in this collection showcase how what started as a functional craft can be transformed into art. 

Museum Highlights:

Doll House – created by multiple members of EGA, this is the pentultimate doll house.  The “tiniest” details are embroidered into the furnishings – from the EGA logo in the chair cushion to the A-B-C sampler on the wall. 

Harold Gordon Band Sampler – featuring one of the “men of EGA” Harold Gordon’s love of embroidery started in 1944, wounded and lying in a hospital bed.  A Red Cross nurse brought in some embroidery for patients to do (maybe to keep them quiet?).  In his later years, while visiting his wife in the hospital everyday, Harold re-awakened his love of embroidery and created this sampler.  Note his 3-ring binder that were filled with this practice stitches.  Since samplers were considered practice pieces, who knew you had to practice before the practice?

Blackwork – a type of running, open stitch where the back should look the same as the front, blackwork is shown in this band sampler (although this is using blue thread).  There is also red work (red thread on white fabric) and white work (white thread on white fabric).  This is just the beginning of the wide variety of stitches and techniques used throughout the years in embroidery. 

Muriel Baker “Stumpwork” – stumpwork is a raised form of embroidery where stitched figures are raised from the surface resulting in a 3-D raised effect.  This piece shows that effect in both the figures of the man and woman in the design. 

Lucy Chase Canvas – dated to 1834, Lucy was 8-years-old when she completed this embroidery canvas.  Lucy’s granddaugheter donated this piece to the museum.  8 years old -- are you kidding me?  The details and shading in this piece is amazing.  What was I doing at 8 years old?  Probably riding my bike, reading, and just generally goofing off.  Certainly not creating works of art. 

Lucy Chase Canvas – dated to 1834, Lucy was 8-years-old when she completed this embroidery canvas.  Lucy’s granddaugheter donated this piece to the museum.  8 years old -- are you kidding me?  The details and shading in this piece is amazing.  What was I doing at 8 years old?  Probably riding my bike, reading, and just generally goofing off.  Certainly not creating works of art. 

Hunting Scene – this silk thread in this 1820 hunting scene from Austria brings a sheen to the piece and is an example of surface embroidery where the threads are stitched on top of the fabric or canvas instead of  through it.  The detail in this hunting scene is fantastic – you could almost feel the hair on the horse and the delicate wings of the butterfly. 

Crewelwork – created by Margaret Parshall, first president of EGA, in the 1940’s, this is an example of crewel work.  I really liked the look of this piece.  A beautiful smoky blue color, this piece is also referred to as the Jacobean style, which is a type of embroidery using wool which gives the piece a slightly fuzzy look. 

Crane on Blue Background – created by Dr. Young Chung, this is another example of surface embroidery.  The piece the museum has is about 6” x 6” and is incredible fine, detailed work.  What’s even more amazing?  Dr. Chung actually has the original wall-sized piece in her studio (yes, wall-sized).  Who has the patience to embroider a piece the size of a wall?

Mourning Sampler – this sampler is unique because it’s obviously a work-in-progress.  The designs are at odd angles, you can tell the designer is trying out stitches.  It’s a “mourning” sampler due to the harp.  Although the artist isn’t known for sure, it has been dated to the 1870’s. 

Adam & Eve Sampler – also done by an 8-year-old (seriously, these 8-year-olds are impressive) and dated to 1789, this sampler shows Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden.  Unique to this garden though is a picket fence.   I think that’s known as creative license. 

Village Belle – stunning in both the size (29” x 19”) and the emotion radiating from the female figure, this is an amazing example of the power of embroidery in the hands of a contemporary artist.  The subtle shading in the background is a form of “needle painting” is remarkable and truly brings out the flesh tones and the richness of the fabric in her dress.   

Ebikhil – this seems like an odd piece at first.  On the front side is a man framed random threads just tangled and interweaving a frame around the central figure.  Flip it over though and all those random threads suddenly forms people, mountains, trees, fish, a sunrise, and numerous other animals.  I cannot even begin to figure out how to the creator figured this out and made this work.  Mind blowing.

