The Missouri History Museum Brings St. Louis History to Life with New Artifact-Filled Exhibition

For more than 150 years, the Missouri Historical Society has collected and preserved St. Louis artifacts – objects that future generations can use to make sense of the past. From photographs to textiles and machinery to instruments, select items are now part of a permanent exhibition at the Missouri History Museum.

“Our collection – and the public’s interest in it – inspired [the new exhibition, Collected],” Hattie Felton, director of curatorial affairs and curator of fine and decorative arts at the Missouri Historical Society, explains. “This is the perfect opportunity to share not only highlights from the collection, but also never-before-seen pieces with incredible stories.”

Upon entering the main part of the gallery, visitors will come face to face with Anna, the matriarch of Mexican wolves. “People don’t expect to see a wolf in a history exhibit,” Felton says, “but Anna’s story illustrates St. Louis’ national and international impact.”

Born to a pair of legendary wolves, including one of the last pure Mexican wolves from the Ghost Ranch lineage, Anna played a critical role in the recovery of the species. An unshakable leader with alpha instincts, Anna was also a skilled mother, giving birth to 41 pups in four separate litters of record-breaking numbers at the Endangered Wolf Center. Several of her offspring live in the wild, while others remain at the center as part of its Saving a Species breeding program.

The gavel used by St. Louis Mayor Chauncey Filley is another important artifact to track down in the exhibition. “It looks like a simple wooden gavel,” Felton says, “but it has a powerful story behind it. Filley supported unconditional emancipation for enslaved people in Missouri, and in 1863, he used the gavel to preside over a committee meeting that demanded Missouri have a constitutional convention to free enslaved people in the state. The state did just that, and two years later, the same gavel was used when Missouri officially abolished slavery.”

Collected also presents beloved textiles, including quilts. Dating back to the 19th century, the first quilt in the exhibit is called a crazy quilt, and it looks, well, crazy! “Crazy quilts incorporate as many colors and patterns as possible in the most luxurious fabrics that the maker could find,” Felton explains. “Imagine patches of embroidered silk and plush velvet in a mosaic across the quilt.

“This style of quilt was popular for several decades, but I truly believe that the crazy quilt in the exhibition is the craziest,” she continues. “Carrie McWilliams made the quilt in 1884, incorporating a taxidermy chipmunk and a taxidermy bird in the design. Quilt experts from across the country have confirmed that they have never seen another quilt like it.”

While some pieces mark defining moments in the region’s history, others reflect everyday life. In the rotating gallery within the permanent exhibition, visitors can view more than 2,000 pieces of clothing worn by children throughout different decades in the 1900s.

The theme of the rotating gallery will change every year. Dubbed The Life of Kids’ Clothes, the first exhibit shares stories of St. Louis children that speak to childhood experiences, which we can all relate to. It explores playtime, rites of passage and celebrations as well as clothes that were designed specifically for kids, which was a new concept in the 20th century.

“I believe that objects have tremendous power,” Felton says. “You can learn about history in books and films, but artifacts bring history to life; they make history tangible. They also connect us to each other in a way that makes the world a better – and more informed – place. That’s what Collected does.”

The new permanent exhibition at the Missouri History Museum bolsters the I Am St. Louis campaign by introducing both residents and visitors to a St. Louis they haven’t met. “We’re sharing more than 80 unique pieces from the Missouri Historical Society collection to tell St. Louis stories in fresh and interesting ways,” Felton says. “You might think you know St. Louis, but Collected shines a new light on the city’s history.”