The Museum of Science & History - Pink Palace in

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

, serves as the Mid-South's major science and historical museum and features exhibits ranging from archeology to chemistry. Over 240,000 people visit the museum each year.The Pink Palace Family of Museums
, official site. The museum is part of the Museum of Science & History - Memphis, a collection of historic, educational, and technological attractions maintained by the City of Memphis and Memphis Museums, Inc. The Lichterman Nature Center, the first accredited nature center in the United States, is part of the museum, as well as the Coon Creek Science Center, an education center which is open to organized groups and features a fossil site. The Mallory-Neely House and

Magevney House The Magevney House is a historic residence on 198 Adams Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. It is located in the Victorian Village of Memphis and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is one of the oldest residences remaining ...

are also part of the museum. The Mallory-Neely House is a three-story Italianate Victorian mansion built in 1852, and features 25 rooms and most of its original furnishings. The Magevney House, an 1830s cottage furnished as it might have been in 1850, is one of the city's oldest remaining residences. The AutoZone Dome at the Sharpe Planetarium, housed at the museum, features an 165-seat theater-in-the-round auditorium and offers public shows that project star fields, visual images, and laser lights on a domed ceiling. The Crew Training International 3D Giant Theater opened on January 21, 1995, and features a four-story high movable screen. The Museum of Science & History - Pink Palace, the Sharpe Planetarium, and the Crew Training International 3D Giant Theater are accredited members of the

American Alliance of Museums American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

Pink Palace Mansion

The headquarters for the museum is covered in pink Georgian marble. The city of Memphis acquired the mansion when

Clarence Saunders Clarence Saunders may refer to: * Clarence Saunders (grocer) (1881–1953), American grocer, pioneer of supermarkets * Clarence Saunders (athlete) (born 1963), Bermudian high jumper {{hndis, Saunders, Clarence ...

, the founder of

Piggly Wiggly Piggly Wiggly is an American supermarket chain operating in the American Southern and Midwestern regions run by Piggly Wiggly, LLC, an affiliate of C&S Wholesale Grocers. Its first outlet opened in 1916 in Memphis, Tennessee, and is notable f ...

, became bankrupt. He had been building the residence in 1923, but lost a fortune, and the home, due to financial reversals on

Wall Street Wall Street is an eight-block-long street in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It runs between Broadway in the west to South Street and the East River in the east. The term "Wall Street" has become a metonym for t ...

. In March 1930, after the

Stock Market Crash A stock market crash is a sudden dramatic decline of stock In finance, stock (also capital stock) consists of all the shares by which ownership of a corporation or company is divided.Longman Business English Dictionary: "stock - ''especia ...

, the Memphis Museum of Natural History and Industrial Arts opened in the mansion. The original exhibits featured stuffed animals and birds, dolls, anthropological items from local wealthy collectors, as well as items related to Memphis' history, particularly

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

military uniform A military uniform is a standardised dress worn by members of the armed forces and paramilitaries of various nations. Military dress and styles have gone through significant changes over the centuries, from colourful and elaborate, ornamented c ...

s and

memorabilia A souvenir (), memento, keepsake, or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memories the owner associates with it. A souvenir can be any object that can be collected or purchased and transported home by the traveler as a m ...

Exhibits

The museum contains a variety of exhibits relating to Memphis history. One exhibit features a replica of the original

store, the first self-service grocery store, commemorating the invention of the supermarket by Memphian

in 1916. Other permanent exhibits include 15th century Native American pottery, pre-Columbian artifacts, Clyde Parke's Miniature Circus, fossils and dinosaurs, and mounted animals. History exhibits focus on the roles of music and cotton on Memphis, the Civil War, the changing roles of women, and historic Black Memphians. The museum features several special exhibits each year.

Murals

The original main entrance lobby of the Museum Mansion features a three-panel mural by Memphis artist Burton Callicott. The murals commemorate the discovery of the Mississippi River near the site of Memphis by the Spanish conquistador

Hernando de Soto Hernando de Soto (; ; 1500 – 21 May, 1542) was a Spanish explorer and '' conquistador'' who was involved in expeditions in Nicaragua and the Yucatan Peninsula. He played an important role in Francisco Pizarro's conquest of the Inca Empire ...

and his men, and their encounters with Native Americans. The three murals were commissioned in 1934 by the

Public Works of Art Project The Public Works of Art Project (PWAP) was a New Deal program designed to employ artists that operated from 1933 to 1934. The program was headed by Edward Bruce, under the United States Treasury Department with funding from the Civil Works Admin ...

of President

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

's government, as part of a series of numerous art and public works projects to employ artists and others during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

. Callicott, who died in 2004, taught at the

Memphis College of Art Memphis College of Art (MCA) was a private art college in Memphis, Tennessee. It was in Overton Park, adjacent to the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art. It offered Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Fine Arts, Master of Arts in Art Education and Mas ...

.Elizabeth H. Moore,
Burton Callicott
" ''Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture''.

References

External links

Pink Palace Family of Museums
{{Coord, 35.125612, -89.959927, display=title Museums in Memphis, Tennessee Natural history museums in Tennessee History museums in Tennessee Planetaria in the United States Institutions accredited by the American Alliance of Museums Public Works of Art Project Paleontology in Tennessee

Pink Palace Mansion

Exhibits

Murals

See also

References

External links