Audrey Francini Bench – another example of crewelwork, works by this artist are sold at auction for thousands of dollars.  Proof that this craft has arrived an a legitimate art form. 

Chinese portrait – when I first saw this piece, I actually thought it was a black and white photograph of a woman from the 1940’s.  I thought maybe it was the artist that created the piece next to it.  Nope.  It’s an actual piece of Chinese silk embroidery done in a style that was popular in China called Su embroidery that was celebrated, banned and then resurrected.  What makes this style so realistic?  The silk thread,is split and then split and then split again so it’s barely the width of a human hair.  Wow.  For more information on this form of embroidery, check out this article from the Art of Silk. 

Wall Tapestry of the U.S. – Made of multiple panels worked on by stitchers across the U.S.A., each person worked on the part of the U.S. they were from and then the pieces were put together over six years.  All different techniques are shown.  My favorite?  The gopher is pretty cute, and I’ve always been partial to beaded snakes.      

Tiger – a stunning example of thread painting, I could not get a good picture of this piece due to reflections on the glass.  However, it’s aptly named “thread painting” because it literally looks like a painting.  The tiger is fantastic and very life-like and stares right back at you.  As Cynthia noted, there are six different colors in the eyes alone. 

Florentine Sampler – if you’re a little intimidated, this piece should reassure you that not everything needs to be perfect.  Rand from EGA shares why he likes this piece, which hangs right by his desk at work – look at the top corner?  See the unfinished block?  A little reminder everyday that we’re not a

Confession:  I love manufacturing.

I work in the manufacturing industry, so when my travels combine both a factory and a museum – sign me up!  Have you ever watched the television show, “How Things Are Made”?  I am completely sucked in when I come across an episode – I’ve even recorded it (check my DVR if you don’t believe me.)  I’ve worked in product development at various manufacturing companies for years and I still love watching how an idea gets turned into a physical product.  Pair that with a museum that covers a niche topic like the history of Braille – something we probably all sort of learned in school, but really don’t know a lot about -- and then showcases incredible individuals that take what everyone thinks of as a life sentence and completely flips it around is a definite must-see on my travel to-do list.   So that’s how I found myself at the Museum for the American Printing House for the Blind  located in Louisville, Kentucky. 

On a beautiful Friday morning, I sat down with Michael Hudson, Director of the Museum for the American Printing House for the Blind.  The organization (also referred to as APH) is a unique combination of both a printing house and a museum with a distinctive focus – preserving and presenting the remarkable contributions of people who are blind, and the history of printing materials for the blind or visually impaired community. 

I’ll admit that my experience with history of Braille is sparse.  I knew Louis Braille developed it, and it was made up of different dot patterns, but really nothing beyond that.  As I talked to Michael, the whole fascinating story of “tactile” writing emerged.  The museum tour is like a 3-in-1 experience: 

First, there is the museum itself, which starts with the history of tactile languages, the development of Braille and the “war of the dots,” in the 19th century and leads up to contemporary examples of people and technology impacting the blind or visually impaired community today. 

Second, is the factory tour of the printing house itself – this is where you’ll see Braille books being printed, tactile graphics being made, and even the original mechanical machines (like the “old Pearl”) that are still used for specialized tasks today.

Third, is a little side trip into the educational materials the APH has created to improve the lives of blind or visually impaired children.  It’s amazing the creativity and dedication of this organization as they continue to develop new products to help kids in the classroom. 

Museum Tour Highlights:

The museum is broken up into two galleries:  the 1883 Gallery, which focuses on the history of the APH and its contributions over the years; and the Callahan Gallery, which focuses on the history and education of blind people.  If you can’t visit the museum in person, you check out a virtual tour on their website. 

Temple Entrance – as you enter the museum, there is a large covered with ancient tactile languages, I never thought about how ancient languages were designed to communicate both by touch and visually – carved into stone or tablets, these languages could be read by the eyes or by the fingers. 

