Meet Theodore Bear – Cataloguing
Hi! My name is Teddy.
I bet you don’t know how museums keep track of all the terrific things people donate. I know I didn’t when I first came to Minnetrista in 1988. Since then I’ve learned a lot. In fact, I’ve learned so much that the Collections staff asked me to introduce you to something they do every day – cataloguing.
Horseless Vehicles Part Two
As horseless vehicles became popular in the early 1900’s many carriage manufacturers simply switched from horse-drawn conveyances to engine power, keeping the same chassis and body designs. Often small shops used these components to design their own versions of the horseless carriage.
Horseless Vehicles Part One
Electric cars are not a new concept. Manufacturers were producing electric-powered cars in the late 1800’s as an alternative to gasoline powered engines. Like other early cars, many small companies built their own versions. Each claimed that the batteries they used were the most efficient and would last 60, 80, or 100 miles before recharging.
Happy 25th Anniversary Oakhurst!
“Oakhurst itself is the exhibit. Oakhurst itself is the work of art,” said Frank Bracken at the Ball family opening of Oakhurst. “It is the literature, it is the musical composition. Oakhurst is what we come to experience, what we come to see and what we come to learn from. It is an interactive place. It’s a place in which we can … interact with nature. And that’s really what Oakhurst is all about.”
Garden Imagery
Visiting or looking at photographs of other people’s gardens not only gives us insight into their thoughts, ideas, and lifestyles but it can also be a source of inspiration for how we organize our own spaces. Gardens can be a sign of wealth, a means of putting food on the table, or just beautiful spaces in which to relax. These elements are all reflected in the garden photos that are part of the Minnetrista Heritage Collection.
Two Pilots Discuss Ball Jars
While looking for a particular photograph of Edmund F. Ball recently, I came across one of him with Chuck Yeager. Yes, that Chuck Yeager, the man who, among many other accomplishments, was the first person to fly faster than sound. It’s a great photo of two men who shared a love of airplanes and, apparently, Ball jars (more about that later).
Snatched!
Do you collect anything? Personally, I’m always on the hunt for pristine vinyl records while my spouse keeps an eye out for unusual knickknacks with an historic flair. The hunt for these objects is a lot of fun and once our treasurers are brought home we are able to enjoy them whenever we want.
Mourning Jewelry
In the United States, the Civil War (1861-1865) and economic hardship was taking its toll. Death in the war, high infant mortality, and the hardships of the time all contributed to a communal sense of loss. It was more common to experience death in one’s family than not. During these difficult times, mourning jewelry served as tokens of remembrance and affection.
Fire at the Frank C. Ball Home
“A most heartbreaking thing happened this evening,” wrote Rosemary Ball Bracken in her diary entry of Tuesday, February 28, 1967. That event was the fire that destroyed Rosemary’s childhood home.
Minnetrista Sculpture - Waterbaby Fountain
I can hardly believe that it’s September. Before the leaves begin to fall in earnest and autumn is officially here, drop over to the Children’s Garden near Oakhurst and make the acquaintance of the bronze baby in the fish pond.
Historic Photographs Part III - The Rise of the Snapshot
We all have that special photograph album that we treasure. Perhaps it includes images of birthdays, vacations, and snapshots of special events. Have you ever thought about how the snapshot came to be? Our digital cameras and prints are easy, but photography wasn’t always such a breeze.
Minnetrista Sculpture - The Wishing Well
Have you ever walked through the gardens at Oakhurst and wondered about the rabbit fountain? Did you get married in the gazebo? At different points across Minnetrista's campus, you see beautiful sculpture and architectural details. Most of the pieces have a direct relation to the Ball family.
Historic Photographs Part II: Cartes de Visite
Like modern trading cards, cartes de visite became the craze in the 1860s. Immediate descendants of the calling card, they are small mounted prints, usually 2 Ѕ” x 4” in size. Cartes were inexpensive, easy to produce, and available to most people. Museums may acquire images for their cultural, rather than photographic, qualities. As cultural objects their value lies in the fact that they reveal history in a way that no other object can. In addition to the scholarly value of the carte de visite, cartes also have exhibition value.
Historic Photographs Part 1: Ambrotypes
Several different types of photographs are represented in the Minnetrista Heritage Collection, including daguerreotype, ambrotypes, cartes de visite, snapshots and much more. This is the first of several articles describing different types of photos.
Uses for a Ball Jar...continued.
If you’ve been reading the blog, you’ve learned about a thermos with a Ball jar insert and a jar used to bury a pet canary. Here are two more uses for a Ball jar:
Do you remember the Minnetrista Golf Course?
Between 1923 and sometime in the 1950s, Minnetrista Golf Course existed on the current site of the Muncie Central High School athletic fields. Established as a gift from Frank C. Ball and Edmund B. Ball to the Muncie Y.M.C.A., the Minnetrista Golf Course was a public nine-hole course that was one of Muncie’s unique recreational facilities. According to Frank C. Ball, he “shot the first ball” at the dedication of the course.
Meet Theodore Bear, Collections expert
I bet you don’t know how museums keep track of all the terrific things people donate. I know I didn’t when I first came to Minnetrista in 1988 as part of the Heritage Collection. Since then I’ve learned a lot. In fact, I’ve learned so much that the collections staff asked me to introduce you to something they do every day – cataloging.