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- Mechanical Lantern Slide, Movement of a Comet, 1860-1900 - Magic lanterns use a concave mirror and light source to project images on glass slides with painted or photographic scenes. Developed in the 17th century, magic lanterns predate slide projectors and motion pictures. In the hands of magicians, they became "lanterns of fright," projecting wondrous images and apparitions. Slide themes ranged widely: exotic travel, folklore, advertising, history, science, and art.

- 1860-1900
- Collections - Artifact
Mechanical Lantern Slide, Movement of a Comet, 1860-1900
Magic lanterns use a concave mirror and light source to project images on glass slides with painted or photographic scenes. Developed in the 17th century, magic lanterns predate slide projectors and motion pictures. In the hands of magicians, they became "lanterns of fright," projecting wondrous images and apparitions. Slide themes ranged widely: exotic travel, folklore, advertising, history, science, and art.
- Mechanical Lantern Slide, Earth's Orbit and Astrological Constellations, 1860-1900 - Magic lanterns use a concave mirror and light source to project images on glass slides with painted or photographic scenes. Developed in the 17th century, magic lanterns predate slide projectors and motion pictures. In the hands of magicians, they became "lanterns of fright," projecting wondrous images and apparitions. Slide themes ranged widely: exotic travel, folklore, advertising, history, science, and art.

- 1860-1900
- Collections - Artifact
Mechanical Lantern Slide, Earth's Orbit and Astrological Constellations, 1860-1900
Magic lanterns use a concave mirror and light source to project images on glass slides with painted or photographic scenes. Developed in the 17th century, magic lanterns predate slide projectors and motion pictures. In the hands of magicians, they became "lanterns of fright," projecting wondrous images and apparitions. Slide themes ranged widely: exotic travel, folklore, advertising, history, science, and art.
- Horse Hat, 1890-1915 - Beginning in the late-19th century, American animal welfare proponents suggested that work horses wear hats to help keep the animals cool in summer. Soon, bonneted horses pulling omnibuses, hacks, delivery wagons, and other vehicles appeared on city streets. The use of horse hats waned when some questioned their effectiveness, and as electric and gas-powered vehicles replaced the hard-working horse.

- 1890-1915
- Collections - Artifact
Horse Hat, 1890-1915
Beginning in the late-19th century, American animal welfare proponents suggested that work horses wear hats to help keep the animals cool in summer. Soon, bonneted horses pulling omnibuses, hacks, delivery wagons, and other vehicles appeared on city streets. The use of horse hats waned when some questioned their effectiveness, and as electric and gas-powered vehicles replaced the hard-working horse.
- "Wondering" by Martin Blank, 1995 -

- 1995
- Collections - Artifact
"Wondering" by Martin Blank, 1995
- Employee Cyndi Scott Feeding a Racoon in Greenfield Village, 1977 -

- 1977
- Collections - Artifact
Employee Cyndi Scott Feeding a Racoon in Greenfield Village, 1977
- Horseshoe, 1900-1929 - Horseshoes protect hooves from excessive wear. They are a basic part of the care and maintenance of a horse. In the 19th century horses moved people, freight, money, and information where railroads and waterways did not go. Americans relied on the horse. The demand for a large, healthy horse population and 19th-century industrialization spurred the mass production of horseshoes.

- 1900-1929
- Collections - Artifact
Horseshoe, 1900-1929
Horseshoes protect hooves from excessive wear. They are a basic part of the care and maintenance of a horse. In the 19th century horses moved people, freight, money, and information where railroads and waterways did not go. Americans relied on the horse. The demand for a large, healthy horse population and 19th-century industrialization spurred the mass production of horseshoes.
- Essay by John Burroughs, "On Instinct," 1906-1907 -

- 1906-1907
- Collections - Artifact
Essay by John Burroughs, "On Instinct," 1906-1907
- Miniature Glass Figure, Animal, 1955-1985 - For visitors to the resort towns around Pentwater, Michigan, a trip to Henry Carter Johnson's "Glass Menagerie" was a cherished vacation ritual. For over forty years, beginning in 1952, Johnson heated colored glass rods and fashioned them into multicolored figures. His whimsical creatures captured the imaginations of children and adults who purchased them, providing a tangible reminder of an enjoyable Michigan summer.

- 1955-1985
- Collections - Artifact
Miniature Glass Figure, Animal, 1955-1985
For visitors to the resort towns around Pentwater, Michigan, a trip to Henry Carter Johnson's "Glass Menagerie" was a cherished vacation ritual. For over forty years, beginning in 1952, Johnson heated colored glass rods and fashioned them into multicolored figures. His whimsical creatures captured the imaginations of children and adults who purchased them, providing a tangible reminder of an enjoyable Michigan summer.
- Covered Dish, 1890-1900 - Nineteenth-century American glassmakers experimented with new methods to create products for a growing consumer market. In the 1820s, pressing glass into metal molds by machine was perfected, and by the mid-1800s, manufacturers were creating a variety of inexpensive pressed glass housewares. America's middle-class consumers could now decorate their homes with attractive glass bowls, creamers, dishes, plates, vases, and other tableware.

- 1890 - 1900
- Collections - Artifact
Covered Dish, 1890-1900
Nineteenth-century American glassmakers experimented with new methods to create products for a growing consumer market. In the 1820s, pressing glass into metal molds by machine was perfected, and by the mid-1800s, manufacturers were creating a variety of inexpensive pressed glass housewares. America's middle-class consumers could now decorate their homes with attractive glass bowls, creamers, dishes, plates, vases, and other tableware.
- Small Animal Tread Power, circa 1898 - As farmers mechanized barn and farmyard work in the nineteenth century, they began to use stationary power sources. Some invested in animal treadmills, which used the same "endless belt" concept as modern exercise treadmills to convert animals' movement into power for a range of agricultural machinery. This version, designed for dogs, goats, or sheep, could run small machines like butter churns or cream separators.

- circa 1898
- Collections - Artifact
Small Animal Tread Power, circa 1898
As farmers mechanized barn and farmyard work in the nineteenth century, they began to use stationary power sources. Some invested in animal treadmills, which used the same "endless belt" concept as modern exercise treadmills to convert animals' movement into power for a range of agricultural machinery. This version, designed for dogs, goats, or sheep, could run small machines like butter churns or cream separators.