Now playing in Austin…in 1850, that is. Dr. Charlotte Canning join us for our final installment of this Modern Times season.
Dickens in Texas: not just a festival in Galveston. Francesca Christian and Ev Lunning return to Modern Times with an account of Dickens’ influence in the state.
Who built Austin? Dr. Ted Gordon explains and Jennifer Cumberbatch brings to life the people who were enslaved and their contribution to the founding fabric of our city.
Two women, two legal traditions, one mid-19th century Texas. Dr. Caroline Castillo Crimm explains.
Brandice Nelson, Map Curator of Texas General Land Office, joins us to explore Texan attempts to be recognized as a legitimate country by Great Britain, and how those diplomatic failures contributed to Texas’ annexation and statehood.
What’s cooler than cool? Making and decorating your own folding fan, of course.
The Great Exhibition marked the beginning of an age of World’s Fairs–and exerted influence all the way over in Texas.
Look. Listen. Play. Taste. Not necessarily in that order, either.
For this year’s Austin Museum Day, we’re offering activities for all five senses. We invite you to:
Visit our exhibit of folding fans (and make your own–regular or mathematical), chat with one of our ladies and gentlemen in 19th century costume, or give a listen to live music performed by local old-time band Duck Creek. A little hand-cranked, hand-squeezed, all scratch-made lemonade and ice cream might just make the day perfect. We suggest sipping in the shade for big folks and playing on the grounds for little folks.
Mathhappens will be demonstrating their ingenious Pythagorean tables on the grounds and we hear that there will be cupcakes (and chess pieces, too).
Last but by no means least, let us recommend our exhibit of Austin’s first hundred years through maps exhibit and a visit to the tools and household implements in the Dependency (which is likely the 9th oldest built structure standing in Austin, by the way).
While we are in the West Campus neighborhood, parking is easier than you think. The museum lot is accessible from 23rd street just west of San Gabriel (behind the historic house). Overflow parking is often available just one block away at the Quarters Garage
From the time of Commodore Perry’s 1853 arrival in Japan, Americans’ imaginations were captivated with the style and aesthetics of Japanese folding fans. This display captures one Texan collector’s long-running fascination with folding fans of all kinds from finely made decorative objects to utilitarian equipment to tourist souvenirs.
Note: this display is presented on our first floor gallery and is accessible to patrons with disabilities.
Our house hosted parties during the Victorian Era that had people talking 40 years later. In this series, we imagine what some of that fuss might have been about by exploring some of the entertainments that captivated Americans in the latter half of the 19th century.