Today we spent some time in the 1930s, starting with Shirley Temple and a clip from her 1934 movie Bright Eyes. Shirley was one of the most popular child stars of the decade, and her popularity extended well beyond the movies. Children could even buy paper dolls featuring her and outfits based on the clothes…

This week in class, we explored one of the popular pastimes of children in the early 1900s: going to the movies. You learned about nickelodeons, inexpensive movie theaters where admission often cost just five cents. These theaters became popular places for kids and families to gather and enjoy the latest films. It’s hard to imagine…

Today we moved from the 1910s to the 1920s.

We’ve moved into the 1910s. A lot of the things we’ve already talked about are still around, but new toys, new ways of communicating, and new technology are starting to show up too. Some of the biggest changes in this decade will come from electricity. This is also the decade that saw the founding of…

When we started looking at childhood around 1900–1910, one thing became clear: for kids, the world was changing rapidly. Electricity was still new enough that by 1910, only about 1 in 10 homes had access to it. Electric railways were quickly changing how people traveled. New inventions were grabbing headlines: air conditioning, airplanes, and even…

Often when we think about history, our thoughts go to facts, figures, and famous people. But there is another side of history that can be just as fascinating: the story of ordinary people, music, and things. My work at the museum focuses on telling the stories of the ordinary people who rode trolley cars in…