All Blog Posts in "Artifacts"
I Sing The Body Electric
January 25, 2013
By Douglas Platt, Museum Curator and Thomas Stearns, Researcher The Museum recently acquired two fascinating therapeutic instruments from the early twentieth century—"The Master Violet Ray” and "The Monitor Electric Battery.” These were types of high-frequency generators that were made for in-home medical applications. Today’s entry focuses on the Master Violet Ray, which carried the tagline: "No home should be without one." Manufactured by the Master Electric Company in Chicago, Illinois, t…
The Niagara County Almshouse Cemetery
June 22, 2012
By David Mack-Hardiman, Contributor Surrounded by a thorny thicket of nearly impenetrable foliage, the Niagara County Almshouse Cemetery sits on a remote hill in Lockport, NY. Here lie the remains of approximately 1,400 people who lived and died at the almshouse from 1830 until 1916. As one walks up the path to approach the cemetery, songbirds chatter in the treetops. Densely overgrown bristly shrubs sit to the left of the path while an open grassy field is on the right. The taller treed area o…
Teaching American History through Cemeteries
June 14, 2012
By Reid Dunlavey, Contributor On June 4, 2012, I had the opportunity to give a presentation to 25 elementary teachers at Forest Lawn Cemetery. There were five presenters and we all had to use the cemetery as a teaching tool in our presentations. This was not an easy task. My first thought was how or even why would an elementary teacher use death and a cemetery to teach history? After thinking about whom of significance was buried there and if any of those people had any impact on children and s…
The Underground Railroad in Niagara Falls
May 4, 2012
By Bradford Watts, Contributor The Underground Railroad occupies a central place in American history and folklore. The “railroad” refers to the routes followed by brave African American individuals who escaped from slavery during the mid-nineteenth century, as well as the people, networks, places and structures that collectively provided for and supported their efforts to gain their freedom. Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Area The Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Area c…
The Find
March 16, 2012
By Douglas Platt, Museum Curator One aspect of building and overseeing the collection for the Museum of disABILITY History is what I call “The Find.” It is the moment when you realize that a recent acquisition has expanded the breadth and depth of the collection exponentially. My most recent “Find” arrived in a photograph album. The Museum recently acquired a dark brown photo album, bound with a brown shoe-lace. Upon opening the album, the first two photos were 7 x10 inch photographs of a conc…
A Curator's Thanksgiving
December 14, 2011
By Doug Platt, Museum Curator A museum’s collection is a critical part of its existence, the wellspring from which its exhibits originate and the storehouse for inquisitive researchers. The Museum of disABILITY History Collection includes books, photographs, documents, newsletters, adaptive equipment, movies, toys, clothing, stamps, postcards and sound recordings all related to the rich history of individuals with disabling conditions. Strategic purchases have been made by the staff of the muse…
A glimpse into the past...
September 29, 2011
By Doug Platt, Museum Curator Curator Doug Platt shows off our newest artifact at the Museum. One of our recent acquisitions to the Museum is this artificial wooden leg, generously donated to us by the Niagara County Historical Society. The prosthetic leg was found along the shores of Lake Ontario in Hartland in 1984 and dates back to the late 1800’s. The leg is now on display as part of the Museum’s “War and Disability” exhibit, as the prosthetic is identical to those used by soldiers who h…