Cultures & Communities

Cleveland Many Peoples One Language Poster

Furniture, cooking wares, clothing, works of art, and many other kinds of artifacts are part of what knit people into communities and cultures. The Museum’s collections feature artifacts from European Americans, Latinos, Arab Americans, Asian Pacific Americans, African Americans, Gypsies, Jews, and Christians, both Catholics and Protestants. The objects range from ceramic face jugs made by enslaved African Americans in South Carolina to graduation robes and wedding gowns. The holdings also include artifacts associated with education, such as teaching equipment, textbooks, and two complete schoolrooms. Uniforms, insignia, and other objects represent a wide variety of civic and voluntary organizations, including youth and fraternal groups, scouting, police forces, and firefighters.

Place: Massachusetts

Joe V. Meigs' 1874 Desk and Seat Patent Model

Joe V. Meigs from Lowell, Massachusetts, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 151898 was issued on June 9, 1874.This model is made of wood and cast iron. The desks are attached at the back and the seats face one another.
Description
Joe V. Meigs from Lowell, Massachusetts, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 151898 was issued on June 9, 1874.
This model is made of wood and cast iron. The desks are attached at the back and the seats face one another. They are mounted on a wooden platform. The patent stressed comfort and claimed the desk would, “avoid fatigue and distortion of the body.” His model is rather decorative with a diamond design, made up of metal bars that cross each other. The tops are made out of wood or iron but if iron is used he encouraged the metal to be japanned, enameled, or marbleized, adding further decoration. The desk is designed to be very practical, and the whole desk comes apart to be easily transported. There are two black seats curved and connected by cast iron. The two seats are facing one another and placed on a wooden base.
Joseph Vincent Meigs was born June 17, 1840, into a prominent family from Nashville, Tennessee. His father was attorney, Whig state senator, and publisher, Return Jonathan Meigs. Joe V. Meigs created his first invention, a railroad coupling, at the age of fourteen. He became a patent lawyer, but his mechanical skills also allowed him to become a prolific inventor. He was granted twenty- two patents for various inventions including the school desk, a reclining chair, and automatic fishing pole. His family supported the Union during the Civil War, and in 1864 he took command as captain of Battery A of the 2nd Black Light Artillery Battalion U.S. Colored Troops. After inventing a breech-loading firearm, he was hired by the U.S. Cartridge Company, where he served as chief inventor. His most ambitious invention was a steam driven elevated monorail called the Meigs Elevated Railway, designed to improve rapid transit. A quarter mile of track was constructed in Cambridge, Massachusetts 1885-1886 to promote his design but construction delays, politics, and his distrust of the use of electricity for new designs impeded his success. He died November 14,1907 in Boston, Massachusetts..
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1874
patent date
1874-06-09
associated date
1872
patentee
Meigs, Joe V.
transfer
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
inventor
Meigs, Joe V.
ID Number
CL.249602.593
catalog number
249602.593
accession number
249602
patent number
151,898

Whaler's Hand Lance

After harpoons fastened the whale and whaleboat together, a whale was given plenty of time and rope to dive, try to swim away, and otherwise wear itself out.
Description
After harpoons fastened the whale and whaleboat together, a whale was given plenty of time and rope to dive, try to swim away, and otherwise wear itself out. Once the exhausted animal returned to the surface to breathe, the whaleboat approached it, and a hand lance, also known as a killing iron, was used to actually dispatch the animal.
Hand lances had long shafts, to allow the point to penetrate deep into the whale’s body in search of the thick neck arteries. The tips of the killing irons were leaf or oval shaped and extremely sharp, so that they cut on the way in and on the way out, and were easier to remove and stab repeatedly. Cutting the neck arteries prevented the animal from deep diving and hastened its bleeding to death.
This nickel-plated example was manufactured and donated by Luther Cole of Fairhaven, Mass.
Date made
1880s
maker
Cole, Luther
ID Number
AG.056357
accession number
012326
catalog number
056357

