utilitaire 9: history lesson
Another day in town of trip-chaining by bike. Stop for coffee, pop into the bike shop, visit our local history museum, drop by the library (and more coffee), hit the grocery store for dinner-to-go, and home again; a bit of a list, and I again apologize for a rather lengthy post. Despite multiple destinations, I will log today’s Utilitaire checkpoint as #9 – museum visit.
In the section of town known as Five Points, we have a very nice regional history museum – the Museum Center at Five Points (and I am sorry to say that the above photo is not the museum, just an old building on the Five Points Corner ). The museum is one of those places I don’t make time to visit often enough, so I am grateful for the Utilitaire challenge and the reminder to make the visit. In addition to the permanent collection of local history and artifacts, the current temporary exhibit features an impressive collection of vintage and modern quilts. As much as I loved viewing the quilts, I was really more interested in taking some time to explore the permanent collection more thoroughly than I have had time to in the past. I learned a few things – including (according to the docent I spoke with) the fact that the industry responsible for “growing” and placing our little town on the TN map was kitchen stove manufacturing. Not only was there a Hardwick Woolen Mill, but also a Hardwick Stove Company, among others.
Since my time was my own today, I was able to read, look and explore a little more. Other things that caught my eye (in addition to the quilts, of course) were a vintage camera and an old grocery bike, along with a interesting collection of daily household items.
Coming to the museum in late March will be a new photograph exhibit that I am definitely looking forward to – a collection of black and white photographs from Knoxville photographer Don Dudenbostel on aspects of Appalachian culture that are fading from existence. From roadside culture to moonshine distilleries to snake handling (yeah, snake handling) … this should be exceptional. I’ve admired some of his other work (x-ray imaging) in the Bluff View Art District in Chattanooga, and it is pretty incredible.
As I was leaving the museum, I discovered I had just missed seeing my friend Jenn, who is an education director for the museum and had been there for a meeting. Sorry Jenn. But I definitely need to ask her for a favor — any chance we can get the museum facilities people to install a bike rack?? (hint, hint) 😉
I left the museum and stopped at the library where I ran into one of my “other” sons, Tim, who had finished his college classes for the day and spotted me parking my bike. We had a cup of coffee and did some catching up in the library coffee shop before he headed off. With all of the boys at schools here, there and everywhere, I don’t get to see these guys as often as I used to – and I was so touched that he was kind enough to take some time to re-connect. My boys have the most amazing friends.
library bike rack
Winding through neighborhoods, with spring colors reminding me of the some of the quilts from earlier in the day. On to the grocery store for a assorted salads for a simple supper, and then home. A very good day.
pansies, reminding me of quilts …
homeward
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shebicycles 
I have a Brownie exactly like that one. Looks like you enjoyed a very nice day there.
…and I am jealous.
I have one too! I love vintage cameras.
Oooh, Quilts! I love looking at quilts too. I make a few of my own and always need inspiration. Going to a museum seems like the perfect thing to do for yourself. Oh happy day.
Thanks, A … it was a really enjoyable day, although looking at quilts in the company of other quilt enthusiasts is probably a little more fun than going solo – for me, anyway. There was some inspiring work for sure. 🙂
Awesome pics! I enjoyed this one,my friend,whisked me away to aother’s day (yours,LOL! 😛 ).
TN,you say…we’re closer than I though,LOL!
The DC
Thank you 🙂 And I just found out my son will likely be staying at ETSU over the summer, so I expect we will be getting up that way once or twice. Am still planning on meeting up and buying the tea (coffee, or whatever).
LOL,that will be cool! 🙂 Take my username here,use all lower-case letters,at a ” 92 at gmail dot com” and email me when you’re coming,I’ll try and make sure I’m free for a ride 😀
The DC
Awesome post, thanks for the great shout-out and pics of the exhibits! We’ll talk about the bike rack, sadly funds are short even for regular maintenance (thank goodness for generous volunteers who pay for supplies). Maybe you could help me talk to the bike shops in town and get them to sponsor it? I bet we could get the city to pay to put it in if we got someone to donate it! I’ll email you next week and we’ll put our heads together to make it happen. Love following your outings around town, you’re inspiring!
