Collections Blog

I-0069b Camera American Rochester, NY 1907-1925 Materials: Metal, Glass, Wood This object is a Seneca Competitor View Camera made by the Seneca Camera Manufacturing Company. The Competitor View was a part of the view camera series that the company created. [...]

I-0331a Icebox American 1850s-1930s Materials: Wood/Metal This object is a wood and metal icebox that was popular in homes before electricity was widely available.  It is currently being exhibited in the sharecropper’s cabin in the museum.  Iceboxes were developed and [...]

I-0267l Eyeglasses American Atlanta, Georgia ca. 1870 Materials: Glass & Metal Humans have five senses: hearing, sight, touch, taste, and smell. Although all are important for the human experience, many argue that sight is the most important. This object is a pair [...]

I-0626b Telephone Bell Telephone System United States 1959 Materials: Metal/Plastic/Wire The way people communicate with each other, as well as the devices used to communicate have changed over the years.  This object is a telephone created by the Bell Telephone System in [...]

I-0392a Radio RCA; Atwater Kent American USA 1920’s Materials: Wood, metal, glass This object is an RCA radio with an Atwater Kent speaker that attaches to the radio. There are a couple of different people credited as pioneers of the [...]

2012.6.7 Hearing Aid American Date: 19th Century Material: Metal and Enamel Hearing aid technologies have a long history, going nearly as far as deaf culture and community itself. Hearing technologies over time have empowered the deaf culture in the fight [...]

I-0475a Drinking Bottle Unknown Origin 1740s-1840s Materials: Glass This item is a drinking bottle that most likely held wine. This particular bottle is thought to date between the 1740s to the 1840s. By looking at the bottle’s lip and base [...]

I-0433c Stereographic slide collection American Meadville, Pennsylvania ca. 1920 Material: paper, cardboard This object is a collection of stereograph slides showing images of World War I. A stereograph is a photograph, produced by a camera with two lenses. The camera [...]

I-0069a Typewriter American Date: 1907-1914 Materials: Metal The Oliver Typewriter Company was active from 1895-1928, but licensed its designs to other international firms. It was one of the first “visible print” typewriters, in other words as the typist hit the [...]

I-0291b Iron American Date: Late 19th/Early 20th century Materials: iron, wood This is a small metal iron, referred to as a sadiron. It was donated by Sister Alexandrine, whose family immigrated to Texas from Silesia in the late 19th century. [...]