Quilts A to Z
A revolving exhibit of fabulous quilts from the collections of the Nebraska State Historical Society and the International Quilt Study Center. Some of these will be on exhibit through 2007.

Weird Nebraska: Strange Stories and Amazing Facts
Nebraskans have expressed themselves in ways that are peculiar or downright weird. Here is a sampling of Nebraska's strange stories, along with some of her amazing facts. Exhibited from January 2006 to January 2007.

Beadwork Masterpieces: Native American Bandolier Bags of the Prairies and Lakes was on exhibit from January 2005 to January 2006.

Patchwork Lives, an exhibition celebrating the legacy of frontier quiltmakers, was on exhibit from April 2004 to April 2006.

The Doll Show, based on the doll collections of the Nebraska State Historical Society.

Artwork of Thomas Berger Johnson, a museum collection of the Nebraska State Historical Society. View a virtual exhibit of the artist's work not currently on exhibit.

Collections Treasures highlights some interesting museum collections not currently on exhibit.

Nebraska Treasures virtual exhibit. Sample of some of the treasures from the Library/Archives.

Through this digital exhibit, viewers can see photographs, documents, artifacts, and artwork reflecting the Overland Trail experience. Most of the images were taken from the exhibit at the Chimney Rock National Historic Site.

WHO - WHAT - WHERE - WHEN
Palisade, Ne., "The Bostock Studio" photographs
These glass-plate-negative photographs from southwestern Nebrasaka need your help in identifying their history.

"Here Open to All is the History of this People": 125 Years of the Nebraska State Historical Society.
March 1, 2003 - March 1, 2004
This exhibit at the Nebraska State Historical Society's headquarters building, 15th & R Streets, Lincoln, celebrated 125 years of Society history.

Made in Nebraska
January 9, 2003 - - -
From mills to wineries, automakers to violin-makers, Nebraska has been home to a wide range of manufacturers and inventors. This exhibit is a sampler of some of the many items, from the collection of the Nebraska State Historical Society, that have been Made in Nebraska.

One Hundred Years of 4-H in Nebraska, "Still Making the Best Better"
In an effort to keep young people from leaving the farm at the end of the nineteenth century, progressive educators around the country began providing out-of-school-programs designed to convey new agricultural methods through hands-on experiences. These programs formed the basis of today's 4-H.

Planned to open in 2002, the 4-H Centennial exhibit could not be completed because of a museum air conditioning failure. It is now available as a virtual exhibit on the website.

Building the State: Nebraska, 1867-1916
March 1, 2002 - - -
Imagine building a state from scratch. That's the task Nebraskans faced 135 years ago, and their stories are the focus of a new permanent exhibit at the Society's Museum of Nebraska History. Building the State examines the promise and problems encountered as people created the political, economic, and cultural systems that became Nebraska. Through period settings, artifacts, documents, and photos, Building the State illustrates the growth of Nebraska's towns, government, agriculture, ranching, industries, and inventions, along with changing technology, political and social movements, and the state's rich ethnic heritage from statehood in 1867 to the eve of World War I. A wealth of artifacts and photographs from the museum and library/archives collections offers visitors insight into the amazing transformation of Nebraska during this period.

The Cushman Centennial
June 2, 2001 - March, 2003
What famous Nebraska product turned one hundred in 2001? If you guessed the Cushman engine, you're right. In 1901 cousins Everett and Clinton Cushman began constructing farm machinery and two-cycle boat engines in Lincoln. The company incorporated as Cushman Motor Works in 1913 and built a factory at Twenty-first and X streets.

Highlights of this exhibit included a Cushman Model 52 motor scooter from about 1955, and a Cushman Model C gasoline engine patented in 1911.

Nebraska Toy Stories
January 5 - December 28, 2001
More than one hundred toys dating from the 1860s to the 1960s were on display. The selection ranged from traditional toys such as dolls, airplanes, wagons, and a teddy bear, to more recent favorites like G. I. Joe, Hot Wheels cars, and a Buck Rogers Atomic Pistol.



Road Trip! Life on Vacation with the Gehrkes of Lincoln,
July 1, 1999 - June 30, 2001
This photograph exhibit at the Nebraska State Historical Society's headquarters building, 15th & R Streets, Lincoln, featured photographs by Lincoln builder Edward Gehrke, along with the travel journals his wife, Margaret, kept between 1916 and 1939.

Orphan Train Exhibit
May 1-31, 2001
A small exhibit of orphan train-related material was on display at the Museum of Nebraska History in conjunction with the Nebraska Orphan Train Riders Reunion scheduled for May 4-5 in Lincoln. The exhibit featured recently acquired archival materials from the estate of orphan train rider Toni Weiler, along with socks, mittens, a nametag, and numbered ribbon worn by Albert Sommer on his train trip to Nebraska in 1912. Photos and newspaper articles were also included.

Patchwork and Progress
September 11 - December 29, 2000
This special exhibit offered a look at quilts and sewing machines from the Nebraska State Historical Society's collections, with twenty-three quilts displayed.

Nebraska Quilts: A Patchwork History 
July 1 - December 27, 1998
This exhibit featured twelve quilts spanning a century of Nebraska history, dating from the 1840s through the 1940s. Some of the quilts came west with their makers, while others were made in Nebraska.

The exhibit included the oldest surviving quilt known to have been created in Nebraska, a Wreath of Roses pattern made by Martha Allis Hollins in 1860, as well as a selection of crazy quilts, patchwork, and applique designs.

The highlight of the exhibit was Grace Snyder's famous Flower Basket Petit Point quilt, completed in 1943 and composed of more than 85,000 pieces. Snyder's quilt work is nationally known for its skill and complexity. She was inducted into the Congress of Quilters Hall of Fame in Arlington, Virginia, in 1980, and into the Nebraska Quilters Hall of Fame in 1986.

Exhibits at the Museum of Nebraska History