Fire Doors – look closely behind the exhibits as you enter the 1883 Gallery and you’ll see huge fire doors – another nod to the original 1883 factory building.  The doors have a cable attached with a weight at the end and a little metal strip that melts at 200°F.  If there was a fire in the factory, the metal strip would melt and the large metal door slides across shutting off that part of the factory.  I love seeing the old bones of a building providing hidden touches of history.

Valentin Haüy – this is the man that really started it all by creating the first school for the blind and visually impaired in Paris, France.  Michael tells an incredible story of what some blind people had to do to earn a living, which stirred Haüy into deciding there had to be another option which provided opportunities and kept a person’s dignity.  

Francois Lesueur – Haüy’s first student.  One of his jobs was to pick up Haüy’s mail every day.  Haüy had a side job as a translator for the King of France and would occasionally receive embossed invitations from the King.  Lesueur could “read” the embossing on the invitations, which gave Haüy the idea to developed “raised letter” books for the blind.

War of the Dots - many systems were developed in the early 19th century; even different countries had different systems.  Most initially started with just raising the letters of the existing alphabet, but the curves in writing weren’t always clear.  So then different typefaces were developed to make it easier to read the raised letters with your fingers. 

Moon Type – an example of one of several different “arbitrary codes”  that were developed.  It was kind of based on the alphabet, but used different symbols for the letters. 

Louis Braille – born in 1809, Louis was the son of harness maker and become blind due to an accident with his father’s tools.  Amazingly, Louis happened to live in France and was sent to Haüy’s school for the blind in Paris.  How was the Braille system developed?  It’s a fascinating story of a French soldier, a code called night writing, and a young boy with the smarts to simplify and build a new system that revolutionized communication for the blind. 

Slate & Stylus – at this time, a blind person could read printed books but had no way to write notes themselves.   Another technological leap forward was the slate and stylus.  A rectangular tablet with a perforated bar that slid across the page allowed a person using a stylus – like a punch or an awl – to finally write Braille on-the-go.   Consider it kind of the first portable, personal tool for writing Braille. 

Hall Braille Writer & Perkins Braille Writer – the Hall Braille writer was a mechanical device invented by an American named Frank Hall 70 years after the slate and stylus was invented.  Hall was a superintendent for the Illinois School for the Blind and developed the Hall Braille writer in 1892 in conjunction with a local typewriter company in Chicago. 

The Perkins Braille Writer is really the penultimate modern Braille writer.  Solid, dependable, reliable -- the company still makes these today.  And you get to try one of these machines in the museum.  I wrote my name – totally cool!  (If you visit with kids, then check this exhibit out.)

The museum has over 40 different mechanical Braille writers in their collection, but the Hall and Perkins are the iconic representatives of this technology. 

30” Globe – how do you represent the world to someone who can’t see it?  Globes with raised mountains and recessed rivers can let a child explore the world with their fingertips.

Stevie Wonder’s Piano – a stage, baby grand piano, this was the piano Stevie Wonder used while attending the Michigan School for the Blind.  I had no idea that Stevie Wonder had his first hit song at the age of 12 and was touring the country, which posed a problem for the Detroit Board of Education.  Being blind posed an additional challenge.  So how could Stevie keep touring and keep up with his studies?  Listen to the episode to find the ingenious solution that really allowed Stevie Wonder to develop into the superstar of today.

1959 World Book Encyclopedia – the picture won’t do this justice, but this is a staggering display of the largest Braille project ever done.  Braille takes up more space than the same standard printed book – and this exhibit shows that.  It also shows the dedication of the APH staff to make sure that information was available to everyone.  Now, of course, all that information can be found on the cell phones in our pocket.  It’s amazing the technology that has developed over the last several decades.  Where will we go in the future? 

