YORK, Neb. (KOLN) – The Anna Bemis Palmer Museum is displaying decades of technology that once simplified daily life in its current exhibit called “Analog Anthology”.
The exhibit features retro technology ranging from the first electric radio in York to early computers, according to Carrie Remmers, who is the coordinator at the museum.
One of the featured items is a radio that belonged to the museum’s founder Anna Bemis Palmer. The radio was the first electric radio in York, according to Remmers. The exhibit also includes a pink day bed dating back to the 1880s that now provides a seating area for the museum’s skeleton named “Clyde”.
Visitors have shown particular interest in the toy collection, according to Remmers. The toys generate gasps and allow people to share childhood memories about similar items they owned.
The kitchen area displays various butter churns made of wood, stone and glass. There are many antique sewing machines on display as well. “We thought about what items we could show on a display that included technology, and sewing machines seemed like an obvious choice,” Remmers said.
The exhibit also features an Osborne 1 model computer from 1981, which Remmers described as the predecessor to the modern laptop. The portable computer was popular in 1982 but the company went bankrupt in 1983. “They made the mistake of announcing an update too soon in process. And so people stopped buying the current unit to wait for the new unit, which meant all of these were just sitting in storage waiting to be sold,” Remmers said.
The museum displays a collection of items belonging to Leo Weiler from Hastings, including over 200 QSL cards from more than 95 countries. Remmers says QSL cards are traditionally sent as “receipts” when ham radio operators receive signals from other operators.
The exhibit also includes VHS tapes of Disney movies that Remmers donated from her personal collection. The tapes spark conversations about childhood favorites and create connections with visitors, she said.
If you’d like to check out this exhibit, it will be on display at the Anna Bemis Palmer Museum in downtown York through February 27. Open hours are Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 am to 4 pm. Holiday hours might differ, so you might want to check hours for sure on the museums website at palmermuseum.com. You can also arrange private after-hours tours. Just reach out to the museum through the contact page on the website.
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