Albuquerque Museum

Yesterday was a beautiful Sunday

to go out and visit the Albuquerque Museum.

I specifically went to visit their new exhibit for Route 66.

Unfortunately, this important part of our history

was not an exhibit that could be photographed.

Paintings and other objects are in the museum

and can be photographed in their permanent exhibit.

Retablos (paintings of saints), crosses, Our Lady of Guadalupe,

and other pieces of art are also significant pieces

in the religious history of the Spanish people and what they shared

with the Pueblos and other people.

American Girl Josefina has a storage chest that is similar

to what may have been used in some early Spanish homes!

Autumn was most excited about visiting the exhibit

"Only in Albuquerque"!

It has a floor map of Albuquerque.

Here we are!

Much of this area of the exhibit shows what was in the

lives of many people in Albuquerque.

Would you like some posole or carne adovada?

Many of the original Spanish inhabitants became farmers.

Faith was an important part of living and working in a region

that can be very arid and have little rain!

San Ysidro in the patron saint of farmers.

A later ranch set was under a clear cover in the farm area.

This looks like a fun set to play with!

The next room began to show the changes and progress

brought by a larger population of people as they traveled

into New Mexico.

Would you like your picture taken?

Travel changed from an ox cart to a wagon,

and mail was brought into the region by wagon.

Development and changes continued into the 20th century.

Phones, radios, television, and other devices became

a part of life in populated regions in New Mexico

as they came to America.

Wow! Can I watch TV?
The phone has a dial on it?

The culture and history has continued to be an important

part of New Mexico. There is a similar sculpture

to this painting outside of the museum.
This painting represents the conquistadors and the friars

that overtook the native Pueblo communities, but also

established a space for living for more Spaniards.

For us, the girl with the doll figure is the center

of attention!

There are exhibits in this area with the impact of technology,

the early computers, astronauts, and other aspects in the development

of the state. I love the pottery, weavings, and history of the state.

The Pueblo people are very skilled with their pottery

and other aspects to how they created their lives, culture,

and trade within the region.

Large looms like this were a part of the early Spanish culture.

Fred Harvey created hotels with exceptional, clean service

by single women working with guests. 

It supported more people

traveling; especially those from a more affluent society

who did not wish to travel in the dirt by a wagon.

Fred Harvey hotels were along the railroad line.

They frequently also featured the culture in each region

before Route 66 and then airlines became forms of travel.
The Alvarado Hotel was the Fred Harvey hotel in Albuquerque.

The Albuquerque Museum shows the pottery, dishes/plates,

and other pieces that may have been available for people

to purchase in the Southwest when visiting the Alvarado Hotel.

The pottery in the middle was especially large!

The Santa Fe railroad was an important part of our history.

One thing it did was carry the visitors to the Alvarado Fred Harvey hotel.

The earlier form of transportation was the ox cart

pulled by oxes up the trail from Mexico.

The trail and carts were used by the Spaniards who went

to Mexico City to access items from around the world to sell

or trade with people in New Mexico.

This cart is also in my sense of humor,

as I have also seen carts in front of El Rancho de las Golondrinas,

which has a restored rancho. It is closer to the way Josefina

lived than the inside of a museum!

Another part of the history and current needs of farmers

is the acequia with the gate. Streams of water from the river

are used to divert water to farm crops. The gate is used

to stop water and divert it and share it with others.

It was an important part of the survival of the early people

and are still used as an asset today.

This is a smaller version I saw and photographed in person

on April 25, 2016. This is a smaller acequia. There are wider

and deeper ones, but it is no less important for use.

 There were a few more areas that we enjoyed viewing,

but I decided not to photograph everything. The area

"Only in Albuquerque" was the main area I photographed

and that Autumn enjoyed being photographed in.

It was finally time to leave after a thorough visit.

We will definitely come back again this summer!