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From the Education Department: National Fragrance Day

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Perfumes and fragrances have been culturally significant for millennia to get us where we are today: celebrating national fragrance day. The first record of perfume dates back to the second millennium BC in Mesopotamia when it was invented by a chemist named Tapputi. In Ancient Egypt, perfume was a staple used to flash one’s wealth as it could only be accessed by the wealthy. Because of its significance, the Egyptians had a god of perfume, Nefertem. He was often depicted with water lilies, which were commonly used in perfume. Queens held perfume dear, not only using it to create a pleasant aroma, but they would also be entombed with a bottle. While Egypt and many other ancient nations saw perfume as a symbol of wealth, the Ancient Chinese would incorporate it into their daily lives, scenting their ink, stationary, homes, and places of worship.   They also would use it for disinfection and purity, believing that it could rid a room of disease although it was primarily used simply for it
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From the Education Department: National Lace Day

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February 3 rd is National Lace Day, and here at the Neville Public Museum, we have a lot to celebrate. Lace was first developed in Europe during the 1500s, and two methods of lace making formed simultaneously: needle lace (using a single needle and thread) and bobbin lace (intertwining many threads). Initially, it was made of linen before transitioning to silk and metallic gold threads. In the 1800s, though, lace makers turned to cotton, which is what is currently used. During the 16 th century, lace would often be named after the region it was made in. Even though lace was made all throughout Europe, Italy, France, and Flanders (modern-day Belgium) established themselves as the leading centers for lace making. The finest lace was created by three specialists: an artist who created the designs, the pattern maker who put the designs onto parchment, and the lace maker who made the lace itself. All the effort that went into creating the lace was the reason it was seen as the most treasu
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From the Education Department: National Jewel Day

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Today is National Jewel Day, and among our collection at the Neville Public Museum, we have this lovely amethyst gemstone courtesy of Robert Berndt.  While always having a purple appearance, the color of amethyst stones can greatly differ. It can vary from a pale lavender to a vivid reddish violet. With such contrasting colors and being such a plentiful gemstone, amethyst’s value depends on its hue. The more vibrant the stone appears indicates a higher price that it can sell for.  Even though its worth is based on its appearance now, that was not always the case. Ancient Greeks and Romans associated amethyst with warding off drunkenness since both societies believed that the stone was discovered by their god of wine. Ancient Egyptians centered amethyst even more than the other two cultures, though; they created amethyst amulets to bring them closer to the divine and to protect them against harm. They also carved jewelry out of amethyst. Even though the designs were originally simplisti
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National LEGO Day

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January 28 th is National LEGO Day, and the Neville Public Museum is the proud home of the LEGO Lambeau Field display. In 2013, 15 students from the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) built a scale model of Lambeau Field using over 130,000 LEGO pieces. This opportunity was given to the students by their professor, who claimed that the project was an effective way to practice skills needed for engineering, such as design, scheduling, and estimating. The students took a trip to Lambeau Field to get photos of the stadium, and, using their pictures and Google Earth, they created the blueprint. Even though most of it was built in Milwaukee, it was transported to Green Bay to be finished at the real Lambeau Field in hopes of being displayed at an event on August 3 rd , 2013. Alas, it was not finished by then, but patrons were able to watch the work in progress and see a near-complete exhibit. The replica was finished two days later.  After it was displayed at Lambeau Field, the model wa
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From the Education Cart: Fort Howard

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  Fur Trade: The Beaver Pelt During the fur trade, the beaver pelt was the most desired commodity—especially in the Midwest. Not only are they incredibly soft, but they are also warm and waterproof. Fur traders often travelled by water, so to survive brutal Wisconsin winters during their voyages, they looked to the beaver.                 Beavers were such a central point to the fur trade that, when they began to be overhunted, the fur trade began to collapse. Other animals were just as accessible as the beaver, but they were not as desirable. Deer and muskrat pelts were just as abundant as beavers once were; however, they did not have the same insulation or waterproof quality. Thus, the demand was much lower for these furs, causing the fur trade to collapse.                 At this time, Green Bay heavily relied on the fur trade for its economy, but, luckily, two other industries were on the rise that gave the city the support it needed to flourish: railroads and dairy. Fort How
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What's This Thing? Artifact Spotlight

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Why is there a ledge on the inside of this cup? It's a mustache guard! Mustaches became trendy in the 19th century, which lead to extensive grooming and mustache care. Men used mustache wax, mustache brushes, mustache combs, and mustache scissors to shape and maintain their preferred style. Some even dyed their mustaches. All of these products did not fare well when mixed with the heat and steam from tea, coffee, or other hot beverages. Mustache wax would melt. Dye would drip. Tea and coffee could stain facial hair. Mustaches would be complete disasters. Mustache guards like this one protected a man's mustache, while allowing him to still enjoy tea time. This earthenware mustache cup was donated in 1937 by Mrs. Sophia Thelen. It is one of several mustache cups in the Neville's collection. The mustache cup was invented in the mid 19th century by English potter Harvey Adams. It soon spread across Europe and over to North America. Mustache cups were originally sold individuall
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The Diary of Adam Martin

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This diary belonged to Adam Martin, who wrote in it from 1770 to 1780. Adam Martin was born on August 27th, 1739 in Sturbridge, Worcester, Massachusetts Bay Colony, to Aaron Martin and Sarah Newell. Adam married Abigail Cheney in Sturbridge on December 19th, 1762. Adam and Abigail had five daughters and at least one son. Adam joined the military in 1775 and was a captain in the Revolutionary War, first in Col. Ebenezer Learned’s 14th Massachusetts Bay Provincial Regiment in 1775, then in Col. Timothy Bigelow’s 15th Massachusetts Regiment, Continental Army in 1777. Adam and Abigail's son Walter became a brigadier general in the War of 1812, established the village of Martinsburg in New York in 1803, and served in the New York State Senate. Walter's son Morgan Lewis Martin is someone Green Bay history buffs are more familiar with. In addition to building Hazelwood Historic House and serving as a Brown County judge, Morgan L. Martin was a delegate to the U.S. House of Representat
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