exhibit design

Today I am offering my own hypothetical design plan of the First Person Museum exhibit. It will be based on materials produced by First Person Arts. For a base I have used Alice Parman’s “Exhibit Makeovers: Do-it-yourself Exhibit Planning”, from the AASLH.

Step 1a. Mission

Every object has many stories hiding just below the surface. (Note: History is just another story in this mission)

1b take home ideas

Objects mean different things to different people

Wow! I didn’t know you could learn that from an object.

First Person Arts cares about everyday stories.

1c storyline

The First Person Museum tells the story of the hidden meaning of objects. A seemingly ordinary everyday object can tell powerful stories; about the owner and about history.

Step 2 Organize into thought process.

The objects will be exhibited by category as much as possible. They are organized into three areas. These are clothing, accessories (both jewelry and toys), and kitchen/office. For the clothing, a handmade item is juxtaposed with a machine made one, subconsciously saying that equally important stories can come from machine or hand (the comparison will not be discussed in the exhibit). The theme throughout will be about hiding (objects and stories).

Step 3. Inventory the most important facts

The most important fact is that there is no single “true” story. Equal billing will be given to both the history, and the personal story of an object.

Step 4 Engage and Motivate

Whenever possible interactive questions will be used before the story or history is seen. On the top panel, enough information will be given to speculate the answer to the question. A flip-up panel would then be used, giving the answer at the top, followed by the story.

My other idea is a series of interactive areas. As much as I would like to have the audience interact with the objects on display, I realize that most are not “bullet-proof” and would not hold up. Instead the interactive areas will contain replicas of the items on display, similar items to encourage play, as well as photos and videos of the object.

A third element is a “make your own story”. A visitor could chose to have their own “take home” version of the exhibit. A photo will be taken, the personal story entered on a computer, and during certain hour an expert will be there to provide a research component.

Step 5 “Look and Feel”

This museum will have a playful feel of discovery to it. Each item will be in a place you might conceivably find it outside a museum (a few are a stretch). Many objects are hidden away, and the visitor must “discover” the object before discovering the story.

Step 6

Blueprint is embedded below. Made with floorplanner.

Note: I must give credit where credit is due (although I didn’t realize I was borrowing them until the end). Parts of this exhibit idea are borrowed from elements of “It Sprang From the River: Everyday Items with Maritime Secrets” at the Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia.

Cultural context

Stuffed animal play a large part in American society, and have for at least 100 years. Although they came to the field later than dolls, they play a similar role in childrens’ play and the collectibles market. A stuffed animal can be a friend, a learning tool, a squishy pillow, or just an interesting ornament. A stuffed animal is whatever you make it.

Stuffed animals are everywhere and in every size. The can be tiny (like a beanie baby) or they can huge (like the whole menagerie of larger-than-life animals at the entrance to FAO Schwarz). They range from imaginary animals, like Barney and his friends, to the ever popular teddy bear, and of course a rhinoceros. Almost any animal can become a stuffed animal.

Perhaps the most interesting story with stuffed animals is that of the Teddy Bear. This early phenomenon is one of the few times that a stuffed animal entered the political arena. The teddy bear is named after President Theodore Roosevelt, a popular and charismatic politician from around 1900 with a reputation for being an outdoorsman. While

on a hunting trip, he refused to shoot the bear cub that had been provided for him. This led cartoonist Clifford Berryman to create a cartoon about TR refusing to shoot a baby bear. Capitalizing on the interest in the cartoon, the Michtom family began producing the first “Teddy’s Bears” for sale based on the cute cartoon bear. Across the ocean, and unaware of the craze, the Steiff company was also making its first baby bears, and the style wasn’t selling in Europe. Once they heard of the craze, Steiff began naming its bears accordingly. (For more visit this website about the history of teddy bears.)

Today teddy bears are still the most popular stuffed animal. You can even stuff your own at the Build-a-Bear workshop that is in many shopping malls. Even when stuffed animals were expensive, children still played with them, the example I gave last week of A A. Milne is proof enough. The stories for the Winnie-the-Pooh were based on experiences that Christopher Robin Milne had with this handcrafted bears.

I have already touched on the need for imagination in stuffed animal play, and how TV can encourage this. But not only have stuffed animals spawned TV shows and movies, but these programs have also spawned their own lines of stuffed animals. Every Disney movie and TV show has its own collection of stuffed animal.

Stuffed animals remain popular today, as both a toy and a collectible, some series are collected like posters and classic toys, to be displayed, not played with. A good example of this phenomenon was the Beanie Baby craze in the 1990’s. People would rush the stores looking for the latest Beanie Baby and would often just put it on a shelf. Others collect a bunch of different stuffed animals, almost to excess.

Stuffed Animals have a varied life in popular culture, ranging from political props, to toys, to items on a shelf. One thing is clear, they are an integral part of life for people of all ages.

This week I am changing gears slightly. Last week I discussed the history of both stuffed animals and promotional items, but due to length constraints, I will only be focusing on stuffed animals from here. The reason I have chose this path is that if one hundred years from now an archeologist found Shanise’s stuffed rhino, they would have no idea that it was a promotional item, all the distinguishing markings of that life are gone. However, they would probably be able to determine that it is a stuffed animal.

