Discover Uncover

Collecting historical artifacts doesn’t always mean seeking out the old. Museums also collect contemporary artifacts, as well as the stories surrounding those objects, for the benefit of future generations. In this podcast episode Curator Geoff Woodcox and Registrar Sarah Dickinson show some contemporary pieces in the Sloan Museum history collection and the significance they hold for future museum...

Hosts Geoff Woodcox and Sarah Dickenson delve into the backstory of a new community gallery exhibition at Sloan Museum that will open June 25, 2024. “ From Crisis to Care” is a community exhibition showcasing the evolution of Hurley Medical Center from one small institution serving Flint to its current status as a Level I trauma center with an international footprint. It also showcases the evoluti...

Wood-paneled vehicles from the 1940s and 1950s became affectionately known as “Woodies” by historic car enthusiasts. Curator of Collections Geoff Woodcox and Registrar and Exhibits Liaison Sarah Dickinson go into the backstories of a wood-paneled 1950 Buick Estate Wagon that’s part of Sloan’s historic vehicle collection. Donated in 1969 by Donald Mitchell, the President of Ionia Manufacturing Comp...

Hidden away in the vast artifact collection at Sloan Museum is a coin and bill collection that spans 2000 years, dating from an ancient Roman coin dated 240 BCE, through American colonial coins from the 1600s and a $7 hand-signed bill in 1775, and up through the 19th century. Altogether, there are about 600 pieces that were primarily transferred from the Genesee County Historical Society. Sloan’s...

Sloan Museum Curator of Collections, Geoff Woodcox, tells the intriguing genesis of Flint Faience Tiles. This short-lived tile company began with an unusual partnership between French-born Albert Champion, who founded AC Spark Plug (now ACDelco), and an entrepreneurial Belgian-born ceramic tile artist named Carl Bergmans. Faience is a style of tile named after a village in Italy and was very popul...

This 1956 Buick Centurion on display in Sloan Museum's vehicle gallery is a one-of-a-kind concept car. Developed for and debuted at the 1956 Motorama, the Buick Centurion's futuristic design has been beloved for decades. With many features considered "new" today, this car was certainly ahead of its time. In this episode, Sloan Museum Curator of Collections Geoff Woodcox details...

Most big city television markets had a Bozo the Clown show in the 1960-70s. In Flint, Michigan, Frank Cady was Bozo. As part of the Sloan Museum of Discovery's artifact collection, Frank Cady's original costume, clown shoes, hair and accessories are on display. In this lighthearted episode of Discover Uncover, Jerome and Geoff go into some of Bozo folklore and show off some of his lesser...

The long-lasting effects of the historic United Auto Worker Sit-Down Strike in Flint, Michigan can hardly be overstated. The resolutions from the strike greatly improved the quality of life for generations of automotive manufacturing workers throughout the country. In this podcast, Geoff Woodcox, Curator of Sloan's Historical Collections, goes into details about why the Sit-Down Strike happen...

The WWII Hellcat Tank Destroyer was built by General Motors in the Flint, Michigan, region from 1942-1945. General Motors stopped building automobiles during that time frame to build the Hellcat, engines, and ammunitions as part of the war effort. Curator of Collections, Geoff Woodcox, gives some fascinating historical details about the 33,000 pound Hellcat that is part of the Sloan Museum History...

Sloan Curator of Collections and Jerome Threlkeld interview Adam Avery, a Michigan-based Anishinabek artist who created and donated his Native American regalia art. to Sloan's History Gallery. Their conversation in this episode delves into the process to get the details accurate in the Anishinabek section of the History Gallery through Sloan's partnership with the Ziibiwing Center of Ani...

As the birthplace of General Motors, the City of Flint's population exploded in the early 20th century, going from about 30,000 to 90,000 people between 1910 and 1920 as workers from the Southern US and abroad poured into the region for jobs. Flint's infrastructure wasn't keeping up as tent cities and shanty towns cropped up. As a housing solution for their workers, GM created the M...

Listen in as Geoff Woodcox, Sloan Museum curator of Collections, and Jerome Threlkeld, Community Engagement Coordinator, discuss the catastrophic EF5 tornado that destroyed entire neighborhoods in the Beecher community. Letters from high school students' accounts of the storm are read aloud, as well as how the community came together to heal and re-build. If you have a personal connection to...