Museums 101: Treasures from the Vaults (Photo Diary)

Most museums have only a small fraction of their overall collection on display. Most of the collections are in storage. A display called Treasures from the Vaults at the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture in Spokane, Washington allows visitors to see collected items simply tagged and stacked for some possible future display.

There was a time when an operator—an actual, real person—would use an apparatus like the one shown above to connect phone calls.

Shown above is a penny farthing bicycle from the 1880s. This is an Overman Racing Bicycle made in New England.

Shown above is an RCA Television Camera manufactured from 1950 to 1953. This camera was used by KXLY from 1952 until 1973.

Shown above is a Belding-Hall Century Refrigerator which used blocks of ice to keep food cold.

Shown above is a miniature cathedral model made between 1951 and 1969 by retired Lutheran minister Rev. M.J. Mikelson. Using Tennessee red cedar in took him 3,200 hours to construct this model.

Shown above is a portrait camera made by Century Company between 1902 and 1905. It has a Baush & Lomb portrait lens.

Before there were computers, there were typewriters and special desks to put them at a comfortable height for use.

Shown above is a 1962 fallout shelter water canister. Notice that the empty canister could be re-used as a commode.

Shown above is a carbon-arc motion picture projector.
 

Shown above is a 1928 Electra-Kold, the Simplest Electric Refrigerator.

Before the recording of music was common, there were devices such as the 1909 Baby Grand Model Violano Virtuoso made by Mills Novelty Company. It features a violin and a 44 note piano. It is coin operated.

It seems like all museums have at least one cannon in their collection. This is a mountain signal canon made about 1850.