“Old School’ Supplies: An Exhibit of the Tools, Books, and Media That Yesterday’s Kids Used To Learn…….And Some Good Finds From the School Book Fair” is an exhibit that was erected at the North Park branch of the Alamance County Public Library in Burlington, NC in September. A new display will replace it in Mid November.
As the title states, the two cases feature a variety of vintage instructional technology like VHS tapes, filmstrips, audio cassettes, and puzzles. There are school supplies that say “1970s” like a Scholastic story audio record, and one that screams “1990s” like a 1991 Nickelodeon folder with ‘Doug’ and the ‘Rugrats’.
There are also over 50 years of vintage text books and readers. The oldest on display is a 1928 Madeline Brandeis book while the youngest is a 1978 Spider-Man learning reader. The book fair finds span 60 years of texts based on kids movies, radio and TV shows from a “Sergeant Preston of the Yukon” coloring book to a “Kenan & Kel” paperback novel.
I like collecting and researching the history of instructional technology and children’s media from the 20th century and sharing it with all ages for learning about the past.
I would like to do exhibits like this more in the future. For now due to time and lack of funds, I can only do spaces in North Carolina between Archdale and Raleigh.
Other gems that you may spot are a 2002 VTech Tablet, a 1960s Playskool puzzle, the Freaky Friday (2003) Movie Scrapbook, and a Weston Woods VHS with story lady Jackie Torrance
