By Nina Hendricks/DAR
Carole Ruska and Margaret Ann Trail were the speakers at the March meeting of the Sarah Maples Chapter of DAR. They showed a virtual tour of the Museum at Continental Hall in Washington DC.
In 1890, the founders of the DAR envisioned a place for the collections of historic relics — portraits, pictures, etc. — in a fireproof building. The DAR museum supports the NSDAR’s goal of historic preservation, education and patriotism by collecting, preserving, exhibiting and interpreting the material, culture and social history of pre-industrial America.
The DAR museum collections include over 30,000 objects reflecting the material culture and social history of the United States prior to 1840. Its strengths are decorative arts, costumes, quilts and needlework.
The virtual tour included 31 period rooms. The rooms date between 1690-1935 reflecting how people furnished their homes. The rooms illustrate a wide range of cultures and regional differences. These 31 period rooms historically inspire scenes which display pieces from the DAR Museum Collection.
With each room sponsored by a different state organization of NSDAR, they reflect a wide range of time and place. You do not have to be a member to view the virtual tour. Go to www.dar.org and click on museum