Planetarium Newsletter - March 2021
Cosmic Curiosities
“Time comes into it. Say it. Say it.
The universe is made of stories, not of atoms.”
- Muriel Rukeyser, American Poet
Stories of the Aurora
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The Mexican Kickapoo: A People of Two Nations
The Mexican Kickapoo are a band related to the original Kickapoo tribe that was first encountered by Europeans in the Great Lakes region during the 1600s.
With an innate will to preserve their heritage and a determination to keep out foreign influence, the Kickapoo embarked on a remarkable 250 year migration to their current location just outside the village of Muzquiz in the state of Coahuila, Mexico.
Peter Glass Marquetry Table
A German immigrant, Peter Glass, crafted wooden tables with extremely intricate wooden veneer designs, which led him to win two major awards -- one at the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association exhibit in 1850 and one from the American Institute of New York in 1856. Shortly thereafter, Glass moved to Sheboygan, Wisconsin and began one of his greatest feats: A table containing nearly 20,000 pieces of wood. This design depicted faces of military and political heroes, with floral motifs. Today, very few Peter Glass Marquetry tables survive. Similar tables crafted by Glass are located at the Smithsonian Institution and the Illinois Governor's Mansion. The table depicted here is on display in The Streets of Old Milwaukee exhibit, but remains covered to protect it from the damaging effects of the lights.
Item Image
Catalog Number
N24913
Accession Number
24949
10
Storyteller figure
This impressive ceramic storyteller was made by renowned Southwest artist Mary E. Toya of Jemez Pueblo in the early 1980s. At 19 inches tall and with 115 children attached, this is one of the largest and most intricate pieces of its kind. Storyteller figures symbolize the wisdom of elders and illustrate the importance of contact between generations. The value of stories is highly prized by American Indians and oral history is still a means of educating young people in the traditional knowledge and values of their cultures. The Museum acquired this piece in 1997 through the generosity of the late Donald S. Ackerman, his son Mark Ackerman, and his daughter Francine Huxley.
Item Image
Catalog Number
66371
Accession Number
28709
127
BioBlitz 2016
Grant Park
June 10-11, 2016
Property Description
Grant Park, a unit of the Milwaukee County Park System, is a 381-acre park located at 42.918056 N 87.845982 W. It is a multi-use park with a golf course, tennis courts, soccer fields, and natural areas.
Bugs Alive!
Bugs Alive! gathers different species of live arthropods, including insects, crustaceans, arachnids, centipedes, and millipedes.
Bibliography
- Allen, Gloria Seaman
- “Architectural Samplers from Frederick County, Maryland.” The Magazine Antiques Vol. CLXXI, No. 4 (April, 2007): 110-119.
- Edmunds, Mary Jaene
- Samplers and Samplermakers: An American Schoolgirl Art, 1700-1850.
- Krueger, Glee
- New England Samplers to 1840.
Medieval German Archaeological Metal Collection
Figures are from left to right: Key - #A12304, Rapier - #A12360, Buckle - #A12308
The MPM Medieval German Archaeological Metal collection consists of 173 objects that were all collected in Germany in the late 19th century.
Although the objects are quite varied they share a common thread of utility and date between the 5th and 14th centuries C.E.
Oneida History
Life in New York
The Wisconsin Oneida are an Iroquoian-speaking Indian tribe currently residing on a reservation in northeastern Wisconsin near Green Bay. They originally came from upstate New York. The Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk, and Tuscarora make up the Six Nations League of the Iroquois. The Oneida refer to themselves as Oneyoteaka -- "People of the Standing Stone." According to Oneida traditions, there was always a large, red boulder near the main Oneida village in New York.
Lakota Girl's Dress
Children's clothing from North American Indian cultures, other than moccasins, is unusual to find in many museums. This little girl's dress is in exceptional condition and is among the earliest items to be cataloged in the Museum.
Item Image
Catalog Number
E28
90