Homelands Exhibition

University of Rochester - Memorial Art Gallery

Keys to Danish iron war chest - Image Source

Collection Facts

Extent:

Dates of Original:

1920

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Historical Context

In 1920, inspired by successful events in Buffalo & Albany, the Gallery collaborated with the Chamber of Commerce, the Board of Education, and the city administration in organizing a 10-day exhibition celebrating the arts and culture of immigrant citizens. The Rochester Homelands Exhibition was part of a national response to the "red scares" after World War I -- encouraging familiarity with the traditional arts and crafts of the cultures of immigrants to the US, and welcoming ethnic newcomers to the Rochester community. The exhibition, held on the grounds of Exposition Park, was hugely successful, attracting a total of 160,000 visitors. The Memorial Art Gallery’s scrapbooks document the Art exhibitions, musical groups, and posters created by Rochester City School students.

Scope of Collection

This collection includes over 70 black-and-white photographs taken of the Rochester Homelands Exhibition in 1920. The photographs depict exhibit display booths and artifacts. The cultures represented include: Armenian, Belgian, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Italian, Jewish, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, and Scandinavian. There are group portraits of committees, orchestras, and school bands.