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Past Tents: The Way We Camped

Presented by Museum of History and Art, Ontario

June 10-August 1, 2010

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[Photo Credit: “Mrs. Perrelet. The fliver. Miss Muth.” Death Valley Automobile Trip, 1926. Courtesy, The Bancroft Library] The “Past Tents: The Way We Camped” exhibition explores camping in California from post-Gold Rush to the mid-1900s. Early camping was an enterprise of independence, simplicity, and conviviality. It offered a change of pace, splendor of scenery, and an opportunity to be close to nature and escape the trappings of society for a time. Despite the toil and the lack of modern gear, gadgets and groceries, campers eagerly packed their duffel bags with cameras and diaries and took to the hills. “Past Tents” is divided into three themes: Round the Campground, Hitting the Trail, and Open Roads, Open Fires. Through photographs, journal entries, and advertisements, “Past Tents” examines auto camping, camp food, gear, and pastimes, and tips for successful camp trips. The “Past Tents: The Way We Camped” exhibition was produced by The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley and California Historical Society and based on the book written by Susan Snyder and co-published by Heyday Books and The Bancroft Library. On Display – Historic Images & Objects • Whimsical photos from the archives of the California Historical Society and the Bancroft Library enchant • Vintage canvas tents set the scene • Long-lost camping tips recall a common sense approach • A hands-on stereo viewer depicts in 3-D images a by-gone era • Letters and journals recount camping’s adventure “Past Tents: The Way We Camped” was produced by the California Historical Society and The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, and based on the book by Susan Snyder co-published by Heyday Books and The Bancroft Library in 2006. This exhibition tour was organized by the California Exhibition Resources Alliance. CERA is a network of professionally operated museums and cultural organizations that collaborates to create and tour smaller, affordable, high quality exhibitions that enhance civic engagement and human understanding. For more information visit www.ceraexhibits.org.