Childhood portrait of Jennie Clapp Culver (1856-1937), who would become Pasadena’s first school teacher. Gift of Nancy Dustin Wall Moure.
Pasadena Museum of History launches its Centennial Year offerings with an exhibition that is part origin story, part retrospective, and a tribute to the early, privately amassed predecessors of modern-day museums. Cabinet of Curiosities: Celebrating 100 Years of Collecting Pasadena History, on view In the History Center’s South Gallery from February 24 – May 12, 2024, features a wide variety of singular objects from the Museum’s collections.
Cabinet of Curiosities takes its cue from the Renaissance-era displays of artifacts to spotlight some of the images, artworks, and objects the Museum has amassed over a century of preserving items intrinsic to the history of this region. This glimpse into its ever-expanding Archives and Collections illustrates the diversity and extent of PMH’s dedicated efforts to preserve, protect, and display our stories past, present, and yet to come.
The theme of the exhibition will be expanded in the PMH virtual media campaign, Centennial Exposition: 100 Objects in 100 Days that will offer a glimpse into the diverse holdings through a series of posts over 100 consecutive weekdays beginning in mid-April on PMH’s Facebook and Instagram platforms. Select items will also be featured in more detail online in Blogs, on YouTube, and elsewhere.
Cabinet of Curiosities will run in the History Center Galleries concurrently with the art quilt exhibition Celebrate! Quilts on the Wall from 12-5 pm Wednesdays-Sundays through May 12. Admission to both exhibitions is $9 General, $7 Seniors, and Free to PMH Members, Students, and Visitors under 18. Purchase tickets in the Museum Store. Free parking is available in the Museum lot and on Walnut Street. For further information, visit pasadenahistory.org.
