Mathers Museum of World Cultures facts for kids
The Mathers Museum of World Cultures was a special place at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. It used to show amazing art and objects from different cultures around the world. Think of it as a treasure chest filled with stories from various peoples!
In 2020, the Mathers Museum joined forces with another important place, the Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology. Now, they are one big museum called the Indiana University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (IUMAA). This new museum is getting ready to open its doors in 2023. It will continue to explore and share the history of people and cultures.
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How the Museum Started
The idea for this museum first came up in 1963. It was supported by different parts of Indiana University, like the history and anthropology departments. The museum opened its very first exhibit in December 1965.
Its first director, Dr. Wesley Hurt, worked hard to collect many interesting items. He traveled to places like the Western United States and South America. He also asked people to donate their collections to the museum.
Growing Bigger and Better
By 1970, the museum had so many cool things that it needed a bigger home! A new building would give it more space for exhibits and storage. This led the museum staff to get a special approval from the American Association of Museums in 1971.
In 1980, they started building the new museum. It was named the William Hammond Mathers Museum. This name honored the youngest son of Dr. Frank C. Mathers, who was a chemistry professor at IU and a big supporter of the new building.
What the Museum Collected
Over the years, the museum gathered more than 40,000 objects and pictures from cultures all over the world. These collections helped people learn about different ways of life.
The museum was especially good at showing items from:
- African cultures
- Latin American cultures
- Native American cultures
- Musical instruments from around the globe
- The history of Indiana itself
Understanding the Collections
Sometimes, when the museum got new items, they didn't know much about who made them or how they were used. Later, museum staff and students did special research. They would go out and study how these objects were made and used in real life. This helped them create better exhibits with lots of information.
Special Collections to See
The museum had many unique and fascinating collections. Here are just a few examples of the amazing things it held:
- Everyday Tools: The Stevens-Esarey collection showed tools people used daily in the 1800s.
- African Art: There were many West African items collected by experts like Roy Sieber.
- Native American Treasures: The Ellison collection featured items from Native American cultures.
- Musical Instruments: The Laura Boulton collection had hundreds of musical instruments from all over the world. Imagine all the different sounds they could make!
- Brazilian Life: A collection of everyday objects from the Caboclos people in Brazil.
- Healing Arts: Nearly 200 items related to botánicas, which are shops that sell herbs and spiritual items for health and well-being.
- African Royalty: Special clothing and items linked to kings and queens in Central Africa.
- Handmade Chairs: Pieces by Chester Cornett and other chair makers from Kentucky.
- West African Clothing: Over 400 garments from West Africa.
- Great Lakes Native American Items: Materials from the Great Lakes region, given by Elinor and Vincent Ostrom.
- Cherokee Crafts: Works bought from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians' Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual cooperative.
- Fantasy Coffin: A large airplane-shaped coffin from Ghana, made by Paa Joe Coffin Works. These unique coffins are made to look like something important to the person who died.
These collections helped visitors understand the rich history and traditions of people from all corners of the Earth.
