As the Historical Museum of Fort Missoula turns 50 years old, they’ve dug into their collection archives to show off pieces that revisit the first years it began accepting donations.
Much of the new exhibition they’ve arranged, “Everyday Treasures,” is exactly what the title indicates: clothing, toys, kitchen utensils, tools, photographs, postcards and more that give a view into daily life.
“We decided to look at what really started the museum — and we are the community’s museum, and we really wanted to put that at the forefront, that this place wouldn’t have existed without the community coming together,” said Emma Selfors, the nonprofit museum’s curator of collections.
The demand appeared strong by one measurement. From when it first opened its doors in 1975, through to the end of its first decade in 1985, the museum received donations of about 9,000 items, “which just clearly shows how much Missoulians really desperately wanted to preserve their history,” she said.
At that point in the 1970s, residents were looking back at their homesteader ancestors or how their family ended up in western Montana.
“They don’t necessarily fit other themes, major topics, huge historical events, but they really do make up the fabric of Missoula,” she said.
If you go
“Everyday Treasures” exhibition opening and Fort birthday party is Friday, Sept. 19, from 5-7 p.m. at the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula. There will be birthday cake, party favors and more. Admission is free from Sept. 19-21.
The exhibit is on view in the North Gallery, where they’ve recreated the look of a collections storage room itself. While it’s the smallest gallery in the museum, they’ve managed to fit around 500 items out of the collection of 50,000.
People can page through binders full of historical photos and postcards. You can pull out the drawers in an archival cabinet to see glass-covered arrangements of tools, saws and blades and more.
“We wanted to show off their artifacts, their history, in spaces that they helped make happen,” Selfors said.
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They’ve put on view a wedding dress, the first donated to the museum, which dates to 1899.
“It’s just a gorgeously preserved piece which we love,” Selfors said.
Behind it hangs a quilt that they believe is around 150 years old.
“The donor purported in 1976 that it was already 100 years old, and they weren’t 100% sure, but pretty darn sure their grandmother had made it, and sometimes that happens, they hand us things and they say, ‘This is what I know.’ ”
People can see some of the nuts and bolts of proper storage, such as specialized non-acidic paper and cardboard to protect fabric from ultraviolet light.
The toy shelves include a hand-made wooden train and a series of more than 60 wooden toys that a local man had made and donated.
“We live in a little bit more of a disposable society, but when you look at these toys, they’re likely toys that have been passed down through generations and tell a family story,” said Carrie Nowlen, development and communications manager.
A museum intern from the University of Montana, Sara Bartsch, spent some 10 weeks on that section. Three others, Steve Bixby, Jack Munger and Anna Kropf, worked on the exhibition as well.
The museum is still actively collecting after a brief pause, Selfors said. The main criteria is that a donation must be tied to Missoula County history and have local stories that could be researched.
As part of the 50th anniversary, the museum has opened several other new exhibitions, including “Far From Home: An Internee Experience” about the day to day lives of regular Italian and Japanese men who’d been living in the U.S. and were detained at the site during World War II.
“Brick and Mortar in Missoula: A City in the Making One Brick A Time,” features displays and items from small businesses going back years. If you miss the Uptown Diner, they’ve re-created a table setting. Same for Perugia, the Risho family’s famed restaurant, and Highlander Beer.
Rockin’ Rudy’s has a display of memorabilia, including records, a cardboard Elvis ad cutout and more. Live music fans will want to check the glass case that boasts an impressive collection of tickets, including Pearl Jam’s 1993 concert in what’s now called the Dennison Theatre. Entry to their 1995 concert at the Adams Fieldhouse ran for $18 regular.
Cory Walsh is the arts and entertainment reporter for the Missoulian.
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