Factory Tour Highlights:

Tactile Graphics – I never thought about how blind would be able to “see” a graphic image?  Well, they’ve figured it out at APH – layers and layers and layers of a specialized ink printed on top of each other causes the ink

And as a beautiful mashup of my love of flying and my love of museums, naturally I love going to aviation museums.  The designs and shapes of the planes; the ingenuity and technology needed to get a person aloft; and the personality of each plane is unique.  Why are there so many brands of planes?  How has plane design changed over the years?  And what makes one plane different from another?  With all those questions and more, I found myself on a sunny afternoon at the Beechcraft Heritage Museum in Tullahoma, Tennessee. 

I’ve been to other general aviation museums around the country, but the Beechcraft Heritage Museum is unique because it is solely focused on one brand of aircraft – Beechcraft.  Started in 1932, the Beechcraft company has been building planes in Wichita, Kansas, and still produces airplanes there today.  So my first question was, why is there a museum dedicated to this specific brand of aircraft at all?  And, secondly, why is the museum located in Tullahoma, Tennessee? 

This was just the start of my questions when I sat down with Charles Parish – Executive Vice-President and son of the museum founder – along with Jody Curtis (Direct of Marketing & Membership) and Sherry Roepke (Resident Director).  Some of the stories Charles shared include why the Beechcraft airplane design is unique, how the first plane was designed, and the evolution of the plane’s design since the 1932.  Charles talks about his father acquiring Big Red -- the Beechcraft plane that really started the museum – and shares the backstories of the planes and people that helped kickstart the museum into being and continue to propel it into the future. 

Drawn on a napkin by Walter Beech and his chief engineer, Ted Wells, they created the “staggerwing” design iconic to the original Beechcraft airplane.  In most biplane design the upper wings are forward of the lower wings.  The staggerwing design flipped that and put the upper wing behind the lower wing.  This design improved performance, visibility and the stall characteristics of the airplane. 

Positioned as the “Cadillac” of aircraft, Beech and Wells also designed the first Beechcraft staggerwing as a “cabin” class airplane.  Before that planes had an open cockpit – the passenger sat in the front and the pilot sat in the rear in the open air.  Cabin class meant the pilot and passengers were inside the aircraft and the pilot moved from the rear to the front of the plane. 

Also amazing is the number of “firsts” in this museum.  They have Serial #1 Travel Air (predecessor company Walter Beech was involved in prior to starting the Beechcraft company), Serial #1 Staggerwing, and Serial #1 Mystery Ship.  

In addition, to the Beechcraft staggerwing airplanes, you’ll also see Bonanza and Baron branded planes.  Still part of the Beechcraft family, the Bonanza and Baron lines were introduced to target new markets, take advantage of new technologies, and are still manufactured today.  The original staggerwing was a biplane with two sets of wings with a fabric-wood-fabric construction.  The Bonanza is an all metal, single-engine Beechcraft with one set of wings that was first produced in 1947, and the museum has the #9 and #18 planes ever produced.  The Baron is a twin engine Beechcraft.    

If you’re driving to Tullahoma and wondering if you’re in the right town, then just look at the utility poles lining the streets – small, painted fighter jet style airplanes are attached to many of the light poles.  Still need more convincing this is a plane-crazy town?  Then check out some of the plane sculptures that by the sidewalks in front of local businesses.  (Living in Tennessee I naturally had to include a picture of the Tennessee Vols plane.)

If you’re a museum nerd like me, then you have got to add this museum to your “must-see” list and tell them, “I heard about you on the Made in Museums podcast.”

For full show notes with pictures, visit my website Made in Museums.  If you love to document your travels to off-the-beaten-path places, then show me where you're heading or where you've been by sharing your stories with me at Made in Museums on Facebook,  Twitter, and Instagram.  If you want to let me know about a curious museum that you’ve visited, and that I should cover on this show, contact me through social media or just send me an email.

Ben E. Clement Museum – Marion, Kentucky

Welcome to Made in Museums!  I’m your guide, Sandy DeWald, and on every episode we’ll explore a museum that will challenge, tease, and intrigue us.  If you’ve ever wondered, “Now, why would there be museum about that?” then this is the podcast for you. 

If you enjoy learning the backstory behind some very curious collections, then keep listening and find out the answer to this episode's question, “Now, why would there be a museum about the mineral fluorite?”

