HOLLAND MUSEUM PERMANENT GALLERY HIGHLIGHTS. The Inner Lobby

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1 The Inner Lobby Holland Museum Building: The Holland Museum is housed in a landmark classical revival building first dedicated in It was Holland s Post Office from 1915 through Over three years, the Holland Historical Trust retrofitted the building into a stateof-the-art museum facility. In the lobby, the historical integrity of the old post office lobby has been maintained as near as possible. Terrazzo and marble floors are mostly original, as well as the oak woodwork. Galleries are climate controlled to provide the best conditions for artifacts World s Fair in New York City: The Glass Churches are the main exhibit in the inner lobby, which were a part of the 1939 World s Fair. Because of World War II, the exhibit was sent to Holland, Michigan, which at the time was the site of the Netherlands Information Service, for safekeeping. Later, the Dutch government permanently gave the exhibit to the museum. The ten churches are modeled after actual church buildings in the Netherlands, and their sizes correspond to the number of parishioners who attended each denomination in Gallery: Inside Glass Doors General Information: The museum is divided into various thematic areas: Climate for Growth, Lake Effect, Time Line, Call to Service, Wichers Gallery (temporary exhibit), Volendam Room, Faith and Commitment, Cultural Heritage, and the Clock. There is no particular order that one needs to follow. If people are interested in a chronological overview of Holland s history, you should show them to the back left corner of the museum where the time line begins. The Clock: This item is from the New York World s Fair 1939 Netherlands Pavilion. It is made of Bronze. The Clock represents the Dutch government in 1939 including Queen Wilhelmina on top. Docents may push the start button to play Dutch National Anthem; it stops automatically. Gallery: Left (West) Side Climate for Growth: Agriculture, the base of Holland s initial development, fostered the work habits and skills needed to move from subsistence to cash crop farming. Soon enterprising citizens started businesses that supported the agricultural economy. The confidence born of early successes became the foundation of the area s subsequent commercial diversity. (Label) Climate for Growth traces the development of Holland from subsistence farming to a cash crop economy, and finally to a diverse manufacturing economy that was built on a foundation of developed skills and hard work. Information current as of February 2013 (TWH/CJ) 1

2 Dog Operated Butter Churn: This is one of the most popular artifacts in the exhibit. It is the treadmill attached to the churn. To operate it, the dog runs on the treadmill, which moves the dasher inside the churn up and down. This artifact and the fanning mill (the large red rectangular object which separates wheat from the chaff) were both made by a local manufacturing company. Cranberry Harvester: The wooden box with the metal spikes hanging on the back wall is this artifact. Many people do not associate the Holland area with cranberries, but they were grown in the area when there were still natural bogs present. Carousel: It was made by a Dutch sailor, and is a good example of folk art. The horses are carved from wood, and the canopy pictures are from postcards. Field to Factory: As Holland s economy stabilized, it expanded in new directions. Human and natural resources nurtured by a strong sense of community provided a catalyst for diverse enterprises. Newcomers drawn to the area through the years by its resources and attractive setting have continued and enhanced this manufactured tradition. (Label) Field to Factory illustrates diverse manufacturing by focusing in particular on four areas in which Holland has excelled and continues to do so through further diversification: agriculture, furniture making, automotive related manufacturing, and boat building. All the products on the exhibit island were made or are still being made in the Holland area. The Holland Transplanter was invented here and is still made here. The world famous Eames Chair is manufactured by Herman Miller. The four sides of the island each represent a type of business that was and still is important to Holland: Specialized Farming: This area shows the fruit and poultry farms that are in the area, as well as some factories that produce and package food. Furniture: This area explains the growth and importance of the furniture business. The piano says it was made in Chicago, but was manufactured in Holland at the Bush and Lane Piano Factory. Automotive: This section emphasizes the glass and mirror factories that contribute to auto production. Boat: This area shows Holland s pleasure boat companies. Lake Effect: Holland s location always has affected its development and quality of life. Efforts to build a channel to Lake Michigan to gain access to navigable waters fundamental to a solid economy began as early as the 1850 s. Once a deep channel had been opened, trade flourished, industries expanded, and Holland became a destination for vacationers drawn by its beaches and resorts. (Label) Lake Effect explores the impact that living on or near Lake Michigan has had on its history. The large wall map is a copy of a 1908 Corps of Engineers navigational map. (Quality reproductions are sold in the gift shop). The lighthouse lens was made in France. It once marked the channel to Lake Macatawa. Lake Effect Island is an extension of the Information current as of February 2013 (TWH/CJ) 2

