If you’ve followed me for some time, you know that, for me, one of the most important aspects of creating a program is connecting with and engaging visitors. I love when some aspect of what I am sharing with people sparks a conversation, stirs up a memory, or opens the door for a visitor to share their story as well.
Some times, the littlest thing can be what catches a visitor’s s attention, draws them in, and helps them connect with the aspects of history I am sharing with them. The most simple object can connect with a visitor, such as small strawberry pin cushions and emories. These tiny objects brought special smiles to visitors’ faces as they shared stories of little red strawberries. from visitors.
True connection with visitors can vary. A visitor may stand over my shoulder mesmerized by the turning of a pinking machine. A pair of siblings may pull over a bench to sit and ask questions. A young visitor may hop up and down as they make a connection with something they saw earlier elsewhere. Yet, engagement isn’t always active interaction. It can also be the quiet, elderly visitor in the corner staring at pen wipes, waiting for the room to clear so she can pull back her tears and tell me about watching her mother write with pen & ink as a child.
In developing my program for this month, I knew with all the stress in my life and likely in the life’s of the visitors I will see, I needed to do something fun that nearly everyone will be able to connect with on some level. This year’s 19th century handmade gifts for Holiday Open House are all about
Cats & Dogs
My hope is visitors will engage with the various pieces of cat & dog fancy work I’ve created. Maybe, they will share stories of the cat or dog, or similar projects or gifts they made. By doing so, I can help connect them with the history of handmade gifts and the educational aspects of fancy work for girls and women.
I also hope visitors will have a little fun with this and enjoy voting for cats or dogs.
If I Had My Own Blue Box: 
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