Lounging in the 60s Main Menu Introduction How to use our website Objects Mission 66 Overview Revitalizing the Parks Taliesin Associated Architects Beaver Meadows Visitor Center Conclusion

Exhibit Goals

24015 Objects

Background

This online exhibit has been compiled by the students of Colorado State University's Material Culture class for the 2017 fall semester. With the generous help of Kelly Cahill, the curator of Beaver Meadows Visitor Center in Rocky Mountain National Park, we contextualized fourteen objects that give a wider picture of the culture of Mission 66 projects. Mission 66 was a seminal movement in the National Park Service that drastically changed the degree to which visitors could interact with the parks.

Throughout this exhibit, you can explore the objects that relate to different National Park Service directors, renowned designers, and cultural trends. Objects as simple as a brass doorstop have many stories to tell and present information that illuminates much beyond simple visitor center design. We invite you to explore not only the objects and their contexts, but also the connections between the objects, the construction of Beaver Meadows Visitor Center and how they illuminate the wider goals of Mission 66.

Goal

The combined analysis of material culture and the historical record permits a deeper understanding of the ways Mission 66 initiatives unfolded at Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), and specifically at Beaver Meadows Visitor Center (BMVC). Examination of both the structure and its furnishings provides a more holistic perspective on the manifestations of this agency-wide initiative. These material items, considered in tandem with the Taliesin/Wright-designed visitor center, reflect both concurrent stylistic trend in design and the core values of Mission 66.

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  1. Introduction Kimberly Selinske