Project Scrapbook and Other Amazing Stories

A program for children demonstrating how a space suit
is worn. - Arlington Heights, Illinois. (pop. 75, 460)

"Jane Jetson" shows up for the opening of "Yesterday's Tomorrows"
in Beckley, West Virginia. (pop. 18,296)

A "Future City" winner in Arlington Heights, Illinois. (pop. 75, 460)

Billboards like this one were seen across the state of Virginia
advertising "Yesterday's Tomorrows."
Photo taken in Salem, Virginia. (pop. 23,756)

A local exhibition in Coffey County, Kansas displaying
comic books, robots and Sci-Fi movie posters. (pop. 12, 917)

A alien visits Lucas, Kansas and recieves a key to the city. (pop. 452)

High school dancers perform at the opening of "Yesterday's Tomorrows"
in Chamberlain, South Dakota. (pop. 2,338)

Winners of the robot contest pose by their winning entries
in Hood River, Oregon. (pop. 4, 632)

Winner of high school electric car contest in Hood River, Oregon. (pop. 4, 632)

Senator Bennett attends the opening of "Yesterday's Tomorrows"
in Brigham City, Utah. (pop. 15, 644)

Robots created by the high school shop class in Greenville, Michigan. (pop. 8,101)

Other Amazing Stories
The Leelanau Historical Museum in Leland, Michigan developed a curriculum-based, intergenerational project, "Today's Tomorrows", that included students from diverse backgrounds in decision making about the future of their town.

"The Future in Film", a look at how Hollywood movies influenced our ideas of how we will live. This one-day film festival in Newton, Kansas featured spacemen, invaders from Mars, robots and post-apocalyptic visions of the future as seen in movies from the 1930's to the 1980s.

The Grassroots Art Center in Lucas, Kansas exhibited works of local writer, Don Wilcox, who wrote stories for science fiction magazines and also developed cover art for Amazing Stories and Fantastic Adventures.

A Junkyard War Competition that took place in Hill City, South Dakota involved local Boys and Girls Clubs, advisors and designers from the School of Mines and Technology to use materials found in a junkyard to create robots for competition and a robotics demonstration.

"Robots on Parade" for 6th to 12th graders designed robots that were installed in local businesses around the city in Malden, Missouri.

In Mexico, Missouri the second grade class built models of what the Town Square will look like in 100 years and the models were installed with historic photos documenting what the Town Square looked like 100 years ago.

In the local Youth museum in Malden, Missouri, students and seniors produced videographies of seniors remembering what life was like when they were teenagers and what they thought it would be like in 2000; school children talked about what they think life will be like for them in 50 years. The video loop installed as part of Yesterday's Tomorrows and part of a town time capsule.

A "design-a-plane" competition was sponsored by local businesses in Tecumseh, Michigan so that winners could receive a $500 savings bond.

The Harvey County Historical Society in Newton, Kansas reported that in the first 14 days of showing Yesterday's Tomorrows more people saw the exhibit than the total number that visited the museum for the entire year of 2001! In addition, they have raised $1200 from donations and gift shop sales. Locally-produced exhibit, "Mother's of Invention", featured items invented by women that were envisioned to make the future brighter. The Warkentin House Museum developed an exhibition, "Evolution of Household Conveniences" and the Carriage Factory Art Gallery partnered with students at Newton High School to develop a unique exhibit of photographs of original buildings in town juxtaposed with photographs of the same area today. Visitors could look through the transparent modern photograph to see the original site.

Stephenson County Historical Society in Freeport, Illinois reported that their participation on the tour for Yesterday's Tomorrows resulted in many lasting legacies for their museum. This small historic house museum, not only significantly increased local visibility of the museum and doubled the number of group visits, but also used the increased visibility to convince the Park District, which owns and operates the facilities, to install a fire and burglar alarm system and air conditioning in their carriage house where the museums collections are stored and where classroom programs are held.

The Monroe Art Guild in Monroe, Georgia reported that in preparation to host Yesterday's Tomorrows the city government gave $10,000 to the museum to paint the building and to restore the wood floors because of the increased number of tourists that would be coming to see the exhibition.

The Smith-Zimmermann Museum in Madison, South Dakots reported an attendance of 1,903 visitors during the four week showing of the Museum on Main Street exhibition Yesterday's Tomorrows. This is a 470% increase over total visitors for 2001 and a 1,140% increase over total visitors for 1996, the last year that they were a state-operated museum. In a school based program, "Through the Eyes of the Elders", elementary school children interviewed and videoed local senior's visions of the future and later honored them at the museum when the students presented their videos.

The local historical society and community center partnered to host Yesterday's Tomorrows in Greenville, Michigan. Together they used 300 volunteers to pull together school projects and artwork to complement the Smithsonian exhibition, to do events each weekend, to put displays in local businesses, and to plan a black tie "gala opening" which was the cultural event of the year for this town.

In preparation for Yesterday's Tomorrows in Tecumseh, MI, the museum worked with local high school students to develop a website. A boy who currently works in a factory to help support his family was given the opportunity to make quite a bit more money maintaining the website and now sees his future in the field of technology.

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