Contributor: Morgan Walker is a senior English/creative writing major from Prairie Grove, AR. She believes in the power of storytelling and is fascinated by the array of stories offered by museums, especially the University of Arkansas Museum.
Welcome to 2021! The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and all is perfectly normal. If only it were that easy, right? I think we can all agree that it’s nice to have 2020 behind us, but the truth is, we’re still dealing with the same issues today. Amidst the swirl of modern life, sometimes a perspective shift to the past can be refreshing, so let’s visit 1921 using some items from the University of Arkansas Museum.
Below are three items connected to 1921 in some capacity. All items also loosely tie into our experiences today, 100 years later. Hopefully, by escaping to the roaring 20s, we will embrace our own era with new courage and tenacity.
1. Sponge from the Devonian Period, collected in 1921
Figure 1 Courtesy of University of Arkansas Museum
Ah, a sponge! Of course, this fossil dates far before 1921, landing somewhere in the Devonian period (hundreds of millions of years ago). This object was acquired, however, in 1921, and now joins the Geology collection at the University of Arkansas Museum. If you can afford me to make a funny connection here, this intake was made before cleaning sponges were invented (those came in 1937). Imagine a world without cleaning sponges! In 2021, when I find myself sanitizing grocery bags, I experience a surprising amount of relief in this thought.
2. Freshwater Snails from Washington County, collected in 1921
Figure 2 Courtesy of University of Arkansas Museum
These objects were acquired in 1921, and they are now a part of the U of A Museum’s Zoology collection. These snails carry a lot of relevant symbolism. In 2020, we learned the importance of slowing down, staying within our shells, and living a simpler life. In 2021, let us remember these lessons, looking to a 1921 acquisition of freshwater snails with new significance and curious camaraderie.
3. Fayetteville City Hospital Graduation Invitation, from 1921
Figure 3 Courtesy of University of Arkansas Museum
Remember when people used to gather in large groups for social events? This invitation from 1921 invites a lucky recipient to attend the Fayetteville City Hospital’s eighth annual “Graduating Exercises.”
Figure 4 Courtesy of University of Arkansas Museum
I find this object, which is now a part of the U of A Museum’s History collection, to be the most encouraging of all. 100 years ago, in Fayetteville, a group of people gathered to celebrate emerging medical professionals. While they didn’t know anything about the pandemic the world would face in the next century, they still had a commitment to medicine and service, something that has endured into our modern age. May the preservation of such an envelope spark in us a deep gratitude for the health care workers serving us today, and may we look to the future with hope to gather for graduations once again.
Together, let’s walk into 2021 with renewed perspective, looking to the past for inspiration, hope, and encouragement. Someday, someone may look back on us for the same morale boost.