U of A exhibit celebrates 100 years of Arizona statehood

Thursday, 22 September 2011 01:20

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Chrystal Carpenter wanders from case to case, explaining the history behind each piece and pointing out her favorites.

“It’s hard to pick because I like a lot of them, but I have to say that I really like…this is the 1860 Provisional Constitution of Arizona. And we weren’t a state, of course, until 1912. I think this one’s very interesting because it’s actually the first printed book in Arizona ever. And it was printed on a printing press that’s still in operation at the Tubac Historical Society,” said Carpenter.

Carpenter is a manuscript and congressional archivist with the University of Arizona Library Special Collections. Along with Erika Castaño, a digital archivist, and Roger Myers, a librarian, Carpenter created the special exhibition "Becoming Arizona: The Valentine State." The exhibition was timed to coincide with the 100-year anniversary of Arizona’s statehood on February 14, 2012.

Special Collections regularly hosts exhibits, but normally each exhibit only lasts six months. This particular exhibit will be on display for the entire school year, running through May 30, 2012.

There are a variety of objects on display, ranging from maps and books about the region to Wyatt Earp’s wedding ring. Most of the artifacts come from within Special Collection’s own collection, but a few are on loan from the Arizona History Museum, said Carpenter.

Most of the artifacts are documents, such as letters, old newspapers, a voting ballot, books and maps. However, there are several objects of a more personal nature -- mostly notably Wyatt Earp's wedding ring and a beaded pouch that belonged to Geronimo, said Carpenter.

Carpenter discusses the process of creating an exhibit, selecting artifacts and finally putting it on display in the slideshow below.

Written by Kelsey Jensen You are reading U of A exhibit celebrates 100 years of Arizona statehood articles

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