They Have Conventions For That?

Recently I’ve been working on the collection of posters and I have to say I’ve been really impressed with what we have.  We have intriguing, sometimes frightening, and many times lovely posters from WWI and WWII, interesting items that advertise all sorts of events and products in Nebraska and, of course, we have some oddities.  Like the one above.  I got quite a chuckle wondering about the meaning of this.  I thought to myself, “this has to be a joke–maybe a fundraiser” in Fort Calhoun, Nebraska.  I eventually discovered, however, that it is advertising a play that was popular in the early 20th century.  It is possible that a traveling theater group put it on or, maybe, the folks of Fort Calhoun produced it themselves.  Either way, it’s an eye-catcher.

-Deb Arenz, Former Senior Museum Curator

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History Nebraska was founded in 1878 as the Nebraska State Historical Society by citizens who recognized Nebraska was going through great changes and they sought to record the stories of both indigenous and immigrant peoples. It was designated a state institution and began receiving funds from the legislature in 1883. Legislation in 1994 changed History Nebraska from a state institution to a state agency. The division is headed by Interim Director and CEO Jill Dolberg. They are assisted by an administrative staff responsible for financial and personnel functions, museum store services, security, and facilities maintenance for History Nebraska.
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