We have two new exhibits of original historic artifacts currently on display in our reading room and a fresh exhibit on the first floor of Dunbar Library!
One new exhibit in our reading room highlights artifacts from the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton Records (MS-434). The exhibit includes objects important to the practice of Jewish traditions, including a Tzedukah, Mezuzzah, and Havadalah service. This exhibit was created by Nina Herzog, archives student assistant and Public History graduate student.

Jewish artifacts exhibit, April 2016
The second exhibit of original materials centers on veterans, including items from the Civil War, WWI, and WWII. Among the items in this exhibit are several original medals, ribbons, and pins awarded to Lt. General Frank Maxwell Andrews (MS-440). The exhibit also includes items from the American Red Cross, Dayton Area Chapter Records (MS-121); Alice Carr Papers (MS-135); Oscar Ladley Papers (MS-138); and Seth Furnas WWII Papers (SC-107). This exhibit was created by our Lauren Lyon, undergraduate intern, with some help from our student assistants Andrew Clinard and Sarah Allison.

Veterans materials exhibit, April 2016

Detail of Andrews awards, April 2016
These exhibits include some of the comparatively few three-dimensional artifacts in our holdings, as we manuscript archives do not typically collect set out to collect objects. Archives focus primarily on documents, while artifacts are generally the domain of museums.
Our intern Lauren also worked with Dawne on creating a refreshed edition of our Wright School of Aviation and Exhibition Team exhibit, which was installed on the first floor of the Dunbar Library earlier this month.

Lauren Lyon with the Wright School of Aviation and Exhibition Team exhibit, April 2016

Wright School of Aviation and Exhibition Team exhibit, April 2016
We hope you’ll stop by the Dunbar Library sometime soon to visit us and have a look at these and more exhibits!