I was so excited to visit the Ben E. Clement Mineral Museum.  This museum is remarkable for its singular focus – it’s all about the mineral fluorite (also known as fluorspar).  How interesting can a museum be that’s focused around just a single mineral?  Very interesting, as it turns out. 

Driving to Marion, Kentucky, I sat down with Ed Clement -- son of the founder of the museum.  Fluorite is probably one of the most commercially important minerals that you’ve never heard of.  Ed and I discuss the history of fluorite and the stories behind mining this mineral in Western Kentucky.  Ed is a natural storyteller and the stories he shares about his family, how the museum got started (in the backyard of his father’s house), and the backstory behind some of the objects in the collection are fascinating and really highlight his family’s personal connection to this museum. 

Originally this area of Western Kentucky focused on mining the mineral galena for the lead and silver content.  Fluorspar was originally a waste product of the mining process.  Then in 1873 it was discovered that fluorspar lowered the melting temperature of iron to remove impurities (flux) during smelting.  After that discovery, additional uses for fluorite in steel, aluminum, chemicals, glass, and nuclear processes lead to a mining boom in this area of Western Kentucky from 1900 – 1950 due to the unique geological forces that created a fluorspar pocket. 

Ben E. Clement leased mines in this area and recognized the beauty in the unique, cubic structure and variety of colors found in fluorspar when it was still thought of as a by-product to be thrown away during the mining process.  His expertise and connections allowed him to collect truly unique and stunning examples of this mineral.  Some weigh hundreds of pounds while others fit into the palm of your hand, some may be damaged or broken on the outside but reveal inner beauty.   Each object in the collection is a rare specimen in the mineral world, but also carries a unique acquisition or personal family backstory.  

Check out the show notes at www.madeinmuseums.com for additional details of some of the specimens in the collection along with pictures I took during my visit. 

Some of the key specimen in this impressive collection include:

George Wild Carved Collection – one of two carved collections at the museum, this group includes animal and facet carvings in fluorspar by a world-renowned, family of carvers, led by George Wild from Idar-Obserstein, Germany. Fluorite is so soft that it can be carved, but too soft to be worn as jewelry.  Listen to Ed tell the story of what happened when his Mom was holding one of these carved pieces. 

Octahedron Collection – unique to its natural cubic shape, if you chip off all the corners of the cube you get an octahedron.  Of course, you’ve got to perfectly chip off the corners at the right angles to get a perfect octahedron.  This collection is also a good example of the variety of colors found in fluorite.  Natural fluorite is clear, but various impurities create the nine different colors found. 

“Bird In Flight” – gorgeous, black fluorite specimen unique for two reasons:  its shape looks like a black bird in flight, and the fact that it’s known as a “floater”.  If you visit, look underneath the “bird” – you’ll see the same cubic shapes all over the bottom as you find on the top.  That means the fluorite cubes formed on a softer surface, which then wore away without damaging the cubic shapes.  Very rare and very unusual to find such a specimen whole and undamaged – and just wait until you hear the story of how it was found. 

First Specimen Collected – a delicate shade of mauve in color, this is the first specimen Ben Clement collected and kept at his house before there was a museum.

“Knife-Edge Fluorite” – natural, high-polished finish, this specimen is slick, beautiful and dangerous.  Razor sharp edges finished to an extreme perfection.  As Ed puts it, “we’ve never seen its equal in edge sharpness in a specimen this size.” 

Crystal Cathedral – a quartz crystal spire sitting on a “rooftop” of purple fluorite cubes – Ed’s Mom’s favorite specimen.

“Slab” Specimen Room – stepping into this darkened room filled with “slab” or cross-sections of fluorite lit from below highlights the beautiful internal patterns showing how the cube structure forms.  Similar to tree rings, you can actually see the cube rings in the cross-sections showing how the crystal grew. 

Squire Riley Carving Collection – Squire Riley was a night watchman that was a master woodcarver.  Picking up files and rasps instead of chisels, he turned to carving fluorite due to its softness (sitting at 4 on the Mohs Hardness Scale).