Looks like a very special destination — I love finding hidden gems like this!
🙂
Great lesson! I loved it!
Love the photos.
Definitely talking this pickers language…
this is really a lovely blog!
I love your ride! It is obviously of recent vintage, (disk brakes, and alloy cranks) but looks like a classic mixte – so popular in France as an everyday bike for just the purpose you use yours. Great blog !
Great photos!
Great photos! Looks like a fantastic outing!
Wow, you have an awesome blog! I loved this post. It’s very interesting all the places that you go. I’ve always wanted to do something like this. Keep being inspiring 🙂
Peace 🙂
Very enjoyable post. Brings the nostalgic feelings.
Looks like you had quite a fantastic day! I must say, I absolutely love the second photo…beautiful!
Congrats on being Freshly Pressed! 🙂
mmmm… I love bikes, exploring and vintage things.. so.. I loved your post.
I like to take my trek topped with my most prized possession, a brooks swift saddle, stuff a book into my jersey and find an interesting place. I will just sit, read a while and head off into the distance to repeat it all again. ( how can I get paid to do this? )
I’ve seen old cameras at the antique malls here in TX. They are history museums in of themselves. Have a nice day 🙂
So cool! I love quirky, interesting museums like this!
How retro. These are the perfect pictures for March 1st. I’m ready to jump on a bike and go buy flowers to put in my bike basket.
Love how you relate the jewel tones of the pansies to those in the quilts.
I think your final image is so charming — like your steed awaiting — homeward. Love it!
what an amazing post 🙂 sounds like you had a super day, i very much enjoyed reading it and wish that there was such a nice history museum near me which i could pop to on the way home!
love the pictures to accompany it also, hope you are well
keep smiling
It’s my first time here and I really love the way your bike discovers the world. Not sure what’s nicer: looking at the bicycle or at the scenery!
very neat finds, loved the quilt-like pansies.
What beautiful pics!
very cool pictures. Congrats on being Freshly Snapped…oops, mean Freshly Pressed.
Mr. Bricks
That’s what I call a life in photography !! Wonderful pics !! Love ’em 😀 Keep clicking !!
And please check out my latest post on LOVE – http://raajtram.wordpress.com/2012/02/28/let-the-time-decide/ and even my new PhotoBlog – http://raajclicks.wordpress.com/2012/02/29/oh-i-love-my-laptop/
Reblogged this on finnegan2749.
History is such a rich thing. Thank you for sharing. Blessings to you.
Reblogged this on Ramblings of a Misguided Blonde and commented:
What a beautiful photo essay!
Very cool! We’re starting a bikeshare program at Palo Alto College in San Antonio, Texas. Twenty donated bicycles will be available for students, faculty and staff to jump on and ride across campus. We hope to improve our air quality and encourage folks to get a little exercise. The bikes have all been painted a beautiful shade of green, so they’ll help beautiful the campus, as well. San Antonio’s really developing quite a bike community. I’ll be doing a post on the Mission Reach of our San Antonio River Walk before long. Wonderful ride! Cheers, Denise
What a great post. The photos made me feel like I was sneakily following you around on your travels, and your bike is adorable! I love little museums and, like you, can’t resist taking photos of the things that catch my eye while I am there. Thank you for sharing 🙂
Reblogged this on My Favorite Spaces.
I love all of your pictures, I actually uploaded some of these on my computer since my sister has been looking for a bicycle just like that one.
Ill be checking out your blog from time to time, so make sure you update it often!
Cheers from San Diego!!
http://www.operationshellshock.wordpress.com
For whenever your bored haha
Beautiful photos.
These pictures are fabulous!
I love your photos throughout the narration.
And I also love days like this when you have the pleasure of your own pace. It’s so hard to come by them in this neck of the woods–that it’s nice to live a little through you.
Well done.