3 theme developed on the wall and looks further at the impact of living on Lake Michigan and Lake Macatawa. The railings are from the grand staircase of the cruise ship the Alabama. The marquetry (painting by inlaying a variety of woods) panel is also from the Alabama. The Alpena (painting) was a ship that went down in Lake Michigan in people were lost. The ship was carrying apples, which appeared on shore for 70 miles up and down the coast. A piano leg, 7 bodies, and the sign, which was probably on the housing over the paddle wheel all washed ashore as well. Monkeys: They are from the Getz Zoo, which was near the lake. After a storm destroyed many of the buildings, the animals were transferred to a zoo in Chicago. Flashing Light: It is from the Holland Lighthouse, now known as Big Red. There are pictures near the light showing what the lighthouse looked like at the turn of the century, as well as today. Alabama, South American and North American : These three cruise ships traveled Lake Michigan and wintered in Holland. Visitors are allowed to turn the ship s wheel that is positioned under the inlaid mahogany panel from the Alabama. The panel allegorically describes the Old South. Gallery: Right (East) Side Call to Service: Throughout Holland s history, the call to service, both in community and beyond, has met with a vigorous response. Whether in peace or in war, support for a diversity of needs testifies to Holland s commitment to the well being of the larger community. (Label) Call to Service island looks at all the ways this community has come to the fore in military, political, and voluntary service on local, national, and world levels. Saving Stamp Doll: These are located on the bottom of the display about the World War II homefront. They were collected so one could buy war bonds. Wooden Propeller: This was used in World War I and was made in a Holland factory. War Log: In the display about nineteenth century wars, there is a log full of bullets, which was brought back to Holland from a Civil War battle. Faith in Action: From mission work to stands on temperance and abortion, hallmarks of Holland s religious community have been its active defense of its faith and its effort to convince others to embrace and express similar beliefs. (Label) Faith in Action, a community founded on strong religious beliefs has always been at Holland s core. Those strong beliefs have helped shape Holland and continue to affect many aspects of how people think and act here. Diversity of religions is illustrated as well. The north side of the arch illustrates some of Holland s missionary history. The island shows some of the ways people of Holland express their devotion to God. Information current as of February 2013 (TWH/CJ) 3

4 Bibles: There are several bibles displayed, some are written in Dutch. Stoof: The wooden box in the square display case is a stoof, or stove, which was used to keep peoples feet warm in church. Visitors are welcome to sit on the pew. On the other side of the window display is information about the temperance movement in Holland that took place around the turn of the century. Cultural Heritage: Holland s name mirrors the national origin of its founders, but its history reflects a multi-cultural heritage. Native and African Americans, European, Hispanic and Asian immigrants as well as Americans from other localities have contributed to the development of this community. The Dutch influence, still manifestly strong, has been complemented by this evolving blend of backgrounds. (Label) During the Vietnam era, the city that had so successfully retained its traditional atmosphere also found itself a community in transition. New industries and the resultant population growth produced a building boom. Old traditions, such as closing downtown shops on Wednesday afternoons, gradually succumbed to more mainstream practices. Through the sponsorship of various churches, there was an influx of Latino families and Southeast Asian refugees. Ethnic Diversity: As late as the 1950s, Holland s population remained ethnically homogeneous 90% of Dutch heritage. During the Depression era, Mexican nationals and Mexican-Americans from Texas had begun to migrate into the region to harvest fruit and vegetable crops. Then the industrial labor shortage that developed during WWII lured increasing numbers of Hispanics to the North and some found employment in Holland s factories. By the 1950s, many Hispanics had established residency in Holland and they naturally promoted additional migration into the area by friends and relatives. The 1980 census revealed that over 11% of Holland s 26,000 residents were of Hispanic origin. That decade also brought an influx of refugees from Southeast Asia via the sponsorship of various church congregations. The most current census, done in 2010, lists Holland with a population of just over 33,000 people. Of this amount, 22% are of Hispanic origins, Asian and African American each make up 3% of the population, while 12% of the population are made up of mixed races. Volendam Room: This was taken down from its former location in the Netherlands Museum and installed entirely by volunteers. The room is important because it illustrates the impact of a geographical location on the human spirit. In this case, a man named John Rettig, an American artist living for a time in Volendam. He built this room in his Ohio home because he missed Volendam. The room came to us because his widow was told of the Dutch Heritage museum in Holland Michigan. Wooden Shoe Boat: It is hanging from the ceiling of the Volendam Room. Children may be interested in looking at this. Information current as of February 2013 (TWH/CJ) 4

