“A Life of Leisure” Exhibition at Clermont Museum – Beginning June 1st

Title: “A Life of Leisure” Exhibition at Clermont Museum – Beginning June 1st
Location: Clermont Museum – 300 Mill Street
Description: Enjoy “A Life of Leisure” exhibition at Clermont Museum beginning June 1
Take free tours of “Iowa History 101” mobile museum June 14-17 at Montauk

DES MOINES – A lot of Americans were living the good life at the turn of the 20th century.

Buoyed by an explosion of economic growth, jobs and technology, a new middle class emerged with more leisure time and disposable income than most Americans had ever enjoyed. And they were eager to spend their time and money pursuing sports, travel and entertainment.

In Iowa, former Gov. William Larrabee and his family joined in and became actively involved in numerous leisure-time activities, a lifestyle that is captured in a new exhibition called “A Life of Leisure: The Rise of the Victorian Leisure Class.” It opens June 1 at the Clermont Museum in Clermont.

“The turn of the 20th century opened up many new opportunities for Iowans to enjoy themselves, and the Larrabee family was certainly no exception,” Montauk Historic Site Manager Hannah Frederick said. “With their wealth, they could immerse themselves in many of these new activities and lead by participating and promoting these new adventures. This new exhibition will give visitors an inside look at how they did it.”

“A Life of Leisure” includes information, photos and artifacts about the Larrabees and their interests in sports, such as lawn tennis, croquet, baseball, football, bicycling and a new-fangled activity called “exercising” with dumbbells, wooden rings and so-called “Indian Clubs.” The exhibition also examines how women became active in canoeing, rowing, walking and gymnastics.

Visitors will see a wide range of Montauk artifacts in the exhibition, including a “Windermere” tennis racket, a Spalding baseball bat from 1890-1900, horseshoes, roller skates and ice skates from the 1880s, a gym outfit from the early 1900s and women’s swimsuits from the 1920s.

If you go:

What: “A Life of Leisure: The Rise of the Victorian Leisure Class” exhibition
Where: Clermont Museum, 300 Mill Street in Clermont, Iowa 563-423-7173
When: Noon to 4 p.m. Fridays through Sundays
Admission: Free

Meanwhile, visitors to the Montauk Historic Site can “Leisure with the Larrabees” from noon to 4 p.m. on June 16 to see how the Larrabee family spent summers in the late 1800s. They can play Victorian lawn games such as horseshoes, badminton, lawn bowling and croquet and make a craft or two.

They’ll also be able to take free self-guided tours of the State Historical Society of Iowa’s “History on the Move” mobile museum noon to 4 p.m. June 14 through June 17.

The mobile museum – a bright blue, custom-built Winnebago that travels the state’s highways and back roads to share stories from the past – currently houses a 300-square-foot exhibition called “Iowa History 101.” It is filled with artifacts from the State Historical Society’s collection and audio/video presentations by Mike Wolfe, the creator and star of the hit television series “American Pickers.”

The 38-foot Winnebago will visit all 99 Iowa counties over the course of three years, from 2017 through 2019, with stops at schools, libraries, local museums, community festivals, county fairs and other places where Iowans gather.

The traveling exhibition – which is sponsored by EMC Insurance Companies, Casey’s General Stores and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach – is one of a trio of “Iowa History 101” shows. Visitors to the State Historical Museum in Des Moines can find both a traditional museum exhibition, plus an interactive “Hands-On History” gallery designed especially for children.

The Montauk Historic Site is at 26233 Harding Road near Clermont. Iowa. The Clermont Museum is part of the Montauk Historic Site, which is overseen by the State Historical Society of Iowa, a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs. More information is available at iowaculture.gov.

The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs and its three divisions – the Iowa Arts Council, Produce Iowa – State Office of Media Production, and the State Historical Society of Iowa – empower Iowa to build and sustain culturally vibrant communities by connecting Iowans to the people, places and points of pride that define our state. The department’s work enables Iowa to be recognized as a state that fosters creativity and serves as a catalyst for innovation where the stories of Iowa are preserved and communicated to connect past, present and future generations. Visit iowaculture.gov for more details.