I, too, am obsessed with quilts and have been since early on in college. I still can’t make one, but I know about the patterns and the history of each style. Nice to know I’m not alone! Great post!
Great photos. Most of the stuff in your museum is from the house in which I grew up. Brought back memories of watching mom cook on the old Acorn stove and taking pictures with a Brownie box camera. Not to mention that I have traveled towns, cities, and countrysides on two wheels. Keep shooting and pedaling too.
Beautiful! This makes me want to run out a buy a bike rack for my car. Love the shot of that old quilt with the square design. It looks like a wave running through time.
Beautiful pics, awesome perspectives, lovely colors. Thanks for sharing your wonderful day. And I too am now jealous.
Fantastic post and lovely photos. Cheers!
Snake handling? That alone makes it worthwhile!
such lovely photos!
Is your bike ‘alive’? Love post!
Excellent photographs!
absolutely great captures!
Wonderful piece – inspires me back onto my bike (once the snow melts a little) – I once spent a year carless in Boston, biking everywhere, and the range of interesting experiences, people and places met, and fitness were remarkable.
Beautiful pictures..Love the nostalgia. 🙂
Great pictures! I have a Brownie just like the one in the picture. I found in a box of old equipment someone gave me.
I like the bicyle point of view. And including it like a friend that needs its own space and special arrangments in order to be comfortable. Also, I like the meandering – and enjoying one’s self.
As a quilter, I especially liked the photos of the quilts
beautiful clicks 🙂
I love the photos of the brownie, vintage bicycle and quilts. I’m going to add your blog to mine Londonderry blogrole
I love your blog and the pictures … I have just begun blogging and am in awe of those blogs with a combination of pictures and words … so I have invested in a camera and hope to photograph ‘things’ much like you do … I also have a bike … thanks for you inspiration also love your Buddha quote Namaste
Reblogged this on tefinytulod.
Nice pics! I love the one of the old camera!
This is the first time I’ve read and enjoyed your blog. Just wanted to say we have a Five Points Hill here where I live in Indiana! And your picture resembles what I saw the last time I drove by it and was waiting for the traffic light to change, a door that seemed to drop short of the pavement and would take a bit of a jump to get out of the building, lol. The building is very old and has printed advertisements on it from long ago.
Fab photos & what a great way to spend a day – thanks for sharing!
Matthew Wright
http://mjwrightnz.wordpress.com
http://www.matthewwright.net
Beautiful images and fabulous rhetoric. Thanks for sharing.
The Five Point Pharmacy building pic is awesome! Simple, yet elegant.
I wish we could turn the pages and go back to that era. Thanks for sharing. Peaceful ride to me!
I enjoyed your post, a walk through a history museum. I enjoy visiting museums too, but have not done so in a while. Nice bike. And the Brownie camera reminds me of the one my mom once had around the house. I wonder what happened to it.
Wow, amazing quilt photos!
Great day
Really enjoyed your photographs.
Wow, beautiful pictures!
Beautiful pictures!
Reblogged this on nothing but a facade..
Your photography is crisp and fun. The spring colors were like the colors on the quilts. Thanks for sharing!
I never noticed how pansies have such angry faces.
You have a cool bike.
Reblogged this on Anissette's Blog.
Wonderful post I enjoyed looking at your pictures. I feel like you shared with us seeing through your eyes for the day. Great Photos!
In Maine we have many antique and vintage shops and I only wish I could visit them all! I love looking into the past and discovering something new that I hadn’t seen before.
I loveee your photos
To state the obvious and repeat what no doubt many others have already stated: WOW you take gorgeous photographs!
FABULOUSLY RICH TEXTURED PHOTOS WANT TO EAT THEM!!! I cycled round Normandy with two friends in the xixties sleeping rough. These memories are richly evoked! Thanks Im at http://johndwmacdonald.wordpress.com if you’d like to see some photographs from journeys and wanderings and also poetry!
colorful, feast for eyes!
Love to bicycle, and love the pics 🙂
you bike is just gorgeous!
Reblogged this on getstuff4u.
hey, i love your photos! great colours and subject matter. 🙂