Dutch banded box donated by Mrs. Mary Stewart Carey
Home Memories, Wonders, and Dreams: Stories from 100 Years The Early Years of the Museum Dutch banded box donated by Mrs. Mary Stewart Carey

Dutch banded box

Dutch banded box donated by Mrs. Mary Stewart Carey
Dutch banded box donated by Mrs. Mary Stewart Carey
Dutch banded box donated by Mrs. Mary Stewart Carey
Dutch banded box donated by Mrs. Mary Stewart Carey

Dutch banded box donated by Mrs. Mary Stewart Carey

Mary Stewart Carey, the first president of The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, donated many craft and antique artifacts to the collection. Among them was this handpainted 19th century banded box. The inscription, translated from German, reads, “Earth is beautiful, life is so beautiful, so let’s enjoy the days.”
 
Mrs. Carey not only donated objects from her own home, she also encouraged children across the community to help in growing the collection. She made her request via a forward-thinking letter sent home from Indianapolis Public Schools: “Indianapolis needs a place where children can go to see how people in far-away lands live . . . to learn how children in other times grew up . . . to have fun while they discover the world around them. There are in the homes of Indianapolis thousands of things, sometimes stored away and almost forgotten, that would be very interesting to all of us. Will you not help us find these things? Talk to your parents about these things. Nothing is too great or small for the museum. The only question asked is, ‘will it be of interest to the children’?”