Pieces of the Blackwell History of Education Museum’s collection always have been scattered.
Graham Hall. Gabel Hall. The Milan Township District #83 One-Room Schoolhouse.
Basically, says Patrick Roberts, associate professor in the Department of Leadership, Educational Psychology and Foundations (LEPF) and faculty director of the Blackwell, the artifacts were being stored wherever space was available.
Some items were just laying on tables. Some were in the basement of the schoolhouse, which is not climate-controlled and located across busy Annie Glidden Road. Some were surprises to even Roberts.
That’s all changing.
Roberts is in the process of moving the collection into a new centralized storage space, Graham 236, where he assembled the metal shelves himself, with the muscular assistance of LEPF Academic Counselor David Snow. The adjoining Graham 238 now serves as the Blackwell office.
“Doing this really helps the Blackwell engage with best practices when it comes to collections management,” Roberts says. “It’s still a work in progress, as we’ll spend the next few months getting the boxes organized.”
Artifacts already are benefitting from the work.
For example, he says, Founders Memorial Library recently donated the old map drawers to the Blackwell. Some are now providing appropriate keeping of 19th century cross stitching samples, carried from the one-room basement, made by schoolgirls as part of their education.
Other pieces are being rediscovered and rescued, he adds, such as an old Korean block press and a gorgeous wooden diploma from an Islamic school.
Meanwhile, faculty and students will benefit.
“Consolidating the collection makes it much easier for faculty to come and find things,” Roberts says. “They’re welcome to come by any time the storage room is open. They can go through the artifacts, and I encourage faculty to do that; there might be items here they want to share with their classes. Faculty can bring classes here, and we can set out artifacts for students to view.”
Graduate assistants for the Blackwell, he adds, now will find it easier to complete their work to track and catalog the collection.
The Blackwell library collection, which holds more than 10,000 volumes, will continue to be located in the Learning Center of Gabel Hall, next to the Blackwell’s main exhibition area.
Display cases in the first-floor Gabel hallway above the Learning Center also will continue to showcase the Blackwell’s collection.
The current exhibition salutes ceramic or porcelain collectibles given to teachers as end-of-the-year appreciation gifts. All were donated to the Blackwell by retired educators.
“In looking at these figurines, you get a sense of the iconography that we associate with schools and that tend to permeate popular culture. The apple, for example, which shows up in many of these collectables, is a symbol we’ve come to associate with schools and teachers,” Roberts says.
“Many of these figurines also have a blackboard or chalkboard with the ABCs written on them,” he adds. “You can also see how education is gendered. Most of these figurines – these representations of teachers – are women.”
For more information about visiting and searching the Blackwell storage room, email Roberts at proberts1@niu.edu.
