During the Spring 2000 quarter four graduate students in an advanced museum studies class conceptualized and created an exhibit for the Patterson Homestead in Dayton, Ohio. The students, John Armstrong, Arlene Booher, Christine Crandall, and Judith Wiener, all in Wright State University’s Public History program, spent the entire quarter developing an exhibit within the context of a local prominent family. This was the home of Colonel Robert and Julia Patterson who built the house in 1816 and raised eleven children there. Their most notable children were John and Frank Patterson who founded the National Cash Register Company (NCR) in 1884, thus adding to the prosperity of the industry of Dayton and the Patterson family.
Within the context of the house, our instructor Brian Hackett guided us through the construction of an exhibit that explored pivotal moments in peoples’ lives, such as marriage, birth, coming of age, and death. The students applied for various positions with the instructor making the final selection. Armstrong directed of the exhibit and construction, Booher designed and directed education, Crandall curated and researched, and Wiener wrote the text and handled public relations.
The exhibit needed primary documents from the Patterson family detailing how life was lived there at the house and secondary information on the commonalities experienced in life by nineteenth century inhabitants. Though some of the artifacts used were from the Patterson family, artifacts were also obtained from various historical societies, personal donors, and a local funeral home. The Patterson family records at the Wright State University Special Collections and Archives, provided insights on the attitudes and activities of the family. After perusing the letters and available information it was decided that the exhibit would focus on 1840 to 1868. Each of the students researched a topic; Armstrong investigated childbirth and the civil war, Booher was given courtship and marriage, Crandall researched childhood and coming of age, and Wiener looked into the many traditions and customs related to death.
With all of the research complete the task of writing the actual script or text for the exhibit began. Each student wrote their own sections with repeated editing done by each other and the teacher. The students worked on the floor plan and flow of the exhibit. This was perhaps the most challenging of all tasks since it had to be built into the house without disturbing or damaging the historical context. Five rooms of the house were transformed to display each of the themes. An office arranged with mannequins to display the clothing worn by brides and grooms represented courtship and marriage. The childbirth room housed many medical supplies used by doctors to display the melding of the scientific era with the personal realm of childbirth. The childhood room showcased children’s clothing and miniatures. A gallery housed many Civil War artifacts and information since four of the Patterson sons served in the war. The parlor was transformed into the scene of a wake with a nineteenth century coffin and death photographs among the artifacts.
As the opening day neared the students engaged in many practical aspects of building an exhibit, from dry mounting text, painting and setting up doors to display text, and finding and arranging the artifacts, among many other tasks. With the help of staff from the Patterson Homestead Museum and the Montgomery County Historical Society the integrity of the house was preserved and a coherent and visually pleasing exhibit was the result.
