Gadgets Galore! Transforming the American Household

New Exhibition Gadgets Galore! at the Museum of North Idaho Reveals Hidden Histories of Everyday Objects

Possers, stereoscopes, and phonographs? At one time, each of these gadgets was a new invention – the latest and greatest item, and one everyone wanted to own. Uncover the histories of these strange objects, and how their invention led to the gadgets that are integral to our lives today, through traveling exhibition Gadgets Galore! Transforming the American Household, on display at the Museum of North Idaho from April 1st to May 22nd.

Dozens of gadgets, both recognizable and strange, will be on display in Gadgets Galore!, illustrating how industrialization transformed every American household in the 19^th-century. The invention of mechanical processes and the discovery of electricity and steam power would impact day-to-day life around the world. Mass production, faster communication, and more widespread transportation systems combined to industrialize the American household by inspiring the invention of the gadgets we rely on today.

Some of the most fascinating gadgets on display are almost unrecognizable today. However, as becomes clear in Gadgets Galore! – and its scavenger-hunt style display, which encourages visitors to find the ancestors of many modern-day objects – each gadget we use today can be traced back to the inventions and technology from this period of industrialization.

An opening reception will take place for MONI members on March 31st at 5:30 pm.