The World’s Fair of 1904 debuted several foods that are enjoyed today. The “Food, Glorious Food” exhibit at the Brown House shares the stories behind the ice cream cone, Jell-O and more. Allison LaBrot / The Wylie News
The Brown House has brought back two popular exhibits with improved layouts thanks to their new, customized display panels.
“Food, Glorious Food” and “Godey’s Lady’s Book” are open to new and returning visitors through Friday, September 26.
Innovations from the 1904 World’s Fair, vibrant food replicas and antique kitchen gadgets are among the items found in “Food, Glorious Food.” This exhibit also features the new panels, which are being used to display information and related artifacts.
“Pecan Tree Design here in Wylie actually designed these for us and custom made them,” said Tour Guide and Research Assistant Kari Isom.
The panels have drawer space at the bottom, wheels for easy transport and removable shelf and hook elements to fit the needs of each exhibit.
The designing, funding and building of the customized panels has been a two-year process, Curator Tracy Lawson said. The extra space they provide will be useful for the exhibits planned in honor of the 250th birthday of the U.S. next year.
While all ages are welcome at the “Food, Glorious Food” exhibit, children are especially encouraged to come and guess the purpose of the antique tools used in kitchens of the past.
The returning “Godey’s Lady’s Book” exhibit allows visitors to step into the pages of the influential women’s magazine with authentic reproductions of popular dress styles and a closer look at the fashion plates included in issues.
Isom explained that each fashion plate was sent out to individual artists who would hand paint them with the colors they had to fit what was requested. This process resulted in the same illustration having a different appearance in each copy of an issue. Sarah Josepha Hale, the magazine’s longtime editor, used this process to employ more women. Hale’s other contributions to society included petitioning President Abraham Lincoln to create a Thanksgiving holiday and establishing daycare nurseries.
Brown House visitors will find much more about Hale’s life and influence in the detailed “Godey’s Lady’s Book” exhibit.
While the current exhibits are old favorites, new antiques in the parlor give returning guests a deeper look into Victorian history. Three paintings by former mayor’s wife Callie Eddins Click are other recent additions to the Brown House’s collection.
Click and her husband moved to Wylie during the Great Depression.
“Things were horrible here,” Lawson said, “They came here on purpose, but they came here and set about with a will trying to make a better place.”
Click’s husband brought many jobs to the area and served as mayor for eight years. Click, herself, was civic-minded and was a founding member of several local clubs. She began painting in 1959 and continued until her death in 1985.
The Brown House is also celebrating National Parks and Recreation Month with Victorian yard games for visitors of all ages to discover on the porch.
The Brown House is open for free tours from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
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By Allison LaBrot | [email protected]
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