George Elsey's 1878 School Desk Juncture Improvement Patent Model

George Elsey from Springfield, Massachusetts, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 203252 was issued on May 7, 1878.This model of a manufacturing improvement for school desks is made out of wood and iron.
Description
George Elsey from Springfield, Massachusetts, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 203252 was issued on May 7, 1878.
This model of a manufacturing improvement for school desks is made out of wood and iron. The wood is joined to the iron by using oblique tendons and transverse angular slots that fit into each other. The design holds the wooden slats firmly so they will not separate, but brace each other. There is a small silver plaque that reads: "George Elsey Inventor Dec. 1 1877" but the remainder of the patent model is missing.
George Elsey founded the Elsey School Furniture Company and produced settees, lawn and school benches, folding event chairs, and a desk called "The Model," based on this patent..
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1878
patent date
1878-05-07
associated date
1877
patent holder
Elsey, George
transfer
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
inventor
Elsey, George
ID Number
CL.249602.595
catalog number
249602.595
patent number
203,252
accession number
249602

Cast Iron Whale

The words “BAKER NEW BEDFORD.” appear on the back of this cast-iron sperm whale, which has two mounting lugs on the bottom for fastening to a flat surface.
Description
The words “BAKER NEW BEDFORD.” appear on the back of this cast-iron sperm whale, which has two mounting lugs on the bottom for fastening to a flat surface. These features suggest that it was a shop sign for one of the many stores in New Bedford, Massaschusetts that provided items to whalers needed for their dirty and dangerous business. In the 1878 New Bedford city directory, the only person listed with the surname Baker was Ansol Baker, a machinist.
New Bedford was the largest American whaling port in the industry, which flourished until the Civil War and lasted into the early 20th century.
Date made
19th century
possible owner of sign
Baker, Ansol
ID Number
CL.25052
catalog number
25052
accession number
2009.0157
catalog number
2009.0157.01

Milan C. Stebbin and Edwin J. Piper's 1873 School Desk Patent Model

Milan C. Stebbins and Edwin J. Piper from Springfield, Massachusetts, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 137732 was issued on April 8, 1873.This model features a wooden slatted seat that is secured onto a pedestal.
Description
Milan C. Stebbins and Edwin J. Piper from Springfield, Massachusetts, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 137732 was issued on April 8, 1873.
This model features a wooden slatted seat that is secured onto a pedestal. The combination of slats, hinges, flanges, and processions is new. The backrest is curved and connects to the seat, which gives lower back support. The ends of the slats are connected to a metal frame that outlines the entire seat. The stem is screwed into a wooden base. The seat is not adjustable and does not fold.
Milan Cyrus Stebbins was born in Granby, Massachusetts, in 1828. He was a teacher, school principal and pastor. He died in 1889 in Cornwall, Vermont.
Edwin J. Piper was born in 1849. In addition to being a co--inventor of this desk, Piper was an inventor and the manufacturer of the Springfield ruling machine. He died in 1933 at his home in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1873
patent date
1873-04-08
patentee
Stebbins, Milan C.
Piper, Edwin J.
transfer
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
inventor
Stebbins, Milan C.
Piper, Edwin J.
ID Number
CL.249602.579
catalog number
249602.579
accession number
249602
patent number
137,732

Whaler's Harpoon with Toggle Head

The first step in catching a whale was throwing at least two sharp harpoons into its back, to ensure that the whaleboat was securely fastened to its prey.
Description
The first step in catching a whale was throwing at least two sharp harpoons into its back, to ensure that the whaleboat was securely fastened to its prey. Harpoon shafts were made of soft wrought iron, so that they would bend and not break off when twisted, which risked losing the wounded whale.
A line at the bottom of the harpoon’s wooden handle attached it to the whaleboat. Once in the whale’s flesh, the sharp toggle tip swiveled sideways, making it harder for the tip of the weapon to pull out. Whales normally dove deep after the first prick, to try and escape the sharp jab from the surface of the ocean. This harpoon shaft was twisted by a descending whale.
date made
1882
maker
D. & D.
ID Number
AG.056237
catalog number
056237
accession number
012284

