The New Jersey State Museum will debut a new exhibition, “Hearth & Home,” this Saturday. The exhibit features a rare collection of house models made in the 1930s during the Works Progress Administration, complemented with artifacts used in native dwellings.
On display through Sept. 9, 2018, this family-friendly exhibition will offer visitors the opportunity to learn about the homes and home life of Native Americans in the Eastern Woodlands and other environments all across North America.
The exhibition helps visitors visualize the connection between home and culture, and explore how each culture worked with, and adapted to the environment in which they lived. This included the types of food they prepared and ate, their ceremonies and tradition, as well as their family structures.
“Homes are a reflection of ourselves and the environment in which we live,” New Jersey State Museum archaeology and ethnography curator Dr. Gregory Lattanzi, said. “This was especially true for the native peoples of North America.”
The 10 house models on display were commissioned by the museum in the 1930s as part of a WPA-funded program and used as teaching models for school groups throughout the state. Also on view are artifacts used by the cultures represented.
For additional information, visit the New Jersey State Museum’s website. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. and while admission is free, donations are accepted.
