Collecting historical artifacts doesn’t always mean seeking out the old. Museums also collect contemporary artifacts, as well as the stories surrounding those objects, for the benefit of future generations. In this podcast episode Curator Geoff Woodcox and Registrar Sarah Dickinson show some contemporary pieces in the Sloan Museum history collection and the significance they hold for future museum-goers. Sarah also talks about the donation process for anyone who thinks they may have an artifact of significance that will help tell the stories from Flint and Genesee County. You can download a form and learn more about artifact donation at SloanLongway.org/artifact-donation.

Hosts Geoff Woodcox and Sarah Dickenson delve into the backstory of a new community gallery exhibition at Sloan Museum that will open June 25, 2024. “From Crisis to Care” is a community exhibition showcasing the evolution of Hurley Medical Center from one small institution serving Flint to its current status as a Level I trauma center with an international footprint. It also showcases the evolution of emergency response into the system we have now, from your first call to 911 to what happens in the emergency room and general treatment floors.

The exhibit was a year-long, collaborative project between Sloan Museum curatorial staff, Exhibit team members, and staff of Hurley Medical Center who generously provided artifacts and directed the story. Also partnering on the exhibit is Patriot Ambulance Service, which provided artifacts including a real ambulance.

If you have a personal connection to one of our podcast historical topics, an artifact relating to Flint or Genesee County history, or have a burning question prompted by one of our past podcasts, please call (810) 237-3417 and leave a voicemail (we may use your question on air), or email us at Podcast@SloanLongway.org

Wood-paneled vehicles from the 1940s and 1950s became affectionately known as “Woodies” by historic car enthusiasts. Curator of Collections Geoff Woodcox and Registrar and Exhibits Liaison Sarah Dickinson go into the backstories of a wood-paneled 1950 Buick Estate Wagon that’s part of Sloan’s historic vehicle collection. Donated in 1969 by Donald Mitchell, the President of Ionia Manufacturing Company, this “Woodie” is an example of General Motors’ outsourcing for niche vehicles. This podcast episode also gives listeners and viewers insights into the automotive design elements that emerged after WWII and how post-war popular culture influenced both the buyers and the manufacturers.

If you have a personal connection to one of our podcast historical topics, an artifact relating to Flint or Genesee County history, or have a burning question prompted by one of our past podcasts, please call (810) 237-3417 and leave a voicemail (we may use your question on air), or email us at Podcast@SloanLongway.org

Hidden away in the vast artifact collection at Sloan Museum is a coin and bill collection that spans 2000 years, dating from an ancient Roman coin dated 240 BCE, through American colonial coins from the 1600s and a $7 hand-signed bill in 1775, and up through the 19th century. Altogether, there are about 600 pieces that were primarily transferred from the Genesee County Historical Society. Sloan’s Curator of Collections Geoff Woodcox and co-host Sarah Dickinson, Registrar & Exhibit Liaison, go down into the Sloan Collections and bring out these rare coins for an interesting peek into geo-politics and history through money from the past.

If you have a personal connection to one of our podcast historical topics, an artifact relating to Flint or Genesee County history, or have a burning question prompted by one of our past podcasts, please call (810) 237-3417 and leave a voicemail (we may use your question on air), or email us at Podcast@SloanLongway.org

Sloan Museum Curator of Collections, Geoff Woodcox, tells the intriguing genesis of Flint Faience Tiles. This short-lived tile company began with an unusual partnership between French-born Albert Champion, who founded AC Spark Plug (now ACDelco), and an entrepreneurial Belgian-born ceramic tile artist named Carl Bergmans. Faience is a style of tile named after a village in Italy and was very popular in the early 20th century. During the early days of spark plug manufacturing, there were times when the kilns used to produce the ceramic insulators were not in use. Tilemaker Bergmans approached Champion in 1921 about using the kilns to produce decorative tiles and a clever new business was born. At its peak, Flint Faience Tiles were used on cruise ships, schools, factories, and homes around the United States. There is a small exhibit of Flint Faience Tiles in the History Gallery that tells the story of this unusual partnership between an enterprising automotive parts supplier and an innovative artist.

If you have a personal connection to one of our podcast historical topics, an artifact relating to Flint or Genesee County history, or have a burning question prompted by one of our past podcasts, please call (810) 237-3417 and leave a voicemail (we may use your question on air), or email us at Podcast@SloanLongway.org

This 1956 Buick Centurion on display in Sloan Museum's vehicle gallery is a one-of-a-kind concept car. Developed for and debuted at the 1956 Motorama, the Buick Centurion's futuristic design has been beloved for decades. With many features considered "new" today, this car was certainly ahead of its time. In this episode, Sloan Museum Curator of Collections Geoff Woodcox details these unique features, such as a freestanding speedometer with a fixed indicator and rotation dial. There is also a television camera mounted just above the tail cone that projected images from the rear of the car to a screen on the dash, thus eliminating the need for a rear view mirror. While rearview cameras with unobstructed views are now mandatory on all new vehicles, the 1956 Buick Centurion was the very first to unveil this forward-thinking feature.

If you have a personal connection to this topic, an artifact relating to the history of Flint & Genesee County, or have a burning question, please call (810) 237-3417 and leave a voicemail (we may use your question on air), or email us at Podcast@SloanLongway.org.

Most big city television markets had a Bozo the Clown show in the 1960-70s. In Flint, Michigan, Frank Cady was Bozo. As part of the Sloan Museum of Discovery's artifact collection, Frank Cady's original costume, clown shoes, hair and accessories are on display. In this lighthearted episode of Discover Uncover, Jerome and Geoff go into some of Bozo folklore and show off some of his lesser-known accessories, like his giant comb and some of the original "magic" acts seen on the set of ABC 12.

If you have a personal connection to this topic, an artifact relating to the history of Flint & Genesee County, or have a burning question, please call (810) 237-3417 and leave a voicemail (we may use your question on air), or email us at Podcast@SloanLongway.org.

The long-lasting effects of the historic United Auto Worker Sit-Down Strike in Flint, Michigan can hardly be overstated. The resolutions from the strike greatly improved the quality of life for generations of automotive manufacturing workers throughout the country. In this podcast, Geoff Woodcox, Curator of Sloan's Historical Collections, goes into details about why the Sit-Down Strike happened, the sacrifices made by the strikers and their families, General Motors' and the City of Flint's response, and the eventual demands that were met by GM. As mentioned in the podcast, there are surprisingly very few artifacts from this historic event. If you have any letters, artifacts or stories that have been handed down from family members or friends who were involved in this significant historical event, please email us at podcast@SloanLongway.org.