Trash or Treasure: New Henry Ford exhibit features more than 7,000 Hallmark ornaments
Many of us will be unpacking the holiday decorations this weekend as the season begins its traditional kickoff the day after Thanksgiving. If you’ve ever wondered if you have too many Christmas ornaments, a trip to The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation's new exhibit will put that thought to rest.
“Miniature Moments ― A Journey Through Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments,” which debuted last weekend, features about 7,000 ornaments dating from 1973 to 2009. The most comprehensive collection of Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments ever assembled, the tiny treasures are displayed in tall floor-to-ceiling glass-front cases.
Arranged chronologically, they are also organized according to a variety of themes, with “something everyone can relate to,” says Melissa Foster, museum spokesperson. Peanuts, Pixar, Star Wars, Disney and Harry Potter are nods to pop culture; there are also groupings devoted to sports, pets, hobbies, music, food and national and world events. You’ll also find a few ― including the iconic wienermobile ― with ties to the museum’s collection, and rarities such as Cousin Eddie’s van from “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.“ “The desire all along was to display all of them,” says Donna Braden, senior curator and curator of public life.
Placards throughout the exhibit chronicle the collectible’s history. Hallmark introduced its first collection of Keepsake Ornaments with a small line of six glass balls and 12 yarn figures in 1973. Since then, the company has added more than 8,500 ornaments and some 100 series, with new offerings annually July through December. Through the years, the company developed a collectors’ club, which now features more than 500 active local chapters across the U.S. and Canada, according to a press release.
“Hallmark revolutionized Christmas decorating through the development of an increasing variety of ornaments geared to a wide range of distinctly different customer bases,” according to the press release. “Their use of sound, light, unique materials and other special affects continues to be groundbreaking.”
The museum acquired the collection in 2019 from Norm and Dorothy Snyder, who owned an Indiana Hallmark store that also operated an on-site Hallmark Ornament Museum. The couple donated it to the museum after their recent retirement.
Braden says visitors will be able to relate to the collection, and she expects them to enjoy reminiscing and picking out their favorites among the many featured. The exhibit offers the chance to relive special memories and remember special people and events.
She couldn’t help but do the same while working on it, she says. Her choice? The “Baby’s First Christmas” ornament, which dates to 1990. Her daughter, Caroline, had a walker like the one featured in the design and it reminds her of those happy years. “We still buy Hallmark ornaments together,” she added.
The permanent exhibit is free with museum admission. For more information, visit thf.org
Contact Khristi Zimmeth at trashortreas@aol.com.