Washington State History Museum - Events and Exhibits

All images are provided courtesy of the Washington State Historical Society except where otherwise noted.

EXHIBITS

Brochure promoting travel along the route of the Great Northern Railway, featured in The West the Railroads Made.

Take a fresh look at what the iron road created in The West the Railroads Made. Learn about how this one form of transportation reshaped the West and helped create a truly continental nation. Beyond iron tracks and coal-fired engines, the story of railroads is a story of transformation. By bringing in immigrants, railroads changed the character of the region's population. By building depots, bridges and tunnels, it changed the area's landscape. By promoting agriculture, ranching and mining on a grand scale, it changed the people's way of life. Railroads brought the modern world to the West and the West to the modern world.

The West the Railroads Made recounts how the idea of a Pacific railroad grew through the 1840s and 1850s, how it came to life in the second half of the 19th century, and how it reconceived itself to survive new challenges by the late 20th century. The exhibit will focus on the battleground between the river cities St. Louis and Portland, and the railroad cities Chicago and Seattle/Tacoma. It will feature more than 80 artifacts, including rare railroad ephemera, photographs, paintings and other three-dimensional pieces.

Basket made of orange peels, thread and wood, by Jan Hopkins.

Sneak a peek into the inner workings of a museum curator’s mind with Curators’ Choice. Six of our own staff members share their personal favorites from the collection of Washington State Historical Society—whether they are historically significant, personally interesting, or simply pretty! Featured items include a contemporary basket made of dried orange peels, a Japanese Katana sword, and the first American edition of the Koran. More than 30 artifacts, maps, ephemera, photos, and works of art will be on display. Organized by the Washington State Historical Society.

For more information, tune into KUOW's Sound Focus as Ed Nolan, head of Special Collections, talks about his Curators' Choice picks.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt speaks in Tacoma during a visit to Washington in October 1937.

Since the founding of our nation in 1776, artists far and wide have created images of our presidents and displayed them for all to see. These creative works surpass mere physical representations, providing historical continuity and a visible legacy for our nation. This exhibition features over 30 artworks and images from the permanent collections of the Washington State Historical Society. Organized by the Washington State Historical Society.

Upcoming Exhibit
Tacoma's Civil Rights Struggle: African Americans Leading the Way
August 18 through December 7, 2008

The South was not the only place where Americans were denied equal rights. Right here in Washington, people could not get jobs or housing because of their color. The national civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s helped, but local leaders fought for equal rights in their own way. Learn how in Tacoma's Civil Rights Struggle: African Americans Leading the Way. The exhibit will features a rich collection of artifacts, including photographs and newspaper articles, many not seen in half a century. Organized by the Washington State Historical Society and the Tacoma Civil Rights Project.

EVENTS & PUBLIC PROGRAMS

It's finally here! Help us celebrate the launch of the Washington State Historical Society's new online magazine for kids, COLUMBIAKids, August 14 from 3 - 9 PM. Meet the writers, illustrators, and people who inspired some of the features in the premiere issue. Enjoy author readings, special "back story" presentations, and a book signing reception for Northwest Book Swap authors.

Guest presenters include: Kelley Balcomb-Bartok of the Center for Whale Research in Friday Harbor, Washington; Dr. Jonathan Elias, director of the Akhmim Mummy Studies Consortium in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and Joanna Sikes, director of special projects for the Chihuly Studio in Seattle.

Also joining us for a special set of Northwest Book Swap readings are award-winning authors Sherman Alexie, author of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian; Kirby Larson, author of Hattie Big Sky; Bonny Becker, author of A Visitor for Bear; and Anjali Banerjee, author of Looking for Bapu.

This program is open to the public and FREE. The premiere issue of COLUMBIAKids was made possible through a grant from the Verizon Foundation.

Tacoma's Civil Rights Struggle: Film Screening and Panel Discussion
Sunday, September 7, 2008 > 3 to 5 PM

President John F. Kennedy at the White House with African American leaders, June 21, 1963. Tacoma's Jack Tanner stands behind Kennedy, his hands on a chair.

Catch a screening of the companion film to the exhibit Tacoma's Civil Rights Struggle: African Americans Leading the Way. Produced by award-winning documentary filmmaker Sidney Lee, the film features interviews with a dozen participants in Tacoma's civil rights struggle, including former Tacoma mayor, Harold Moss. After the screening, join a panel discussion about the film and the local civil rights movement. This program is open to the public, and FREE with museum admission.

"A Well-Dressed Man Leaped Ashore":
Tracking Culture and Place on the Columbia River Through David Thompson's Eyes
Wednesday, September 24, 2008 @ 7:30 PM/p>

Find out more about the adventures of explorer, fur trader and mapmaker David Thompson in Columbia country in this illustrated presentation by author Jack Nisbet. Thompson created the first accurate picture of the northwest region of North America in his maps. Nisbet is the author of Sources of the River: Tracking David Thompson across Western North America.

The talk will be held at E.B. Hamilton Hall of the Red Cross Building, Vancouver National Historic Reserve in Vancouver, Wash. This FREE public program is sponsored by the Center for Columbia River History, a consortium of Washington State Historical Society, Portland State University and Washington State University Vancouver, created to promote the study of Columbia River Basin history. For more information, call 360/258-3289, email info@ccrh.org, or visit http://www.ccrh.org.

Ghosts of the Great Hall: Disaster! Natural Catastrophes in the Pacific Northwest
Saturday, October 18, 2008 > 1 TO 4 PM

Locomotives lying in the Wellington snow

Two locomotives lying in the snow at the site of the Wellington disaster.

Come experience Ghosts of the Great Hall-a popular educational program for school groups-open to the public for just one day. Actors in the Great Hall of Washington History bring historical characters to life as they tell stories of natural disasters in the Pacific Northwest. From the eruption of Mount St. Helens to the avalanche that felled two Great Northern trains, investigate the history of natural catastrophes using artifacts, ephemera, and photographs to unlock the mysteries of our geologic past. This program is FREE with museum admission.