The Way We Worked
- Blythe, California. Photo by Charles O’Rear, May 1972. National Archives, Records of the Environmental Protection Agency
The Way We Worked, adapted from an original exhibition developed by the National Archives, explores how work became a central element in American culture by tracing the many changes that affected the workforce and work environments. The exhibition draws from the Archives’ rich photographic collections covering more than 150 years to tell this compelling story. Why, where, and how do we work? What value does work have to individuals and communities? What does our work tell others about us?
The Way We Worked is organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) and is adapted from an original exhibition developed by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Historic New England is partnering with SITES for their Museum on Main Street initiative to host this exhibition across New England. The Way We Worked is available in New England for six-week bookings beginning September 2012 through June 2014. Each hosting institution will have the opportunity to add objects from their collection to the exhibition, making this an especially local experience.
View images from The Way We Worked.
Contents
- Five free-standing sections, with video, audio and interactive components.
- Artifacts mounted in cases and exhibition banners.
- The exhibition is packed in twelve crates weighing about three thousand pounds total.
- Exhibition support materials featuring program development strategies, exhibition script, installation instructions, sample budgets/contracts, and other support materials. Materials provided in hard copy and available online at www.museumonmainstreet.org
- Experienced Museum on Main Street team members and Historic New England staff provide advice and assistance in all areas of program development and tour coordination.
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Historic New England Museum Historian Jennifer Pustz will be available to deliver an accompanying lecture, Voices from the Back Stairs, illustrating the diversity of domestic service in New England over the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Availability
Exhibition available in New England for six-week bookings beginning September 8, 2012 through June 29, 2014.
Fee: $1,500 (Historic New England affiliates will receive a discount)
