The eccentric ethnomusicologist and collector Harry Smith was filmed offering explanations and instructions to officials at the Smithsonian Institute about his vast donation, including a stack of Seminole patchwork. He explains that the fabric should not be touched (despite not using museum-typical, protective cotton gloves himself) unless, teasingly, Washington is bombed. The joke is strange, but obviously shows that he attributes a great deal of importance to these fabrics and their maker. He does not mention her name. Like many artifacts of Seminole handiwork, the artist is very hard to trace.

Seminole Woman Doll, circa 1952
Coconut fiber, red and blue cape
multicolored patchwork dress,
plastic beaded necklace
small fabric pouch
15.25 x 5 x 5 inches
Collection of the Miami Science Museum
Museum purchase

The video indirectly highlights a collective twentieth century fascination with Seminole patchwork (indeed Smith even made an experimental film of Seminole patchwork abstractions). The handicrafts, and people’s interest in them, bolstered the fledgling early economy of the Native American tribe in a time of need. After the Seminole Wars pushed the tribe to South Florida in the second half of the nineteenth century, there was some confusion about how to make money and the tribe turned to tourism and part of that budding economy were the dolls depicting Seminole in traditional garb.

Stills from Harry Smith’s Film Number 15, Seminole patchwork film, ca 1965-66, 16mm, silent, ca. 10 minutes. Courtesy Harry Smith Archives. www.harrysmitharchives.com

In the early 1930s, a Protestant Episcopal missionary named Deaconess Harriet Bedell visited the Seminole and was troubled by their plight. Like all Americans, the Seminole were adversely affected by the Great Depression, and were in desperate need of a new economic outlet. In the first half of the century, there were commercial Indian villages, administered by non-tribal members were opened as sort of “human zoos” where tourists could come and watch the Seminole doing daily work in their native environment. She famously declared that the tribe should “exhibit arts, not people,” and hoped to bolster more Seminole owned businesses that would proffer up homemade handiworks. Deaconess Bedell encouraged the arts amongst the Seminole, and was hugely influential in the thriving art early in the tradition of doll making.

Seminole Woman Doll, circa 1952
Coconut fiber, teal cape with horizontal colored strips,
yellow skirt with multi-colored patchwork, red
and black strips, beaded necklace
15 x 7 x 3 inches
Collection of the Miami Science Museum

The Curious Vault of the Miami Science Museum has a collection of six Seminole Dolls, which date to approximately the 1950s. Dolls like this have been sold to tourists since the early 1900s, and are still available for purchase today. Their bodies were initially made of wood until around the 1930s when the practice of using palmetto fibers took over. These palmetto husks were a native material hand pulled from South Florida trees and woven into a rudimentary representative human shape. The Seminole preferred this material, and Historian Dorothy Downs suggests that it was favored because it closely resembled the population’s skin hue. Both male and female dolls are always depicted with a red mouth, and white and black eyes shaped like a “+” sign.

When the dolls were first offered, they only portrayed women. They are typically depicted with no arms and a cylindrical base for legs because in real life the traditional dress of Seminole women typically covered their feet. Thus the dolls have large and ornately sewn capes, which are beautiful small-scale representations of the intricate and well-known Seminole patchwork. They also have a bonnet like black piece on their head to signify the elaborate yet common style of hair bun popular amongst the women at the time. They also typically have beautifully beaded necklaces.

Seminole Woman Doll, circa 1952
Coconut fiber, lavender skirt with yellow/blue patchwork,
green and yellow cape under the skirt, beaded necklace
9 x 2 x 1.5 inches
Collection of the Miami Science Museum
Museum Purchase

In the 1940s, the Seminole started making male dolls due to popular demand, though they are less common because they were more difficult to make. This is because they have arms and legs, and are shown wearing what is known as a “Big Shirt”, a traditional piece of garb that actually went out of style amongst Seminole men around this same time. They are sometimes depicted wearing a scarf. The collection has two of these more rare male dolls.

The patchwork on both the men and women is sewn in rows, and can sometimes be read and attributed to particular artists, though today this expertise is almost solely left to the Seminole.  Given the size of the fabric strips we can assume they were made specifically for dolls, showing that they were concentrating on the tourist industry.

