“Her Childhood” is now an exhibition at the Henry Ford Museum in Michigan
What have I ever done to you, Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation? Huh? I have been visiting your halls and exhibits with joy since we were dropped off at the front doors on my first elementary school field trip in the 1980s. I have taken my children on the same bus rides, watching them explore your trains and marvel at your machines. Yet despite my devotion, you, the Henry Ford Museum, have decided that objects from my not-so-long-ago childhood are now OLD ENOUGH to actually be on display.
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It’s part of the “Your Place in History” exhibit, which looks at life in America from the Progressive Generation in 1890 to what the Henry Ford Museum calls the Next Generation (early 1980s to present). Lost in thought, I turned a corner and was confronted with the reality that the toys of my youth are now stored behind a glass case in a museum in Michigan.
“Her Childhood” is now an exhibition at the Henry Ford Museum in Michigan
“Her Childhood” is now an exhibition at the Henry Ford Museum in Michigan
If you grew up in Michigan in the 80’s, you can HEAR this image. These brightly colored, battery-operated electronic devices were all the rage when we played with them at home or in the back of the classroom.
I don’t doubt the historical significance of these items, having wasted several hours of my life trying to get the most out of SIMON, but did they really need to be put behind glass and displayed like artifacts?
“Her Childhood” is now an exhibition at the Henry Ford Museum in Michigan
This is just one of Your Place in History’s exhibits that focuses on Generation X, but it was the one that made me reach for Metamucil, call it a day at 3 p.m., and go home to watch Matlock and the Price is Right.
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Here’s a closer look at the technology from your childhood, now on display at the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in Michigan.
“Her Childhood” is now an exhibition at the Henry Ford Museum in Michigan
I’m sorry, Generation X. Your childhood is officially a museum piece. The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation’s “Your Place in History” exhibit highlights each generation’s influence on the United States, from the Progressive Generation to today. While it’s not surprising to see items from the 1890s or 1950s on display because of their historical significance, it’s a little jarring to turn a corner and see your childhood toys under glass. Here’s a look at one of those exhibits, which shows Generation X’s influence on electronic gaming and the first generation to require the “batteries not included” notice.
Gallery credit: Scott Clow
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