1853 - Yale Engine Company's Quilt

The inscription found on this quilt identifies its origins. Within a wreath cut from a printed cotton chintz on one block is inked: “Ladies’ Donation / to the Fireman’s Fair / Yale Engine Co. No.
Description
The inscription found on this quilt identifies its origins. Within a wreath cut from a printed cotton chintz on one block is inked: “Ladies’ Donation / to the Fireman’s Fair / Yale Engine Co. No. 1 / South Reading / July 1853.” Quite likely a group of women devised the quilt making project to raise funds for the Yale Engine Company. A new engine house was erected in South Reading, Massachusetts, in 1853.
Two blocks in particular indicate the pride the community had in its ability to be prepared for fires. One has an appliquéd and embroidered fire engine marked “Yale 1.” The other block, all embroidered, has a ladder, hook, hose, the date "1853," and inscription: "Yale Engine Company No. 1 / South Reading." As reported in the Official Program of the Celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the Settlement and Incorporation of Ancient Redding” May 1894: “In 1852, by vote of the town, came a handsome new, double-decker fire-engine, resplendent in finish of rosewood and trimmings of polished brass . . . . The new machine was from Jeffers’ works at Pawtucket, R.I., and was named ‘Yale Engine, No. 1,’ in grateful recognition of a large gift . . . from Burrage Yale, Esq., whose tin pedler’s carts were for many years known all over New England." It was further reported that, "'The Yale’ distinguished herself in many fields, and saved much property from destruction. She is still [1894] retained by the town . . . and regarded with respect and appreciation."
All but five of the thirty 15½-inch blocks that comprise this quilt have geometric motifs made by cutting folded cloth. These were made from the same roller printed cotton fabric and appliquéd to a white ground. One block is pieced in a popular pattern, “Star of Bethlehem.” The inclusion of an American flag block contributes an element of patriotism. The blocks are joined in a quilt-as-you-go method. Each one is appliquéd, pieced or embroidered; then lined and quilted; bound with a narrow red-ground print; and finally, joined to make the quilt.
Burrage Yale, whose contributions to the community of South Reading, Massachusetts, were many, was born in Meriden, Connecticut, on March 27, 1781. At an early age he set out to help his family as a peddler of tinware. In 1800 he came to Reading, Massachusetts, and within a few years had settled there and founded a soon-thriving business manufacturing and dealing in tinware.
A man of strong convictions, he was profiled by Lilley Eaton in his 1874 Genealogical History of the Town of Reading. Burrage Yale was known as “polite, dignified, and hospitable, a friend and patron of education and liberal toward public improvement.” He was also “. . . a shrewd and accomplished business man . . . . accused of being proud, haughty and ambitious . . . unmerciful to his debtors.”
According to Eaton, “he once rendered himself so odious to a portion of the people . . . that on a certain night he was hung in effigy . . . and then consumed in a great funeral pyre, amid the shouts of the crowd; and . . . upon a board nailed high upon the oak, these words in epitaph: ‘This great and mighty lord, he is no more!’”
While Burrage Yale may not always have been gracious or generous, he apparently contributed a significant-enough sum to the fire fighting cause in his community that a fire engine, fire house and later an avenue bore his name. His wife, Sarah Boardman (1786-1844), was one of the early female teachers in South Reading. She was described by Lilley Eaton as “. . . a faithful teacher, and our memory of her in that capacity is most pleasant. In after-life she was ever a most worthy and valuable woman.” When Burrage Yale died September 5, 1860, the fully uniformed firefighters of the Yale Engine Company marched in his funeral procession.
This quilt, so carefully worked, is an example of efforts by women of South Reading, then a small rural New England town, to work together to provide for their community.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1853
maker
unknown
ID Number
1995.0011.04
accession number
1995.0011
catalog number
1995.0011.04

