Visitors to Washington DC this summer have a new stop to add to their itineraries. American Enterprise, an exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, features an 8,000 square-foot gallery housing more than 600 objects, images and hands-on activities that trace the country’s development from a small, dependent agricultural nation to one of the world’s most vibrant economies.
The Innovation Wing installation, which opened 1 July and runs through 2035, covers the “Merchant Era” (1770s–1850s), the “Corporate Era” (1860s–1930s), the “Consumer Era” (1940s– 1970s) and the “Global Era” (1980s–2010s). Visitors will find stories on industry leaders and a biography wall with capsule stories of inventors, entrepreneurs, marketers and regulators.
History buffs will have the opportunity to view iconic pieces that contributed to America’s manufacturing, retail and service industries, including Eli Whitney’s cotton gin, a Fordson tractor, Barbara McClintock’s microscope, Alexander Graham Bell’s experimental telephone, a New York Stock Exchange booth that witnessed the crash of 1929, the patent rendering of the Ziploc bag, Alfred Bloomingdale’s personal credit card, an early Monopoly board game, and Michael Bloomberg’s Bloomberg terminal.
The SC Johnson Conference Center will allow the museum to share American Enterprise with educators and students across the nation. The Wallace H Coulter Exchange hub is filled with interactive displays to provide a hands-on understanding of markets and business practices. Visitors can light the “Tower of Power”, take the “Farming Challenge”, or start a cat food business.
Stories of women in business range from that of Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte, one of the richest women in early America, to Madame CJ Walker’s haircare company and Rosalind Brewer, the CEO of Sam’s Club. America’s growing consumer culture is illustrated with displays of popular advertisements from landmark campaigns to marketing campaigns targeted to diverse audiences. Familiar brand names which appeared on 1950s radio shows like Fibber McGee & Molly showcase how marketers created new ways of thinking about the relationship between consumers and products.
“Our goal is to make history essential by presenting the compelling ideas and ideals of America and animating them through transformative experiences,” says John Gray, the museum’s director. “American Enterprise chronicles the tumultuous interaction between capitalism and the common good, which is fundamental to understanding our history and our global role.”
The exhibition is made possible by significant support from SC Johnson, Mars Incorporated, and the Wallace H Coulter Foundation. Generous support came from Intel, Monsanto Company, the United Soybean Board and History Channel. Additional support is provided by Motorola Foundation, 3M, Pete and Linda Claussen, the William T Kemper Foundation and John Deere.
Copy on this page is brought to you by SC Johnson, sponsor of An apple a day series and the values-led business hub.