Seminole Woman Doll, circa 1952
Coconut fiber with legs, red neckerchief, jacket of multicolored
patchwork and horizontal insets, skirt bordered in lavender and
blue with orange and brown patchwork, beaded necklace
10 x 4.5 x 2 inches
Collection of the Miami Science Museum
Museum Purchase

Seminole dolls are said to be the best known amongst all Native American dolls, but their history is not inextricably linked with the Seminole people themselves. There is some evidence that the Seminole made dolls before 1900, however, the tradition of doll making was almost always driven by commerce, and primarily geared towards the tourist industry. This distinction is unique to the Seminole. There are two different histories in place because their people have a history and tradition, as well as a second history linked specifically with tourism.

These particular dolls in the Curious Vault are rare because a great deal of people saw these objects as throwaway tourist toys, and were treated as such. Another explanation for their rarity was briefly illuminated by Harry Smith’s unfounded fear that the Smithsonian’s team might over-handle the objects the patchworks and dolls are fragile. A lot of the early Seminole patchwork and handicrafts have since been lost due to the harsh terrain of the swamp, and that is why these Seminole dolls, so well preserved, are a special addition to the Curious Vault.

Seminole Woman Doll, circa 1952
Coconut fiber body, yellow and red cape over white skirt
machine stitched green, white teal and black rick-rack,
beaded necklace
8 x 5 x 2 inches
Collection of the Miami Science Museum
Museum Purchase

In 1949, the Miami Science Museum opened its doors initially as the Junior Museum, soon changing its name two years later to The Museum of Science and Natural History. An unwritten intent was to give the children of Miami exposure to people of different cultures, adding ethnographic and educational items to build local understanding, and these six exquisite little dolls would have been a way for young people to relate to the nearby Seminole tribe. In January of that same year, 1952, Deaconess Harriett Bedell donated the rare male Seminole Doll and a number of other important Seminole artifacts to the collection. The Curious Vault of the Miami Science Museum is proud to be able to make the connection between such a distinguished member of local history.

Seminole Man doll, circa 1952
Traditional costume of turban, jacket with multi-colored
Horizontal striped rick-rack and multi-colored
skirt with patchwork, rick-rack and orange edge
13 x 5 x 1.5 inches
Collection of the Miami Science Museum
Gift of Deaconess Bedell

This Curious Vault post relied on the research of Dorothy Downs and David Blackard and the input of the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Seminole Indian Museum. 

The Curious Vault is a bi-weekly online cabinet of curiosities featuring objects from the collection of the Miami Science Museum, presented by writer Nathaniel Sandler and Kevin Arrow, Art & Collections Manager. For more information, email karrow@miamisci.org.

“My name is Carol, and I’m in my junior year of high school. I dedicate my free Saturdays to the Museum, and despite the fact that I’m a relatively new recruit – I’ve been doing this for about five months– I’m now a perfectly integrated cog in the machine of hardworking people that keeps this place running. There’s now a familiarity in my work that I appreciate, but every Saturday brings new challenges and pushes me to present the science a little more thoroughly and do my work a little bit better.

The responsibilities of the volunteer and the employee are nearly identical. They are responsible for checking out how things are doing on the floor, helping visitors, and, of course, explaining the science. This could range anywhere from conducting puppet shows, overseeing the Sea Lab, or pitching small demonstrations somewhere on the main museum floor. The principal reason I became a volunteer was for an opportunity to share my enthusiasm for science with the public, and there is certainly no lack of opportunity to do so. I’ve learned whilst doing demonstrations that catching people’s attention is an art. Usually stationed at an inconspicuous table towards the back of the Heart Smart exhibit, I learned quickly that I had to make things interesting. It’s always a challenge – and a challenge I relish. Nothing beats the feeling of seeing a passerby utterly fascinated by how something works, or a small child captivated by a scientific display. 

We’re a close-knit community, here at the Museum. My coworkers are all warm and friendly, and it didn’t take long before I knew all of them by name. While at work there are always things to do, there is an underlying casual and approachable atmosphere that is reflected in the Museum itself. 

I strongly encourage anyone interested in science to join the team. One often overlooks the effort required to maintain it, but the Museum is driven by the truly admirable dynamic of its employees.”