Shipbuilder's Half Hull Model, Whaleship Jireh Swift

Half hull ship models were carved by shipwrights to a shape negotiated with the future owners of the ship.
Description
Half hull ship models were carved by shipwrights to a shape negotiated with the future owners of the ship. Once finished, the builder lifted the curved shape of the outer hull off the model and scaled it up to the dimensions of the full-sized ship on the floor of the molding loft. Then the ship’s timbers were cut to fit the lines drawn on the floor and lifted into position in the ship’s framework.
African American shipwright and former slave John Mashow built the whaler Jireh Swift in 1853 at Dartmouth, Mass. near New Bedford. The vessel measured 122 feet in length and 454 tons. Its first voyage was to the northern Pacific and lasted nearly four years. The ship collected 45 barrels of sperm oil, 2,719 barrels of whale oil and 14,900 lbs of whalebone. Swift’s second voyage, to the same grounds, lasted more than four years and netted much more oil and bone for her owners. Nearly three years into her third voyage, on 22 June 1865 she was captured in the Arctic by the Confederate raider Shenandoah and burned, for a loss of more than $40,000.
Date made
1853
maker
Mashow, John
ID Number
TR.076323
catalog number
076323
accession number
015358

1878 Caroline Granger's Prize Quilt Medal

The New England Agricultural Society medal was awarded to Mrs. Joseph (Caroline) Granger at the 1878 New England and Worcester Agricultural Fairs. One side of the bronze medal has animals with "New England Agricultural Society" around the edge.
Description
The New England Agricultural Society medal was awarded to Mrs. Joseph (Caroline) Granger at the 1878 New England and Worcester Agricultural Fairs. One side of the bronze medal has animals with "New England Agricultural Society" around the edge. The other side has; "AWARDED TO [inscribed] Mrs. Joseph Granger for the best Crib Quilt" also "WORCESTER MASS 1878". A certificate with the medal from the office of New England Agricultural Society, dated "Boston, November 1st, 1878" states: "This is to Certify, That Mrs. Joseph Granger Worcester Mass received a Bronze medal awarded at the New England and Worcester Agricultural Fairs, held in the City of Worcester, Mass. September, 1878, for the best Crib Quilt." Signed Daniel Needham, Secretary.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1878
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T16317.00B
catalog number
T16317.00B
accession number
302043

Advertising brochure for the Lowe Press from the Lowe Printing Company, Boston, about 1860

Five sizes of the Lowe printing press with kits were sold, with printing beds of between five by six inches and thirteen by seventeen inches. These dimensions reflect the range of sizes for completed printed documents.
Description
Five sizes of the Lowe printing press with kits were sold, with printing beds of between five by six inches and thirteen by seventeen inches. These dimensions reflect the range of sizes for completed printed documents.
date made
ca 1860
maker
Lowe, Samuel W.
manufacturer
Watson, Joseph
ID Number
2007.0162.013
accession number
2007.0162
catalog number
2007.0162.013

Fire Engine Plate, "Hunneman & Company"

At the core of any fire company is the apparatus used to fight fires and protect lives. This was particularly true of for the volunteer fire fighters in 19th century America.
Description (Brief)
At the core of any fire company is the apparatus used to fight fires and protect lives. This was particularly true of for the volunteer fire fighters in 19th century America. Often purchased with their own funds, their fire engines were the focus of their pride and affection, as well as their identities as fire fighters. Engine plates, often made of brass, would be prominently affixed to engines and inscribed with the company name, number, and founding date. Engine plates could pass from old engine to new, or be kept in the firehouse as a memorial to a departed apparatus.
This brass maker’s plate was originally attached to a fire engine built by Hunneman & Company of Boston, Massachusetts in 1872. The scalloped shield-shaped plate bears the inscribed text “No. 722/HUNNEMAN & CO./Builders/BOSTON/1872.” A plate has been attached over “Boston” that reads “State of / Massachusetts / 612.” The entire plate has been mounted onto a square wooden board. Hunneman & Company was originally founded in Boston in 1792 and was renowned for its hand-pumped apparatus. In 1866, the company built its first steam engine and continued to make a variety of fire engines until 1883.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1872
maker
Hunneman and Company
ID Number
2005.0233.0928
accession number
2005.0233
catalog number
2005.0233.0928

Fire Engine Plate, "Howard and Davis"

