Lightner Museum
Saint Augustine, Florida
March 10, 2022
The Lightner Museum was founded in 1948 by Chicago publisher, collector, and professional hobbyist Otto C. Lightner. The museum occupies what was formerly the Alcazar Hotel, a Gilded Age resort hotel commissioned by Henry Flagler which attracts many people by itself. The museum offers an immersive experience of art, architecture, history, and design. The heart of the museum's offerings are the compelling collections that vary from lamps, shells, musical instruments, porcelain pieces, and geological specimens.
Mission Statement: "To inspire curiosity, excite minds, and enrich lives through our unique collection, historic building, and dynamic exhibitions and programs."
Official Website: https://lightnermuseum.org/
Artifact 1
Pictured above is an Indian Maid holding a U.S. Flag. The photo is a lithograph printed on parchment, and the artist is unknown. The border surrounding the photo is glass pieced together from a large panel with a cupid and floral theme, along with red flashed glass cut to the clear. During the 1930s in the Chicago area, many large mansions were demolished and the architectural features were sold. This piece was a door that most likely came from a Victorian-style home.
Artifact 2
Pictured above is a painted plaster statue from 1876 by John Rogers. The year 1876 marked a high point in Rogers' career, as he presented 29 of his sculptures at the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. This gained popularity allowed him to open a new showroom on Broadway. The sculpture, Weighing The Baby, above, features a young mother who has taken her newborn to the local general store to have it weighed. The shop owner looks on in disbelief at the weight of the baby, though to the shop owner's surprise, a young boy had grabbed the baby blanket and was pulling down on it, therefore pulling down on the scale and producing an unbelievable weight. Displayed during the holiday season, this sculpture became one of the artist's most well-known pieces. This sculpture was popularly given as a gift during the holiday season for its artistic merits.
Exterior 1
Exterior 2
In Conversation Image 1
Liberty Leading the People is an 1830 oil painting by French artist Eugene Delacroix, commemorating the July Revolution in Paris that removed the King, Charles X from the throne. A half-nude female figure dominates the painting as she charges forward with a crowd of revolutionists behind her. She is the personification of liberty and freedom, as she powerfully holds the Fench flag. This is similar to Artifact 1 which depicts an Indian maid holding the United States flag, with symbols of her heritage around her. Both of these images paint women in a strong and dominating light, as they are at the center of the art pieces, holding their hands vertically above their heads, symbolizing strength. Both artworks also show the women with their breasts exposed, drawing to the femininity and grace that they proceed with.
In Conversation Image 2
Above is a miniature statue depicting a family looking with loving gazes at their newborn baby. The little girl below glances up at her parents who are holding their newborn. This statue is made by the company Demdaco, in the Willow Tree collection. These figurines are normally given as gifts to family members or loved ones, which reminded me of the painted plaster statue Weighing the Baby, by John Rogers. Both statues depict a family scene surrounding the newborn. Further, both of these statues are popularly given as gifts during holidays due to their artistic merit and meaning.
In Conversation Passage ENG 202
"When she was pushing, she was so strong and powerful." (Lukao)
The excerpts from Lukao describe natural childbirth and the pain that the mother endures during this event. The text represents the journey of motherhood, as the mother has to take birthing classes to prepare herself for the pain of birth, and the experience she feels during the act. Lukao depicts the mother in a light where she uses her womanly strength and resilience to overcome the pain caused by the birth. The above quote describes the mother as being strong and powerful as she pushes her final times, revealing the baby's head. Motherhood is symbolic of power, femininity, and strength, which we see in Artifact 1 from the Lightner Museum. This artifact, depicting an indigenous woman above everything and holding a flag high in the air, is also symbolic of female power. Both Lukao and this artifact suggest the strength and power that women hold, painting them as main characters.
Creative Component
The collage above was designed on the social media platform Instagram which is familiar to me. I compiled many important artifacts that I viewed during the visit to the Lightner Museum. I believe that it is important to use social media as a tool to engage and excite others about learning. By using Instagram to make this collage, it is able to reach a wide variety of people and make them interested in what the museum has to offer. I also thought it would be important to take note of other important artifacts that are part of the museum's composition and history.
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