The journey of the rhino

Today I am describing the history behind Shanise’s stuffed rhinoceros. Her rhino is around fifteen years old, and lacks any sort of descriptive markings, the name of the manufacturer on the label is also difficult to read. However, thanks to Sara Karpinski and E-Bay I now know the origin of this stuffed animal. It was produced by a company named “It’s All Greek to Me” (IAGTM) as a promotional item for Rhinocort, a brand name for Budinosol, produced by Astra AB (now AstraZeneca Co). Astra AB distributed these rhinos probably at no cost to doctors and hospitals, who in turn gave them to patients and their families, also probably at no cost. Shanise’s (and Sara’s) story confirms that the object was received from a hospital while recovering from a major illness. So although Shanise is the only end-user of the product, the chain of distribution described above has its own use.

This sort of object has two uses, one by the company who ordered them, and another by the end user. Astra AB used that model of stuffed rhino to plug their product to the doctor, who would hopefully remember their brand of Budinsol when he/she needed to prescribe it. Promotional items have been a part of the landscape since around 1789—when commemorative buttons were distributed celebrating George Washington’s election as President of the United States. Today they are a common practice by many corporations—especially the pharmaceutical industry. (See more here, members of the Temple University network can also see more here.)

Shanise, as the end owner of the object, has a different use for it. It was given to her as an item of emotional comfort in a time of need, something that is a common use for stuffed animals. When I picked up the rhino at First Person Arts, I could feel how such a cuddly toy could be a comfort in a time of need (knowing it was a cheap promotional toy, I expected it not to be that soft and comfy). Children will usually give some sort of imaginarily life force to these animals so that they are comforted while in the hospital, and then often serve as a reminder of how well the child recovered.

Stuffed animals are often used for comfort objects, but most of the time they are given at a time when the child does not need comfort, just something to play with. Since their manufactured inception around 1880 (Steiff corporation claims to have made the first ones then) they have been used as imaginative playthings. The proof of this exists in most children’s past, but also in popular culture. Watch Barney, or read Winnie the Pooh and you can see how advanced stuffed animal play can be.

Although IAGTM no longer makes a stuffed rhino (there is no rhino listing on their website that I could find), they still make many stuffed animals as promotional objects, indicating that the practice of using stuffed animals to promote products remains today. Next week will be more on how stuffed animals have been used in popular culture.

I finally saw Shanise’s stuffed rhino in person, and it looks basically the same as the picture, The only thing I need to change from last week is the age of the object. It is actually closer to thirteen years old. I can also add that it was definitely made in China, but the tag was too worn to make out the material.

permission granted

I received permission to post a photo of Shanise's stuffed rhino. This picture was taken by Shanise herself, and looks like it is from the headboard of her bed (as the decorations and curve suggest), or some other small shelf.

Object Description

The object I have been given to work with is a gray stuffed rhinoceros belonging to a female named Shanise. I have not yet seen this object in person, so my information to a side-view photograph, at this moment I do not even know the brand or manufacturing information. This object history has been informed to some degree by the work of Jules David Prown, specifically his essay “Mind in Matter: An introduction to Material Culture Theory and Method (a piece in Material Life America, 1600-1860, ed. Robert Blair St. George, Boston, Northeastern University Press, 1988)

The size of the object appears to be fairly small; although the photograph is a close-up, I am basing this fact on that the rhino is on a shelf. The rhino is only wearing a gray hat or headband of some kind, and also a net to catch butterflies. There are seams halfway along each of the arms, legs, and chest, and also around the horns. A story from the owner also indicates that at one point the rhino had other clothing, and butterflies in the net. This picture will be posted as soon as I receive permission to do so from First Person Arts.

At this point I can only speculate on the manufacturing process, but since the animal is likely machine-sewn. Two layers of fabric are placed on a table or other cutting surface, and a pattern is used to cut the shape of the rhino. A machine then sews the two sides of the fabric together with the inside out. A hole is left to facilitate stuffing the animal and turning the fabric to the proper side. Cotton, polyester, down, or some other similar “fluffy” substance is used to stuff the animal. This is done with the use of a special machine that makes the stuffing extra fluffy by blowing air into it and rotating it around. After the proper amount of stuffing is worked into the animal, the hole is closed, and various accessories attached. In the case of Shanise’s rhino, an eye or eyes are attached (often by some sort of glue), the horns are attached (they are of a darker gray), and the butterfly catcher is affixed to an upper leg. (For more information on stuffed animals, albeit homemade ones, see http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/how-to-make-a-dog-stuffed-toy-8270.html).

Stuffed animals are an item that can either be art or diversionary under Prown’s categories. Like humanoid dolls, they can serve an ornamental purpose—especially the more expensive ones. However stuffed animals usually invoke an emotional response like diversionary objects, usually during play if the child (or adult) imbibes them with some sort of imaginary life force (like these YouTube videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BoPJczEaRg&feature=related and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LNtwjspUSM). Most value in such an animal is attached, cotton stuffing and fabric are usually cheap (http://www.fashionfabricsclub.com/catalog_items.aspx?TypId=514), and stuffed animals serve no intrinsic need to human survival.

Most of this is based on what I know for certain to be fact, although some is speculation, this object description will be updated if and when I have the ability to see the object.

new semester new direction

Hello all who read this blog

Beginning now this blog will again serve a class purpose. I am participating in a new public history course at Temple University, Studies in American Material Culture. We are working with First Person Arts on their First Person Museum project, you can read more here. Please join me as I explore the history of Shanise's stuffed rhino, a picture will be forthcoming (I am awaiting permission from FP Arts to post it).

Also one little housekeeping note. I do not want to have to moderate the comments on this blog, I have added a word verification step to try and prevent spam. I will also remove insults and other non-constructive criticism, but welcome constructive critique that will help further my knowledge of material culture.