Explore “The Way We Worked” at the Elkhorn Valley Museum

Norfolk, NE – January 20^th, 4:30pm -6:30pm

“The Way We Worked,” a Smithsonian Museum on Main Street exhibition that explores how work has become a central element in American culture, will open at Elkhorn Valley Museum on January 20th. The opening reception on January 20^th from 4:30pm-6:30pm will include the first views of the new exhibit as well as living history demonstrations of the printing press and weaving and booths where local businesses can tell their history through a display of pictures and items. The exhibition comes to Norfolk courtesy of Humanities Nebraska (HN) and other generous sponsors.

Adapted from an original exhibition developed by the National Archives and Records Administration, “The Way We Worked” is a traveling exhibition that traces the many changes that have affected the workforce and work environments over the past 150 years, including the growth of manufacturing and increasing use of technology. It includes historical photographs, archival accounts of workers, film, audio and interactives to tell the compelling story of how work impacts our individual lives and the historical and cultural fabric of our communities.

The Elkhorn Valley Museum has added a local angle to the exhibition. Visitors will learn the stories of those who worked in Northeast Nebraska from Norfolk’s first European settlers 150 years ago through today! Some features of the local exhibit include a wall of over 200 fascinating images of work in this area in the mid-1900s, exciting interactive elements, hundreds of artifacts and original documents, excerpts of oral history interviews conducted by local students, and a display of military uniforms. “The Way We Worked” will be on exhibit at the Elkhorn Valley Museum through February 18^th.

Another component to the exhibit will feature work selfies submitted by Nebraskans from all over the state. Anyone can submit a photo of themselves at work for consideration by emailing it to [email protected] or by downloading a free app titled “The Way We Worked” from GooglePlay or iTunes.

“The Way We Worked” is part of Museum on Main Street, a collaboration of the Smithsonian Institution and Humanities Nebraska. This exhibition is brought to Nebraska with funding support from the John W. Carson Fund at the Nebraska Cultural Endowment, Union Pacific, Brown Transfer Company and other generous donors from each community.

Museum on Main Street is a partnership between the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and state humanities councils nationwide that serves the small-town museums and citizens of rural America. Support for Museum on Main Street has been provided by the United States Congress.

Humanities Nebraska is a private, statewide, non-profit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. For more information or to become a sponsor of Museum on Main Street and other HN programs, please contact Mary Yager, associate director, at (402) 474-2131. Visit HumanitiesNebraska.org for details.

To learn more about “The Way We Worked” and other Museum on Main Street exhibitions, visitwww.museumonmainstreet.org.

Celebrating Our Past, Shaping Our Future. Located in Norfolk, NE the Elkhorn Valley Museum is a private nonprofit dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of the 22 county region in Northeastern Nebraska. The Museum features the Johnny Carson Gallery, Square Turn Tractor, permanent exhibits, the LaBarre Temporary Exhibit Gallery, Dederman Settler’s Cabin, Dederman One-room Schoolhouse, and the Cave and Gardens in Verges Park. Open Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm, closed major holidays. Admission is $6/adult, $5/seniors. Check www.elkhornvalleymuseum.org or Facebook for more information.