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Lynn Museum Director Drew Russo says the newest exhibit, “Industry and Craft: People at Work in Lynn,” is “history told through the eyes of Lynn.”
BY BRIDGET TURCOTTE
LYNN — May 5 will be a big night for the Lynn Museum.
The museum’s annual meeting will begin at 6 p.m. and will include a special guest speaker and the unveiling of a new exhibit.
Bill Brett, famous Boston photographer, will be the speaker for the annual meeting this year. Brett is a retired Boston Globe photographer, who began his career part-time at 18 years old and worked his way up to being Director of Photography.
Brett is famous for capturing many faces in the city of Boston over the span of more than 50 years. He will talk about his career and his latest book, “Boston Irish,” which features more than 260 black and white photographs of people in the city.
Following Brett’s speech, visitors will explore the museum’s newest exhibit, which will be unveiled that night.
The exhibit “Industry and Craft: People at Work in Lynn” explores different industries throughout the city’s history, starting with early industries present at the time of Lynn settlement, said Britt Bowen, collections specialist.
“It’s an interesting parallel to how the world of work has developed in the United States,” said Drew Russo, director of the museum. “It’s history told through the eyes of Lynn.”
Bowen, who is curating the exhibit, said it will range from the late 18th Century through the mid 20th Century, ending with the jet engine, which was invented in Lynn at the General Electric site in the 1950s, she said.
Nicole Breault, the museum’s education and research specialist, was the driving force behind the exhibit, said Bowen. She wanted to give the students in Lynn Public Schools an outlet to get the best possible education about the history of their city.
The exhibit explores early industries, beginning with flax and textiles and iron, ice and whaling. It moves into the shoe industry, exploring early shoes such as cobbler, to industrial shoe making. This leads to a section on firefighting, because many of the shoe factories burnt down, said Bowen.
There’s a section on the health industry. Because so many people in Lynn were working in factories, health became an issue, leading to the rise of hospitals in Lynn, she said.
Finally, there’s a brief history of GE, from when it was founded by Elihu Thomson, how his initial company evolved, and how he joined efforts with Thomas Edison, Bowen said.
“We’re taking a more realistic look at the history of work and how people have contributed to an industry that really started through artisan craft making,” said Russo.
Four hundred and fifty third-graders will visit the exhibit in June. The museum is considering making the exhibit permanent, Bowen said.
Bridget Turcotte can be reached at bturcotte@itemlive.com. Follow her on Twitter @BridgetTurcotte.