Between March, 2001, and January, 2002, the Smithsonian Institution
will make its
third visit to
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"Radio
has no future. Heavier-than-air flying machines are
impossible. X-rays will prove to be a hoax."
-
William Thomson, Lord Kelvin English scientist, 1899
"Computers
may weigh no more than 1.5 tons."
- Popular Mechanics magazine, 1949
"The
telephone‚ has too many shortcomings to be seriously
considered as a means of communication."
- Western Union memo, 1876
"Who
wants to hear actors talk?"
- H.M. Warner, Warner Brothers, 1927
In
the 1920s, Henry Ford predicted that houses would be
built on assembly lines?
The
first computer weighed 30 tons and filled an entire
home?
The
"airphibian" designed in 1946 could convert
from a plane to a car in just five minutes?
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Michigan
under the Museum
on Main Street (MOMS) program, a partnership between
Michigan Humanities Council
and the Smithsonian Institution
Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES). MOMS, as it's popularly known,
brings Smithsonian exhibitions to rural communities that typically do not
have access to traveling exhibits due to space and cost limitations. This
time, SITES and Michigan Humanities Council bring the exhibition "Yesterday's
Tomorrows: Past Visions of the American Future" to
About
the Exhibit
"Yesterday's
Tomorrows" presents an historical overview of popular expectations
and beliefs about the future from the late 19th century to today. The
exhibit explores past perceptions of the future home, community and transportation
and the media's role in creating them. It is the third exhibition of its
kind to tour Michigan under the Museum on Main Street partnership -- "Produce
for Victory: Posters on the American Homefront, 1941-1945" toured
the state in 1997-98, and "Barn
Again! Celebrating an American Icon" toured from June, 1999,
through April, 2000.
Want
to Learn More?
Visit http://www.yesterdaystomorrows.org
for detailed information about the exhibit, the 2001 tours in Florida,
Georgia, Missouri and Utah, and future tours in other states. You can
test
your knowledge about the future and you'll also find information about
classroom activities, reading lists and other programming ideas for exploring
the future's past!
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Allowing
all Michigan residents to have access to the cultural
resources of our nation's premier museum is a priority
of Michigan Humanities Council. Our role with this exclusive
tour is to help communities develop public programs
that supplement the exhibit's themes. Hard-working community
teams are busy planning public presentations that explore
community history and future planning, science fiction
film and literature programs, local exhibitions of futuristic
artifacts, art and writing projects illustrating individual
and community dreams of tomorrow. Here's a sampling
of what's in the works:
 Flat
River Historical Society, Greenville: Pre-school
to college-age students as well as area residents are
creating their vision of the future (paintings, sculptures,
drawings) to display alongside the exhibit. The local
historical society plans an accompanying exhibit on
Greenville's past and future. Laser-light shows, sci-fi
flick nights, library story hours  featuring
children's books about the future, children's activity
stations and lectures on "Religions of the Future"
and "Law and Ethics of the Future" are being
planned. Click
the 'Bot to see the Yesterday's
Tomorrows Scrapbook!
Tecumseh
Area Historical Society, Tecumseh: Project organizers
plan a series of public presentations by Michigan scholars
exploring such topics as "The Future of Lenawee
County," (Dr. Charles Lindquist, curator, Lenawee
County Historical Museum, 5/19/01), "Finding the
Future in Film," (Russ Collins, Michigan Theatre,
Ann Arbor, 6/3/01) and "Automobiles in the Future"
(Joe Loeffler of General Motors Design Department, 6/23/01).
They also plan a youth arts program, "Back to the
Future", Saturday mornings during the exhibit's
run. Students at the local middle school have already
created a "Yesterday's Tomorrows" web
site.
Ironwood
Theatre, Ironwood: The theater will use its facility
to offer a film and discussion series featuring "Flash
Gordon,""2001 Space Odyssey" and other
science fiction classics. They're also working with
area merchants to develop supplemental window-displays
about past and future retail products.
Presque
Isle County Historical Museum, Rogers City: The
Rogers City Historical Society will sponsor a poster
and essay contest and is working with Presque Isle County
schools to incorporate the exhibit into the next school
year's curriculum and schedule classroom tours of the
exhibit. Another activity will display futuristic costumes
at the traditional kiddie parade during the community's
Nautical Festival and a fly-in by pilots of experimental
aircraft.
Leelanau
Historical Museum, Leland: The Leelanau Historical
Society will host a family matinee viewing and discussion
of the Cold War sci-fi classic "Forbidden Planet"
at the Bay Theatre in Leland on Thanksgiving weekend.
The society and the Leelanau Photography Cooperative
plan photographic restudy project for high school students.
Using photos from the museum‚s archives, they will
compare past images of street scenes in Leelanau County
with current images and imagine what it will look like
in the future. High school students will meet with county
commissioners to discuss land use issues and their future
visions for their community. Finally, a complementary
exhibition on the theme of robots and their role in
daily life will also be a part of "Yesterdy's Tomorrows"
activities on the Leelanau Peninsula. Visit their web
site: http://www.leelanauhistory.org/yt/
How
You Can Help "Yesterday's Tomorrows"
Do
you love science fiction novels and/or films? Own a
collection of toy robots? Have a "thing" for
past and future modes of transportation? Does your line
of work deal with advancements in technology? Or city
planning? If so, Michigan Humanities Council hopes to
tap your expertise. The Council seeks experts, scholars,
presenters and advisers on a variety of topics examining
historic visions of the future and the society that
created them. We're
compiling information about such individuals into a
statewide directory for these cultural and community
organizations to access as they develop and plan programming
around the exhibit during its visit to Michigan. Individuals
might be contacted to:
- give
presentations about their interests to adult and youth
audiences;
-
consult on local community program efforts related
to the visionary past or the future;
- write
brief articles for newsletters, newspapers and magazines;
- lead
book or film discussions;
- help
research information for local exhibits or evaluate
a program.
Modest compensation is provided; some travel may be
required. Scholars and presenters interested in participating
in programming for "Yesterday's Tomorrows: Past
Visions of The American Future" may complete
this form and submit it.
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March
17-April 29, 2001 