5 The Time Line (back wall) The back wall is organized chronologically according to events and milestones in Holland s history, and the arrival of diverse cultures here. Along the wooden edges of the reader rails, a time line lists dates and events. Note that the Dutch trunks at the beginning of the time line are echoed by the Hispanic suitcases later on (in Cultural Heritage section), indicating that a story is repeating itself: people immigrate or migrate in order to seek a better life. Opportunity and Exploration : Access to land attracted settlers, culminating in Michigan s 1837 statehood. A financial panic caused planned paper cities and wildcat banks to fail and missionaries attempted to convert the Ottawa Indians to Christianity and farming. For Food and Faith : Social, cultural, and economic upheavals led Dutch emigrants to leave the Netherlands beginning in 1846 and settle mainly in Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois. Here the Holland Kolonie became the U.S. center of 19 th century Dutch immigration and conservative Dutch Reformed faith. Unity Makes Strength : In the 1850s as the area s largely Dutch-owned farms and villages developed, a steamboat line to Chicago in 1858 and railroad lines to Michigan cities in 1870 ensured Holland s economy. However, the unity of de Kolonie fragmented as settlers were split between retaining the Dutch faith and becoming Americanized. Trial by Fire : On October 9, 1871, drought-induced fires swept through the city and surrounding countryside, part of a larger natural disaster that destroyed downtown Chicago and villages in Wisconsin and Michigan. A nation-wide depression in 1873 virtually halted the growth of the Holland area for a decade. From Ashes to Industry : Modern services such as telephone, water, electric, gas, and sewer improved daily life. In 1895, local civic leaders established the Bonus Plan offering incentives, which attracted manufacturers to Holland. Resorters from Chicago and Grand Rapids were attracted to cottages and huge hotels constructed at Macatawa Park and Ottawa Beach. With the coming of the automobile, resorts closed, but Tulip Time became one of the most successful festivals in the country. Growth Through Crisis : Dutch immigration to the Holland area was halted by WWII. During the war, local factories produced a broad range of materials for the war effort, and labor shortages brought migrant workers from Texas and Mexico, creating a new Hispanic community. Information current as of February 2013 (TWH/CJ) 5

6 Us and Them : Following World War II, Holland s ethnic Dutch community began to decline in proportion to the area s overall population. Efforts to attract new factories culminated in the development of the HEDCOR industrial park and the arrival of larger and more diverse work forces. All-America City 1984 Present: Citizens joined with the federal Mainstreet program to create a revitalized downtown. Unprecedented growth led to Holland s classification as an urban center in The cultural and ethnic diversity of area residents is fully reflected in Holland s 1996 status as an All-America City. Semi Centennial: August 1897, Holland had a week-long celebration featuring a mammoth wooden arch decorated with portraits of Van Raalte and other founding fathers and surmounted by a statue of a white horse flanked by the American and Dutch flags. The arch was surrounded with electric lights and it stood on 8 th Street between River and Central Avenues. The Wichers Gallery: This gallery opened with a show honoring Mr. Wichers and thereby helping to explain some of the more unusual objects in our collection, such as the World s Fair pieces. The gallery is named for Mr. Wichers and is the site of temporary and traveling exhibits. Idols (Entryway): Balinese in origin speculation is that they are from the 14 th or 15 th centuries. We have sought to find out about them and to make it clear that we would return them if religious repatriation is at issue. Meanwhile, we have had them repaired and intend to take care of them by having them guard the entrance to the Wichers Gallery. They are from the Golden Gate International Exposition. They would have been found as temple guards on Bali. Information current as of February 2013 (TWH/CJ) 6