At the core of any fire company is the apparatus used to fight fires and protect lives. This was particularly true of for the volunteer fire fighters in 19th century America.
Description (Brief)
At the core of any fire company is the apparatus used to fight fires and protect lives. This was particularly true of for the volunteer fire fighters in 19th century America. Often purchased with their own funds, their fire engines were the focus of their pride and affection, as well as their identities as fire fighters. Engine plates, often made of brass, would be prominently affixed to engines and inscribed with the company name, number, and founding date. Engine plates could pass from old engine to new, or be kept in the firehouse as a memorial to a departed apparatus.
This brass maker’s plate was attached to a handtub fire engine made by Howard and Davis of Boston, Massachusetts around 1852. The company was primarily known for manufacturing clocks, but also made fire engines from 1842 to 1857.The rectangular brass plate is engraved with the text “HOWARD & DAVIS/BOSTON/1852” which is mounted on a wooden plaque. The lower right corner of the plate has been chipped off.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1852
maker
Howard & Davis
ID Number
2005.0233.0943
accession number
2005.0233
catalog number
2005.0233.0943

Waylon Jennings

Waylon Jennings's first single, the Cajun song "Jole Blon," was produced by Buddy Holly in 1958. Jennings (1937-2002) moved to a more hardcore country sound by the 1970s.
Description
Waylon Jennings's first single, the Cajun song "Jole Blon," was produced by Buddy Holly in 1958. Jennings (1937-2002) moved to a more hardcore country sound by the 1970s. Rejecting slick commercial conventions of the time and demanding more control of his music, Jennings's professional and personal lifestyle personified what became known as the Outlaw Country movement.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1975
print
2003
depicted (sitter)
Jennings, Waylon
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.029
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.029

Fox and Geese Game Board

This 9-inch square board with 32 holes was made for playing Fox and Geese, a game of strategy between two players. The 19 pegs representing geese and a single longer peg for the fox are long gone from this particular board made in Gloucester, Massachusetts.
Description
This 9-inch square board with 32 holes was made for playing Fox and Geese, a game of strategy between two players. The 19 pegs representing geese and a single longer peg for the fox are long gone from this particular board made in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Fox and Geese was among the games played by fishermen during idle times on sailing schooners working in the North Atlantic fisheries. This board was part of a display on “Habits of Fishermen,” at the International Fisheries Exhibition in London in 1883. Other games in the display, all from Gloucester, included cards, a checkerboard, backgammon, and a diamond puzzle.
The rules of play for Fox and Geese are simple: one player controls the fox, while the other controls the geese. The fox can move in a straight line in any direction and, as it jumps over geese, the geese are removed from the board. To win, the fox must break through the entire line of geese. The geese are only allowed to move forward or sideways. To win, they must corner the fox so it cannot move.
The Oxford English Dictionary cites a 1633 reference to the game from a play called Fine Companion by Shackerley Marmion: “Let him sit in the shop . . . and let him play at fox and geese with the foreman.” The game was played in colonial America and, with minor variations, well into the 19th and 20th centuries.
This game board was one of several items donated to the Smithsonian by Capt. George Merchant Jr., of Gloucester.
Location
Currently not on view (Pegs from gameboard)
Date made
1883
ID Number
AG.057950
catalog number
057950
accession number
12158

Edwin J. Piper's 1873 School Seat Patent Model

Edwin J. Piper from Springfield, Massachusetts, received a U.S. patent for an improved school chair. Patent no. 138190 was issued on April 22, 1873.The wooden slatted seat is secured onto a pedestal. His combination of slats, hinges, and flanges is new.
Description
Edwin J. Piper from Springfield, Massachusetts, received a U.S. patent for an improved school chair. Patent no. 138190 was issued on April 22, 1873.
The wooden slatted seat is secured onto a pedestal. His combination of slats, hinges, and flanges is new. The backrest is curved and connects to the seat, which gives lower back support. The ends of the slats are connected to a metal frame that outlines the entire seat. The stem is screwed into a wooden base. The seat is not adjustable and does not fold. The patent was recognized for its monobloc stem and brass colored metal frame.
Edwin J. Piper was born in 1849. He was an inventor and Known for being the manufacturer of the Springfield ruling machine. He died in 1933 at his home in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1873
patent date
1873-04-22
patentee
Piper, Edwin J.
transfer
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
inventor
Piper, Edwin J.
ID Number
CL.65.0323
catalog number
65.0323
accession number
249602
patent number
138,190

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