Posted: 4/1/2020
Space Oddities
was an exhibit that was in the the T.T. Wentworth, Jr. Florida State Museum from February
2019 until January of 2020. The
Wentworth Museum is attached to the UWF Historic Trust. The UWF Historic Trust is a
collection of museums that have to do with the history of Pensacola and
Northwest Florida. The Wentworth Museum
is located in downtown Pensacola. The building was originally City Hall and was
built in 1907. The museum has three floors that are open to the public. All
three floors of the museum inform the patron about the history and
culture of Pensacola.
The first floor
takes you through a timeline of Pensacola history starting with the Native
Americans that were first living in the area, all the way up to the modern
time showing why Pensacola is so important, and explaining why Pensacola is
the oldest European settlement on mainland North America. The first floor takes
the patron on a journey of almost 450 years of discovery and expansion leading
to what Pensacola is today. Pensacola, known as the “City of Five Flags,” has
been occupied by five different countries in its time, being Spain, France,
English, the Confederacy, and the United States. Anyone driving in downtown
Pensacola today can see the influence left by all of the countries that once
claimed Pensacola as their own.
The second floor
of the museum focuses mainly on the people, places, and culture of Pensacola.
The second floor uses five small rooms and one large to dive into what makes
Pensacola, Pensacola. Currently on the second floor, you can see the Trader
Jon’s exhibit, a local bar that was frequented by the Naval Airmen known as
the Blue Angels; Greetings From Pensacola, an exhibit based on the
postcards that depict Pensacola; Cotton Fields to Congress: The Life and
Career of Earl Hutto, that takes you through the life of the Congressman;
and Punksacola: Reflections of a Subculture, explaining how the Punk
scene was weaved into the culture of Pensacola.
The third floor of
the Wentworth is where Space Oddities was located. The exhibit consisted
of parts of a collection of science fiction movie props from the Merrill Movie
Museum located in Pensacola, Florida. The exhibit’s opening corresponded with
Pensacola Comic Con (Pensacon), held the last weekend of February in downtown
Pensacola. It was set up in a large room with three walls prefabricated in the
center to host the film section. The outline of the exhibit itself served as a
timeline of what most movie enthusiasts would consider the classics of Sci-Fi
movies. The exhibit had examples of real movie props from titles such as Hitchhikers
Guide to the Galaxy to Men In Black displaying some of the alien
props used in the movies. The collection also showed the other side of the
Sci-Fi genre, displaying props from Star Wars and Star Trek. One
of the main attractions was the signed BB-8 that was on display. The exhibit
also had original movie posters of all the movies listed and many more that are
not.
The Wentworth
Museum is a must-see museum for anyone who is truly interested in history. From
people who have lived here all of their lives to people who are just visiting
for whatever reason, the museum is an attraction for all ages and peoples. Space
Oddities was a fun and interactive exhibit for all to enjoy. Many times
I had someone come up to me after viewing the exhibit, they would have big
smiles on their face, from young to old, the exhibit was enjoyed by all ages.
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