It’s May 4th and in America that means it’s Star Wars Day. Get it? May the fourth be with you!
To be clear, I am not a Star Wars fan. I have seen maybe two movies and enjoyed neither. However, I do enjoy pop culture and great art and this US mailbox is a work of art.
It is one of 400 dressed as R2 D2 as part of the 30th anniversary of the movie premiere in 2007. They appeared in all fifty states and Puerto Rico.
This one can be found at the Steven F. Udvar- Hazy Center in Washington DC. It was signed by Star Wars creator George Lucas and Postmaster General John E. Potter before it came here.
By the way, this place houses thousands of aviation and space artifacts including the Space Shuttle Discovery. Admission is free but there is a parking fee and it’s well worth a visit if you’re in the D.C. area.
The Smithsonian had an exhibit about the Presidents and First Ladies when I visited a couple of years ago. It featured many artifacts including dresses, a car, campaign materials and even some promotional products that were downright mean.
My approach to museum appreciation is scattered. Sometimes I read all the signs and study all the things. However, on this trip, I found myself simply marveling at some of the items and what they represent. For example, I used to play the saxophone so I have seen a few but seeing Bill Clinton’s saxophone was an entirely different experience.
Pictured here is the state china service chosen by First Lady Julia Dent Grant. Imagine the important people who dined from this gorgeous floral pattern. It’s still so vibrant!
This armchair sat in George Washington’s bedroom at Mount Vernon. In that same case, you’ll find a surveyor’s compass that was gifted to Washington in 1782.
The real show stopper for me was this top hat that was worn by Abraham Lincoln the night he was assassinated. The hat was handmade by a Washington hat maker. Notice the silk mourning band that was added in remembrance of his son Willie. It is hard to see in this case but simply standing before it was an incredibly moving experience.
Another important piece that truly meant something to me was this CBS radio microphone used by FDR to broadcast his fireside chats. From 1933 to 1944, he broadcast more than 30 chats, offering a reassuring tone and helping the American people to develop a rapport with their President.
Young people today are so accustomed to political leaders Tweeting all the time and monopolizing the 24/7 news cycle they don’t know what it was like to not have some intimate familiarly with their president. I imagine it was a true gift for our citizens to hear from him as we struggled through the frightening days of the Great Depression and the Second World War.
Have you ever seen something in a museum that stopped you in your tracks? This has happened to me so many times but it never ever gets old. Tell me your stories!
These little girls were mugging for their mom’s camera at the feet of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. The statue is part of the FDR Memorial in Washington.
No memorial to this President would be complete without a nod to his wife, the longest serving First Lady in US history.
She is widely known for her humanitarian efforts and for her advocacy for women. On a long list of firsts and accomplishments, one that speaks to me is that she was the first First Lady to hold her own press conferences.
Additionally, attendance was restricted to female reporters. This forced newspapers to hire female reporters, opening doors for women to advance in the field of journalism. This marked the creation of the White House Women’s Press Corps.
She advocated for daycares and for wage equity for women. She lobbied to ban employment discrimination based on race and ethnicity. She spoke out against Hitler and against her own husband’s policy of Japanese internment during the war.
That was all when her husband was still living and when she was forced to tone things down because of political restraints. After he passed, Mrs Roosevelt joined the NAACP Board of Directors and was appointed by President Truman to be the only woman delegate to the United Nations General Assembly.
She went on to become the first chairperson of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and she had an influential tenure here.
Mrs Roosevelt came from a background of wealth and influence. Many wealthy people today choose to look out for their own interests, gathering power and growing their own bank balances. Instead, she chose to use her resources for the good of women, minorities and human kind. She was a champion for others right up until her death in 1962.
The world would be a better place if we had more people like her.
I am a country mouse. I grew up in a rural area where there are no museums and cultural events are a rarity. Our county courthouse is two stories and there are just a handful of buildings that require an elevator. Our idea of diversity here mainly involves Catholics and Amish. Most people look alike and have identical shared values.
It is exciting to visit a place that is tall and populated with people who look and sound different than what I know.
I never fail to look up when surrounded by tall buildings.
People watching on busy streets is a hobby.
I look up, down and all around to see and absorb as much as possible.
Artifacts of famous people like Abe Lincoln’s top hat are treasures to be admired and examined.
Places like Washington D.C. are a dream come true because the streets are lined with famous landmarks and museums filled with treasures.
Fancy art installations stop me dead in my tracks.
Even a subway station is potential subject matter for a photo.
Visiting the final resting place of our first President is moving and a moment of reverence.
Things that are different, things that are historic or noteworthy, things that others pass by without a glance are special to me. I feel sorry for anyone who can walk by a piece of history or a beautiful work of art and not see its value.
I’m a country mouse and I’m not shamed. In fact, I’m glad for that.
Today I want to share with you some more photos from the FDR Memorial.
I was quite taken with this gentleman who sat alone here for some time. He seemed to be deep in thought. Judging from his age, I’m guessing he would have been a young child during the Great Depression. Being an incurable people watcher, I imagined that FDR was the first President he could remember or that perhaps he lost someone important during the War. Maybe he just remembered the fireside chats.
These life sized sculptures of men in a bread line are so real they are heartbreaking.
And the relief of these wringing hands is equally moving.
FDR was a man of letters whose words – both written and spoken – are a tremendous monument to the man. He respected the Presidency and carried the weight of his office with dignity and gravity.
