Perry is an independent curator who specializes in 19th century American cultural history. Her current exhibition, “The Great American Hall of Wonders,” is on view at the Smithsonian American Art Museum through Jan. 8, 2012. It examines an innovative era of art, science and invention in America. Are we still an innovative nation?
I think the United States is just as inventive as they always were, but we may have lost the sense of camaraderie that we’re all inventors, that we’re all sort of in this together, the sense of exhilaration that they had in the 19th century. I think we can get that back, but it’s a question of leadership, education and other factors.
What lessons can this exhibit give about environmental conservation?
There are some very important lessons from the 19th century with what happened to the buffalo, a species that was almost entirely wiped out, and the degradation of certain areas that we consider the heart of the United States. As ingenious Americans, maybe we can think of how we can preserve these areas in ways that benefit us all.
What fascinates you about the 19th century?
I really like their optimism. I think 200-plus years from the Revolution, we’re maybe distant from that idea that we’re incredibly lucky to have the kind of government that we do. That sense of waking up in the morning and going, “Wow! I live in a democratic nation.” Maybe that’s a little bit remote from our everyday lives, but in the 19th century that was really up front and center in their minds everyday.
What invention would you like to take home from the exhibit?
Morse’s patent model prototype. … It’s made from a canvas stretcher, and he looked at that and thought, “What if I put wire over here and another piece of wood here, that could work as a telegraph prototype.” I find it very inspirational that a guy who was a painter could make a telegraph in his studio.
– Leigh Giangreco
