Museum of Westward Expansion Exhibit Planning Records 1

Museum of Westward Expansion Exhibit Planning Records, circa 1959-1965

Finding Aid by Eugene Henry Glasscock
May 1992
Revised July 1994

INTRODUCTION TO THE COLLECTION

This collection was one of many brought to the newly created archives from within the park and represents an early effort to create a museum dedicated to westward expansion. A staff of six historians and an archeologist working for the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial compiled information and materials and planned exhibits for the Museum of Westward Expansion. Their plan consisted of twelve units representing groups of people and issues which contributed to westward expansion: The Face of the West, The Impact of the West, The Overland Experience, Title to the West, Explorers of a Wilderness, The Trapper's and Trader's Frontier, The Indian's Frontier, The Soldier's Frontier (also referred to as The Military Frontier), The Miner's Frontier, The Cattleman's Frontier, The Sodbuster's Frontier (also referred to as The Farmer's Frontier), and Settlers to the West.

There are four major types of records within this collection. The first are the exhibit plans, which went through many phases. Research files, for the various exhibit headings and on special topics, contain general information gathered from many sources to be used as the basis for planning exhibits. Two series of unnumbered photographs and a series of numbered photographs provided the staff with a vast array of images with which to illustrate their exhibits. And finally, the architectural drawings and artists' renderings of the museum as it was envisioned.

In the early 1970's, the museum plan was redesigned. The records of this new museum design can be found in Record Unit 108.

Information obtained from this collection must be properly cited, whether used in publication or in other formats. The proper citation for this collection is:

National Park Service
Gateway Arch National Park
Museum of Westward Expansion Exhibit Planning Records, circa 1959-1965
Box__, Folder__

Researchers are advised that before records, photographs, or any other unpublished materials from this collection can be published or exhibited, permission from the National Park Service must be obtained in writing. Researchers should also note that many of the images in this collection are copies of images owned by other institutions. Permission must be obtained from the institution which holds the copyright to these images.

 

Full Text PDF

If you would like the complete PDF file of this finding aid, please email the Gateway Arch National Park Archives.