News From the Department
A State of Change: North Carolina and Its Governors
Contact:
For more information
contacte Susan Friday Lamb at 919-807-7943 or RaeLana Poteat at 919-807-7960
On Saturday, Jan. 15, Gov. Mike Easley will stand before crowds gathered in downtown Raleigh for his inauguration ceremony. That same day, the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh will open the exhibit A State of Change: North Carolina and Its Governors. This exhibit offers a fascinating look at the lives and times of our state’s leaders and their families. Beginning with Ralph Lane, the first governor appointed by Sir Walter Raleigh in 1585, the exhibit traces several centuries of history. Admission is free.
Over 300 artifacts, portraits and photographs reveal the many dimensions of first family life and the evolution of the Tar Heel State through its governors. Among the earliest items are a 1583 English coin associated with the Lost Colony and a 1764 handwritten copy of a royal commission issued by King George II to appoint William Tryon governor of the colony. More recent items include the dramatic red gown First Lady Mary Easley danced in at the 2001 Inaugural Ball and the jumpsuit Gov. Easley wore while driving a racecar at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in 2003 to raise money for charity and promote the state’s racing industry.
“A State of Change places the governors in the context of their times and allows visitors to see significant artifacts and everyday items that evoke the flavor of each era,” says exhibit co-curator RaeLana Poteat. “In addition to numerous gubernatorial items, such as clothing and accessories and furnishings, other artifacts within the exhibit’s chronological framework offer tangible links to important changes in the state.”
For example, several items represent the shift in authority from the first governors on Roanoke Island to the proprietary and royal governors of North Carolina. Among these outstanding artifacts are letters to and from Lords Proprietors in the 1660s and a porcelain tea caddy owned by two signers of the Edenton Resolution of 1774, which was also known as the Edenton Tea Party. The tea caddy, a recent acquisition on view for the first time, belonged to Mary Bonner and her daughter, Lydia Bonner Blount, who joined other colonists to protest Great Britain’s taxes on tea.
Other items, such as a powder horn and wooden canteen carried during the Revolutionary War, recall the colony’s move from royal government to statehood. In 1776 North Carolina adopted its first constitution and elected Richard Caswell from Dobbs (now Lenoir) County its first governor.
After North Carolina achieved statehood, governors went about the business of creating an independent state. Accomplishments in the late 1700s included founding the University of North Carolina and establishing Raleigh as the state capital. As the state moved forward, governors worked for economical, social, educational and other improvements. Visitors to
A State of Change can follow a comprehensive timeline that lists each governor’s achievements, challenges and, in some instances, failures. The exhibit also chronicles major events, such as the Civil War, the Great Depression and two World Wars, which greatly affected tenures.
A variety of artifacts provide a wonderfully illustrated look at these events and the daily lives of North Carolinians. For instance, a smokestack funnel from the Confederate ironclad Albemarle recalls struggles during the Civil War. A 1927 Model T Ford characterizes the boom times after World War I, when motorcars became more affordable, and a 1945 ration book reminds visitors of gas and food shortages during World War II. A plow, a tobacco hiller and a bobbin used in a textile weaving mill show the roles that agriculture and manufacturing played in the lives of many Tar Heels.
Personal belongings, campaign materials and other items reveal many aspects of first family life. Among the formal finery in A State of Change are 19 inaugural gowns, such as the three-piece bustle dress worn by Louisa Harrison Holden in 1868 and the red Thai silk gown designed for Dorothy McAulay Martin in 1985. The black wool tailcoat and vest worn by Gov. Elias Carr in 1893 and the top hat chosen by Gov. W. Kerr Scott for his 1949 inaugural events exude the elegance of days gone by.
Other first family items allow for glimpses into the public and private lives of the governors. Personal belongings include the swinging cradle used by Gov. and Mrs. David S. Reid for two sons born while he served as governor from 1851 to 1854, a gold pocket watch Gov. R. Gregg Cherry received as a young man, and a favorite harmonica Gov. William B. Umstead played during his 1953 inaugural festivities. Representing the very public lives of first families are election materials such as a ballot box, ca. late 1800s-early 1900s, and an assortment of campaign buttons, banners and pamphlets.
A State of Change provides an insightful look at how centuries of leaders have shaped, and continue to influence, the great state of North Carolina. Come see this new exhibit that incorporates artifacts from the museum’s collection and loaned items from families and organizations to help tell these stories. The exhibit runs until Sept. 4, 2005.
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