Glow-in-the-Dark Rocks – all I can say is “Wow!”.  Totally unique and rare collection.  With the room lights on, it just looks like a normal wall of ignoble rocks.  But turn off the fluorescent lights and magic happens – a wall full of glow-in-the-dark rocks! 

After talking about some of the specimens in this collection, we moved on to the photography collection.  Photography is one of my hobbies, so it was a real treat to see photographs depicting the mining industry in the early 1900’s.  Listening to Ed tell the story of Hudson Mine collapse really brought home the dedication of the miners and the dangers they faced every day they went underground. 

Get out there and visit!

It may look unremarkable from the outside, but the Ben E. Clement Mineral Museum is a truly spectacular museum.  No fancy signage, no fancy building, old-fashioned typed labels – this is exactly the type of museum I want to showcase on my podcast.  Highlighting these hidden treasures built from a focused passion with more stories housed in one building than you could cover in a single visit.  If you’re a museum nerd like me, then you have got to add this museum to your “must-see” list and tell them, “I heard about you on the Made in Museums podcast.”

Welcome to the first episode of my podcast Made in Museums!  I’m your guide, Sandy DeWald.  On this podcast we’ll explore the world of independent museums that were started because of someone’s passion for a very, very specific subject. 

Have you ever seen one of those brown – or sometimes blue -- tourism signs along the highway or on some city street and thought, “Now, why would there be museum about that?” then this is the podcast for you.  I mean, who hasn’t wondered -- why is there a National Bird Dog Museum, or an International Towing Museum, or a barbed wire museum? 

I love traveling to off-the-beaten path, odd, or quirky places.  If it’s some place only the locals know about, then that’s where I want to go.  And if I can learn something knew or it makes me think by opening up an entirely new world you never knew existed – bonus!   I am wholeheartedly in! 

Who is this podcast for?  Well, let me ask you this:

• Are you the type of person that reads every label in a museum?
• Do you casually drop such scintillating conversational tidbits at a friend’s party like, “You know, there are more than 530 registered patents for barbed wire resulting in over 2500 different types of barbed wire?” (yep – totally true)
• How about this one?  When you go on vacation, do you research all of the local museums ahead of time, and then plan an intricate route to see how many you can visit?
• OR…have you ever negotiated with your family that, yes, you’ll agree to visit the 27,000 touristy things they want to do if they’ll, please, please, please, let you go to the museum featuring jewelry made from human hair or a psychiatric museum or a museum with glow-in-the-dark rocks>?

Does any of this sound like you?  Then embrace your inner museum nerd and join me on this really interesting, curious, and sometimes crazy, journey!  

Each episode will highlight one specific museum, and we’ll talk with someone connected to that museum.  It could be the founder, a curator, a tour guide – really just about anyone – and we’ll discuss how the museum got started and why.  We’ll uncover the stories connecting that person to the museum, the backstories of different objects found in the museum, and then how the museum connects with their community. 

Over the years I’ve visited many small, independent museums. Museums make us think -- exposing us to new ideas that transform how we view ourselves and our relationships to the objects around us.  Museums make us who we are. 

Sometimes they may be creepy (seriously, side confession, doll museums have always kind of freaked me out).  Some focus on mundane household items like quilts, teapots, or cookie cutters.  Others feature traditionally beautiful objects such as minerals, airplanes, and silk tapestries, while others might just be more than a little macabre like lunatic asylums, medical museums, or former prisons. 

There are over 35,000 museums in the United States.  My goal is to highlight the smaller museums that you may have never heard of, but have truly fascinating collections and fantastic stories.  I want to share the stories behind the labels, highlight the “must-see” items, and then give you the information to plan your own trip to these incredibly interesting places. 

Museums aren’t stodgy relics that focus on the past, but are vibrant, odd, challenging places that spark curiosity.  So let’s give a voice to museums, let’s get out there and visit these places, and together let’s answer the question, “Now, why is there a museum about that?”