Browse Exhibits (5 total)
Group 5-Nettie Hale Rand
This exhibit explores the intersection of literature, craftsmanship, and design through the Nettle Hale Rand Collection. An assemblage of finely bound and beautifully printed books held in Vanderbilt University’s Special Collections. Through these works, visitors will uncover the artistry behind hand-sewn spines, gilt tooling, marbled endpapers, and typographic nuance. The exhibit invites reflection on the book as both an intellectual artifact and a visual object.
Objects of Celebration: LGBTQ+ Ornamentation in the Twentieth Century
Ron Sanford - business owner, community organizer, and gay rights advocate - was born and raised in Nashville, but his life and work have left legacies all throughout the South. In particular, Ron's efforts to make space for LGBTQ+ individuals in the region have been made concrete through the numerous gay bars he has helped own and operate, in many cases serving as venues for drag pageants. In the foreword for James Sears' "Growing Up Gay in the South: Race, Gender, and Journeys of Spirit," Virginia Uribe wrote that, in the South, the stories of the LGBTQ+ are at their core "stories of courage and triumph in the face of defeat" (Sears 1991, xii). Vanderbilt Special Collections, largely under the initiative of Sarah Calise, has made a broad effort to make those stories visible and available for the public and scholars alike. The Ron Sanford Papers, a collection of items related to Sanford's life and career, form one pillar of this archival project. This collection, drawing on those papers, highlights the objects that defined LGBTQ+ celebration in the mid-south during the twentieth century and the material aspects of a pageantry tradition which Sanford himself was active in organizing throughout his career.
Voices from the War: Letters and Diaries from Soldiers, Surgeons, and Families of the American Civil War
This exhibit offers a highly personal perspective on the American Civil War through letters and diaries written by those who experienced it. Soldiers in combat on the battlefield, surgeons in hospitals, and wives managing plantations and homes wrote histories that reflect the pain, sacrifice, and survival of the time. Each object is a firsthand account of duty, adversity, and survival from one of America's most vicious internal conflicts.
William R. McMahan's diary, belonging to a Union soldier who rose to the rank of First Lieutenant, documents military battles and combat experiences in addition to noting of wounded soldiers he encountered.
Dr. John G. Perry, Union doctor, documents his arrival at Chesapeake Hospital, the care of both Union and Confederate soldiers, and an injury which nearly cost him dearly and cut his career short.
Elizabeth Ophelia Evans Johnson documents the trials of maintaining a plantation in Alabama while her husband served in the Confederate Army. The letters of Jasper Newton Smith to his wife, Elizabeth, present us with a front-row seat regarding the war's personal costs and emotional toll of separation.
Together, these letters bring history to life by keeping alive the voices of those who survived the war.
Heads of State, Style, and Story: Crowns Across Cultures
From royal courts to pageant stages, crowns have long symbolized power, beauty, and cultural identity. Heads of State, Style, and Story: Crowns Across Cultures brings together a diverse array of headpieces from around the globe — including sacred Yoruba veils, ornate Chinese regalia, Indonesian ceremonial crowns, and rhinestone tiaras from pageantry. Through this collection, we explore how crowns both reflect and shape social roles, spiritual beliefs, and artistic traditions. Each piece tells a unique story of celebration, authority, or transformation, inviting viewers to consider the enduring significance of what it means to be crowned.
Group 2 -- History of Bluegrass
Summary:
This exhibit was made in order to showcase and inform people about some of the history and development of bluegrass music. We picked items pertaining to bluegrass including prominent firgures and noteworthy instruments.
Bluegrass music is a uniquely American genre with deep roots in the cultural melting pot of the Appalachian region. It emerged in the 1940s, blending elements of old-time string band music, blues, gospel, and jazz into a high-energy, acoustic-driven sound.
Origins and Influences:
The seeds of bluegrass were sown in the early 20th century among Appalachian communities, where Scottish, Irish, and English ballads met African-American blues and gospel traditions. These musical influences were carried by immigrants and rural settlers who brought their instruments—fiddles, banjos, mandolins, and guitars—and oral traditions with them.
A major influence was African-American string band music, especially the banjo, an instrument with African roots. Its syncopated rhythms and drive became central to the bluegrass sound. Meanwhile, the Scots-Irish fiddle tunes, Anglo-American ballads, and religious hymns shaped the melodic and lyrical structures.