The New World Symphony

On Sunday, the Museum participated in the New World Symphony’s “A Family Affair,” and showed kids and families that music and science are actually very closely related. A spectacular concert performance by the symphony and Conducting Fellow Joshua Gersen celebrated the universally known music of composer John Williams, and included the film scores of Star Wars, Jurassic Park, E.T., and more. After the concert, families were invited to explore a building full of activities, and the Miami Science Museum was on hand to lead activities related to sound and light – what better way to connect music, science, and Star Wars? Kids were able to set up a series of mirrors to create a laser maze, use special filters to safely observe the Sun, and use musical triangles to test the Doppler Effect (the change in the pitch of a sound due to the relative motion of the source of a sound compared to the observer).

Listening to the symphony perform reinforces the power of music – how you can quite literally feel the energy of the stories being told through the sound. And learning about the science of sound and light with the Miami Science Museum’s activities reinforces the fact that science is all around us, in what we see, hear, feel, and understand.

Laser Maze!

The first person to greet them at the entrance was Superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools Alberto Carvalho and School Board Chair Perla Tabares-Hantman. The students introduced themselves, and Superintendent Carvalho asked them which high schools they represented and congratulated them on their accomplishments in the Upward Bound Program. Then the students had a lot of ground to cover at the Fair. Over 200 colleges from all over the country were present, and students were able to talk to lots of college/university representatives and receive all the admissions information they needed. Students also attended workshops on scholarships and financial aid, college admissions, college prep, SAT/ACT Exam information, and more.

Now there are some informed choices to be made!

From left to right: Oscar, Alex, School Board Chair Perla Tabares-Hantman, Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, Jose, Raymond, Omar, Elizabeth, Claudia

The GPEX Science project goals focus on improving gifted students’ academic achievement in science, increasing the number of hands-on inquiry science lessons provided to gifted students, and providing professional development to all project staff. Participants learned to use the Museum’s After-school Program Exploring Science (APEX) curriculum to address science standards, and practiced inquiry-based teaching strategies. They are now using APEX Science in their classrooms throughout the school year, and are working collaboratively to develop extensions of the APEX Science curriculum to meet the needs of gifted students.

This is the third year that the Museum has collaborated with Miami-Dade County Public Schools’ Advanced Academics Program to provide hands-on science training, curriculum and materials for teachers of the gifted. To date, almost 4,000 K-5 gifted children have been served, and 3 published collections of APEX curriculum extensions for gifted children (developed by master teachers trained at Museum) have been distributed to all K-5 gifted teachers.

There are lots of different kinds of engineering – electrical, structural, mechanical, civil – and therefore, we need young people with lots of different interests and skills to fill those jobs for the next generation. And we especially want to encourage young women to explore engineering fields! Last Saturday the Museum held an event “engineered” to do just that. During our Engineering Day, activities and speakers showed off the creative and collaborative nature of engineering, and how engineers of all kinds are changing our world. Panels of successful female engineers provided some career awareness and inspiration by sharing their stories and some keys to their success, local engineering organizations and students showcased their innovations, and Museum staff delivered lots of fun hands-on activities and workshops for over 500 visitors.

This event was designed to stimulate the next generation of engineers, and could not have been carried out without the generous support of our current generation of engineers and other professionals. Special thanks goes to one of our newest members of the Miami Science Museum Board of Trustees, Vanessa Grout. As President/CEO of Douglas Elliman Florida, which served as title sponsor for the event, she was a source of unwavering support. And after attending the event, she felt that “the enthusiasm shared by the children as they participated in the learning exercises was inspiring.”

Other organizations that provided speakers, volunteers, and hands-on activities for the event included the National Engineers Week Foundation, IBM, Johnson Controls, Society of Women Engineers chapters from University of Miami and Florida International University, the Tau Beta Pi chapter at FIU, Girls Scouts of Tropical Florida, United States Air Force, and the American Society of Civil Engineers. Additionally, generous financial support from Morgan Energy, Douglas Elliman Real Estate, and the Cuban American Association of Civil Engineers allowed this event to be free of charge for all students, male and female, in grades K-12.

Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day 2001 was the first national call-out to the profession to focus on getting more girls into engineering and technology. The founding partners were the Society of Women Engineers, MentorNet, IBM, the Association for Women in Science, the Women in Engineering ProActive Network, and the National Engineers Week Foundation. The day serves as catalyst and focal point for activism, and each year during Engineers Week, “Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day” encourages thousands of women engineers, with support from their male counterparts, to directly mentor more than one million girls and young women in K-12 with first-hand experiences in engineering.

