"History Made Vivid": The Interior Museum at 80

With the Interior Museum’s 80^th anniversary in March 2018 comes the opportunity to reflect upon its innovative origins. Interior Secretary Harold Ickes envisioned the museum playing a key role at the new Interior headquarters, and when it opened in the midst of the Great Depression, it was a truly novel addition for a federal office building. Interior Museum Chief Curator Tracy Baetz will explore how one wing of the headquarters was popularly transformed into "history made vivid." Get a glimpse of how state-of-the art exhibition techniques of the 1930s achieved groundbreaking results that highlighted what was important to the Department in the interwar period. Bonus: lecture attendees will receive a special commemorative surprise!

Special Assistance -  For those in need of special assistance (such as an interpreter for the hearing impaired) or inquiries regarding the accessible entrance, please notify museum staff at (202) 208-4743 in advance of the program. Special needs will be accommodated whenever possible.