What do a pump organ, coal scuttle, key chain, necklace, coffee mug, toy boat, milk bottle, mustard jar, dental tool, teddy bear, clarinet, leather saddle, fire bucket, light bulb, weathervane, medicine bottle, oil lamp, ornate dress, and a host of other historical artifacts – as well as a multitude of the visible stars in the universe – have in common?
They're all part of the new exhibition "A Constellation of Objects" opening this week in the Keller Gallery of McKinley Presidential Library & Museum.
The exhibition combining history, science and cultural folklore, for which there will be an opening reception Thursday, results from what promotional material calls a "unique collaboration between the Collections Department and the Hoover-Price Planetarium." It highlights objects in the museum's permanent collection that "are inspired by constellations in the night sky," producing an "eclectic mix of artifacts" that likely never again will be displayed together.
"We have chosen at least one artifact to represent each constellation included in the exhibition,” said Kim Kenney, executive director of the McKinley Presidential Library & Museum, who curated the exhibition. “Each label provides a brief summary of the myths and legends behind the constellations. The artifacts surrounding the constellation label are grouped by the themes found in the stories, including the 12 signs of the Zodiac.
"In addition to the constellation-inspired artifacts, the exhibition includes objects featuring designs with the moon, stars and space, including a Snoopy astronaut doll from 1969."
Kenney said she had seen a similar display at another museum about a decade ago and has been accumulating information about the constellations and assessing related artifacts in the museum's collection ever since.
The resulting exhibit combines the history of the universe, the culture of different parts of the world, and a look at the passage of time in Stark County.
"One part is telling the story of the constellations," explained Kenney, who was assisted in choosing artifacts by Kait Bergert, collections manager. "Another part is tying in the artifacts, and each of those objects has it's one story. And it's all history."
One obvious constellation highlighted in the exhibition is Orion's Belt.
"Everyone has heard of Orion's Belt," Kenney said. "We actually have a copper belt in our collection and we're using that as a related artifact.
"But, there's also a nebula inside that constellation that is described as 'a nurse for the birth of stars.' So, for that we got out a playpen and other baby things."
Artifacts tied to star groups
Dozens of other artifacts illustrate 60 different constellations, said Kenney.
"It's going to be crowded," she said. "I thought we were going to have trouble digging up stuff. The more we looked the more we found – much more than I expected."
For constellations called the "Northern Cross" and "Southern Cross," museum staff found a party hat used at the time of Y2K to ring in the year 2000 and a set of dental tools circa 1900 used to measure teeth for crowns, as well as a display of crowns from 1907. Text also will direct visitors to the McKinley Gallery, where they can look at first lady Ida McKinley's jeweled tiara.
"In the Southern Cross, there's a cluster of stars called the 'Jewel Box,'" noted Kenney. "So, we were able to get out a 20th century jewel box filled with some costume jewelry."
Illustrations of the constellations – star charts displayed with the outlines of objects the stars form – accompany the artifacts, so visitors can see why the stars were viewed as everyday objects.
Those imagined objects varied among viewers. Different cultures throughout the world influenced the identification of constellations.
"We're all looking at the same sky, but we're not all seeing the same thing," explained Kenney. "A good example is 'The Big Dipper.' There were groups in Africa that looked up and saw an elephant and not a dipper."
Interestingly, an elephant-related artifact tied to that constellation is a mechanical toy – Jumbo the Elephant – made by Gibbs Manufacturing Company in Canton, patterned after a real elephant named Jumbo. The back-story of that pachyderm is not a pretty one, museum text documents.
"After his mother was killed by poachers, the real Jumbo became a circus attraction in the 1860s," the text panel chronicles. "He was 'kept calm' with alcohol, forced to give rides, and ate coins thrown into his enclosure. He died in 1885 when he was hit by a train."
Looking to the sky
Kenney hopes such captivating stories about artifacts and constellations in the exhibition will renew visitors' interest in looking to the sky and inspire people to watch a show at the museum's Hoover-Price Planetarium. Star shows are offered on Saturdays now but will be featured daily between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
"We grow up looking into the sky," Kenney said. "Perhaps this will make people more interested in what they see now."
She noted that panels in the exhibit reproduce pages of an aged booklet locating planets, stars, and constellations in the night sky.
"I blew it up in size, which is neat because it's an old, from 1856."
The age of the sky diagrams booklet emphasizes the fact that the history of constellations mirrors the history of the artifacts that illustrate the sky images.
"From a material culture perspective, I hope people begin to understand that every artifact has its own story," said Kenney, who suggests that the gathering of such a diverse collection of artifacts is a rare event. "There is no other theme I can think of for which this array of artifacts would be displayed together."
Perhaps it is appropriate that the exhibition that brought the objects together focused on the sky -- on the universe. Our thoughts about the sky are as numerous as the stars.
"They're literally just points of light in the sky," said Kenney. "What they look like is all about what we imagine."
Reach Gary at gary.brown.rep@gmail.com. On Twitter: @gbrownREP.
About the exhibition
WHAT – "A Constellation of Objects" exhibition
WHERE – Keller Gallery of the McKinley Presidential Library & Museum at 800 McKinley Drive NW, Canton
WHEN – April 11 through Oct. 26.
WHY – To highlight artifacts in the museum's collection that are related to constellations.
WHO – Curated by Kim Kenney, executive director of McKinley museum
HOW – Keller Gallery exhibitions can be viewed during regular museum hours, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is $15 for adults, $14 for senior adults; $13 for students and children; and free for children 2 and younger.
RELATED SHOWS – Tickets to shows at the Hoover-Price Planetarium are included with museum admission, but not guaranteed due to limited seating. Currently, the Cosmic Kids show (for children 3 and older) is at 11 and 11:30 a.m. and the Universe at Large (children and adults) at 1 and 2 p.m. Saturdays only. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, planetarium shows are daily.
An opening event
The Keller Gallery exhibition “A Constellation of Objects” will open at McKinley Presidential Library & Museum on April 11 with a free opening reception from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
"When ancient people looked up into the Night Sky, they saw a wondrous array of images that were often associated with mythology in their culture," notes promotional material.
The display of texts about constellations and related artifacts from the museum's collection can be viewed during the opening reception and planetarium shows will be offered.
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