Topics Related to Artifact Spotlight

Apple butter was a common treat for southern Appalachians.

This artifact looks like a bed of nails!

Imagine putting this in your ear!

The dated nails in our collection may never have been used!

Magic lanterns were a popular toy before slide projectors and movie theaters became widespread.

 A familiar sound through the Appalachian region, the dulcimer came to the mountains on the backs and wagons of those leaving Western Europe. While the museum houses various instruments found in Western North Carolina, this dulcimer holds a special place as it was crafted by Edsel Martin, whose talents as a musician and wood carver took him to the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.       

Did you ever own a music box, or still do? When you wind it up, the way it works is similar to this artifact spotlight, a roller organ. Produced from the late 1870s through the 1920s, the roller organ was the must-have music device of the Victorian period.  

Reliable and durable, many cookware items in the past were made of cast iron. From kettles to Dutch ovens, even toasters were made of iron. While other materials gained popularity in the early 20th century, a cast iron comeback occurred in the 21st century. 

A New Device for the Modern Kitchen











meat grinder from the museum's a

IntroductionIf corn represented a versatile crop from the Americas, the apple represented that for Europe. When apples first came to the United States, they primarily saw home usage with a variety grown for various purposes. Some apples were good for baking or eating, some for cider making, and some for vinegar production. One method we still enjoy today, whether alcoholic or not, is cider.