Explore the History of the World’s Fairs at the Farm House Museum on the Iowa State University Campus | |
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FOR IMMEDATE RELEASE
AMES, IOWA – August 20, 2024 – Between 1851 and 1910, thirteen major world’s fairs and expositions brought technology, world cultures, and entertainment together for communities that otherwise would not encounter such things. Today, the exhibition World’s Fairs, Expositions, & Centennial Celebrations of the Victorian Era contextualizes the importance of these experiences by telling the story of these influential events through historical objects at the Farm House Museum, University Museums affiliate at Iowa State University (ISU), located at 601 Farm House Lane, Ames, Iowa.
This exhibition celebrates the variety of souvenirs of the U.S. World’s Fairs of 1876, 1893, and 1904. The objects help tell the story of how glass, ceramics, paper goods, and photography marked the celebration of such monumental events. Though invention was a highlight of the Victorian Era fairs – electrification, moving sidewalks, automobiles, blimps, new foods such as ice cream cones, rides like the Ferris wheel, medical advancements and more – those early fairs highlighted art in many forms, especially through the various souvenirs available to attendees.
World's fair and expo objects and souvenirs ranged from booklets, paper fans, buttons, and ribbons to commemorative glassware and ceramics produced on-site. These remain highly collectable today, and the University Museums’ permanent collection includes some of them.
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“World’s Fairs highlighted the trends and innovations of the times, but also, unfortunately, had much darker sides to them,” said Allison Sheridan, curator of the Farm House Museum. “This exhibition presents objects that punctuate the manufacturers and businesses that would succeed at fairs in both the U.S. and Europe. Though the exhibition helps us to remember to reflect not only on the material goods of the fairs, but the overall experiences by all classes and cultures.”
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Just as these fairs made the world more accessible to the people of the Victorian Era, the Farm House Museum is bringing experts in virtually to make programs more accessible not only to the Iowa State community, but to all.
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On Tuesday, September 24, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. Central Standard Time (CST), Sarah Dees, Assistant Professor of American Religions, at Iowa State University will discuss via Zoom how religion was represented at world’s fairs and the significance of these sites for the development of religious pluralism and the academic study of religion in her presentation entitled Religious Pluralism at the Chicago World’s Fair. | |
On Tuesday, October 15, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. CST, Emily Kathryn Morgan, Associate Professor of Art History at Iowa State University, will present Eating the World at the World's Fair, an exploration of the displays of food and drink at World’s Fairs and International Expositions via Zoom. | | |
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World’s Fairs, Expositions, & Centennial Celebrations of the Victorian Era was curated by recent ISU graduate and University Museums 2023 Pohlman Fellow Gracia Koele (History ’23) as part of her fellowship along with Allison Sheridan, Farm House Museum curator. The exhibition runs through Thursday, October 31, 2024, at the Farm House Museum. Admission is free, and open hours are Monday through Friday, noon to 4:00 p.m. The museum is closed ISU breaks and holidays.
Funding for this exhibition and associated programming is provided by Carol Pletcher.
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Education Programs and Events
Family Weekend | University Museums Open Houses
September 14, 2024, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM (US Central)
Location: Brunnier Art Museum, Christian Petersen Art Museum, Farm House Museum
Having trouble getting to the museum during the week? Enjoy the University Museums’ three campus locations and fall exhibitions during open houses for Cyclone Family Weekend. The Farm House Museum will host a program at 2:00 p.m. each day.
Exhibition Tour – World’s Fairs Souvenirs
September 14, 2024, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM (US Central)
Location: Farm House Museum
Join University Museums for a look at souvenirs of the U.S. World’s Fairs in 1876, 1893, and 1904. Objects include glassware, ceramics, paper goods, and photography.
Family Weekend | University Museums Open Houses
September 15, 2024, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM (US Central)
Location: Brunnier Art Museum, Christian Petersen Art Museum, Farm House Museum
Having trouble getting to the museum during the week? Enjoy the University Museums’ three campus locations and fall exhibitions during open houses for Cyclone Family Weekend. The Farm House Museum will host a program at 2:00 p.m. each day.
Religious Pluralism at the Chicago World’s Fair
September 24, 2024, 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM (US Central)
Location: Virtual on Zoom
This presentation discusses how religion was represented at world’s fairs and the significance of these sites for the development of religious pluralism and the academic study of religion.
Eating the World at the World's Fair
October 15, 2024, 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM (US Central)
Location: Virtual on Zoom
At World Expos, a snack is never just a snack: in smelling and tasting food and drink at the fairgrounds, visitors have been invited to taste the world. Join Emily Kathryn Morgan, Associate Professor of Art History at Iowa State, in exploring displays of food and drink at World's Fairs and International Expositions.
Date Night at the Farm House Museum
October 18, 2024, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (US Central)
Location: Farm House Museum
Celebrate the end of midterms with Date Night at the Farm House Museum! Join us for treats originally showcased at World Fairs, crafts, and music for everyone to enjoy.
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Questions regarding the exhibition, educational programs and events can be directed to Allison Sheridan, Communications Manager and Curator, University Museums, Iowa State University, aclone@iastate.edu or 515.294.3342. | |
About the Farm House Museum
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The Farm House Museum is the oldest building on Iowa State University’s campus. Originally constructed in 1860, the Farm House Museum first served the school as a living quarters for various students, Iowa State Deans, professors and farmhands. In the 1970s a six-year restoration of the Farm House Museum revitalized the space into a public museum. Today, the Farm House Museum, an affiliate of University Museums at Iowa State University, serves the public and student body of Iowa State by displaying numerous antiques, with a particular emphasis on the beginning of the 20th century. Visit museums.iastate.edu to learn more.
Museum Hours
Monday–Friday, noon–4:00 p.m.
Closed University Holidays and Breaks
Admission is free. Donations are welcome.
Address
601 Farm House Ln.
Ames, Iowa 50011
Parking
Memorial Union Parking Ramp
2229 Lincoln Way
Ames, Iowa 50011
East Campus Parking Deck
500 Wallace Road
Ames, Iowa 50011
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During 2024 through 2025, University Museums is celebrating its 50 year anniversary with special events, exhibitions, acquisitions, projects, historic preservation, conservation and more.
University Museums, accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, is a distinctive organization that encompasses two art museums, a National Historic Landmark historic home museum, a sculpture garden, and one of the largest campus public art collections in the nation. University Museums brings world-class exhibitions with educational programming to Iowa State University, actively acquires works of art to add to the more than 30,000 permanent collection objects, conserves and preserves collections, conducts and publishes curatorial scholarship, and fosters student engagement.
museums.iastate.edu
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Images from the installation of the exhibition.
Headshot of Sarah Dees and Emily K. Morgan.
Additional images from the installation of the exhibition.
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