Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Lakewood-based exhibit featured in state history museum
This post will give you a good reason to go visit a downtown Tacoma museum, although in all honesty I should warn that you are going to have to work a bit once you get inside the building.
Here's the background: Some of the most interesting photos in the Lakewood history book relate to the Alexander and Carman families, who were a big part of Lakewood history and certainly the history of Lakewold Gardens. (click on the 'estate' link for Lakewold's own view of its history) Many of you might have known Joe Carman III (whose mother was an Alexander) and know his widow, Barbara. After his death, she donated a number of copies of images from the Alexander and Carman families for the book and for the collections of the Lakewood Historical Society and Lakewold Gardens.
Barbara Carman also donated clothing and paintings to the Washington State Historical Society. I know this because I visited with her just before she moved from Lakewood. When I was scanning in photos for the book a couple of years ago, she was waiting for the historical society to claim some of those items. Now, a few of those items are on display in downtown Tacoma.
Here's the deal: You have to hunt for the exhibit, because it is on the far end of the main floor. It's the floor where most exhibits don't change and where schoolchildren are usually running around as part of their tours. So even folks who visit the museum regularly may not visit this part of the museum and could easily miss the exhibit. The paintings of the Alexanders are in a gallery at the left rear section of the main floor, near the Hanford exhibit. It's in an area known as the Inviting the Spirit Gallery (although be warned that map does not show this current exhibit). The exhibit also talks about the artist who painted their portraits.
You can see Joe Carman III, painted as a little boy, as well as the clothing he wore in the painting. It's pretty cute. For those of you who knew him well, it's a chance to visit and see his Lakewood family placed in the context of Washington state history.
Here's the official description of the exhibit. The description focuses on Carman's grandfather, a key figure in Lakewold's history, H.F. Alexander. Now you know the Lakewood angle!
Forward this post
Here's the background: Some of the most interesting photos in the Lakewood history book relate to the Alexander and Carman families, who were a big part of Lakewood history and certainly the history of Lakewold Gardens. (click on the 'estate' link for Lakewold's own view of its history) Many of you might have known Joe Carman III (whose mother was an Alexander) and know his widow, Barbara. After his death, she donated a number of copies of images from the Alexander and Carman families for the book and for the collections of the Lakewood Historical Society and Lakewold Gardens.
Barbara Carman also donated clothing and paintings to the Washington State Historical Society. I know this because I visited with her just before she moved from Lakewood. When I was scanning in photos for the book a couple of years ago, she was waiting for the historical society to claim some of those items. Now, a few of those items are on display in downtown Tacoma.
Here's the deal: You have to hunt for the exhibit, because it is on the far end of the main floor. It's the floor where most exhibits don't change and where schoolchildren are usually running around as part of their tours. So even folks who visit the museum regularly may not visit this part of the museum and could easily miss the exhibit. The paintings of the Alexanders are in a gallery at the left rear section of the main floor, near the Hanford exhibit. It's in an area known as the Inviting the Spirit Gallery (although be warned that map does not show this current exhibit). The exhibit also talks about the artist who painted their portraits.
You can see Joe Carman III, painted as a little boy, as well as the clothing he wore in the painting. It's pretty cute. For those of you who knew him well, it's a chance to visit and see his Lakewood family placed in the context of Washington state history.
Here's the official description of the exhibit. The description focuses on Carman's grandfather, a key figure in Lakewold's history, H.F. Alexander. Now you know the Lakewood angle!