The Museum’s involvement in the annual national celebration of Engineering Week, as well as “Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day,” started three years ago as a direct result of our leadership role in the Girls RISE National Museum Network project, funded by the National Science Foundation.

Click here for the grand tour!

Bringing new life to an old classic Marantz stereo receiver with a class D amp board

How to fix a classic American AM tabletop tube radio

How to polish out scratches on laser discs

Check back to Robert’s Instructables site to see what else you may learn!

“I manufacture but one type of these Registers: THE BEST.” -Julien P. Friez

The Electrical Sunshine Recorder (photo by Dogan Arslanoglu)

In the late 19^th century, Julien P. Friez  (1850-1916) and his Baltimore based company began mass producing highly technical weather monitoring systems, and provided many technical instruments to the U.S. Government Weather Bureau. The company started in 1876, and was not focused purely on weather machines initially, yet in its first official catalogue (1893) Friez officially declared their direction. He was not the only manufacturer in this industry, and there was a great deal of competition at the time, however, in the catalogue he clearly states his intention to be the first manufacturer to provide tools for not only professional meteorologists, but also at-home amateur scientific enthusiasts.

The piece pictured above from The Curious Vault of the Miami Science Museum is not singular or particularly rare, but its provenance is intriguing. Friez’s Electrical Sunshine Recorder was donated to the Museum in 1984 by prominent Miamian, James Danielson Deering (1915-1991). Deering is the great nephew of James Deering, builder of the Vizcaya Estate, and grandson of Charles Deering, builder of the Deering Estate at Cutler. The Miami Science Museum is proud to be able to make this link to such  distinguished pioneers of the early South Florida community.

Label on the Electrical Sunshine Recorder

By 1900, many of Friez’s weather monitoring machines, like the Museum’s Sunshine Recorder, were electrified.  Given that this particular piece is labeled on its base, “J.P. Friez and Sons”, we can pinpoint its date of manufacture to between 1914 and 1929, when Julien’s youngest son, Lucien was with the company. A team of around 20 highly skilled professionals constructed this fascinating instrument by hand. It is a Quadruple Register, meaning it could measure four different meteorological phenomena: wind velocity and direction, rain, and sunshine. The apparatus pictured would have been attached through wires to a weather vane placed in a suitable location to record the conditions of the day.

Electrical contacts close-up

The machine itself was wound like a clock and the roll of paper traveled around as each reading was made. When the weathervane moved, a set of ball bearings rotated along with it, causing contact with a thin iron cylinder that was connected to the four wind direction contacts on the device through a series of wiring. It required a decent amount of technical skill to set up the apparatus correctly.

The rain gauge and the sunshine recorder were attached to the weather vane. The rain gauge was a simple measuring tube that worked on a circuit rigged balance beam, while the sunshine recording device functioned on the relationship between carbon black and a thin column of mercury, in what was effectively a sunshine thermometer. The lower bulb is coated with a carbon black substance, which absorbs sunlight and warms the air in the lower bulb more than the air in the clear upper bulb. The expansion of the air in the lower bulb displaces the mercury, which then rises in the tube and completes an electrical circuit, causing a reading. When there is no longer sunshine on the instrument, the mercury retreats, causing a blank line reading.

Ink close-up

Purple ink

Printout roll close-up

Though it cannot be determined at this time where the Deering Family put the vane that attached to this particular instrument—whether at Vizcaya, the Deering Estate, or elsewhere—we can postulate that given the privilege it would have required to purchase such an apparatus, it was most likely put to use. One can hope that the great Deering family sat intimately around a dinner table and discussed the weather reading printouts.

The second Friez Weather Device

There is a second J.P. Friez and Sons piece in collection of the Museum that appears to be of the same time period and the Museum is now investigating the provenance of this unit as well. These two machines help underscore the scope of the collection of fascinating objects on hand in The Curious Vault. Amazingly, after 137 years, J.P. Friez and Sons is still in existence as Belfort Instrument making high quality modern day products, a testament to the lasting excellence and superb vision of Julien P. Friez and his weather monitoring devices.

The Curious Vault is a bi-weekly online cabinet of curiosities featuring objects from the collection of the Miami Science Museum, presented by writer Nathaniel Sandler and Kevin Arrow, Art & Collections Manager. For more information, email karrow@miamisci.org.