The Smithsonian National Museum of American History is located in Washington DC and is dedicated to curating exhibits that explore various aspects of American History. Julia Child’s kitchen from her Cooking Show back in the 80s is located in the Transforming the American Table exhibit. The kitchen is a big attraction for the museum as it has all of the original pots, pans, plates, cups, bowls, appliances, and other cooking tools. Visitors are meant to look at these things in the kitchen through a set of windows at the front of the installation.
Visitors cannot walk through or touch any of the objects because original pieces from the cooking TV show. There are a ton of labels all around the outside of the kitchen that explain valuable information on Child’s life and her impact on the culinary world, cook books, and cooking shows. It’s great that young girls get to visit and learn about a powerful woman in American History who changed the field of culinary arts and the cooking industry.
In the first article of this series, I explained how children enjoy feeling as if they are the hero and enjoy having the spotlight on them. In a museum, this is crucial as it can make the children feel as if they are the incredible historical figure that they are learning about (Gooloop). By having a replica of Julia Child’s Kitchen for the children to play with, it could make young girls feel as if they are Julia Child. This is a great interactive that would help make young girls want to learn more to become even more inspired by Julia Child. They could leave the museum wanting to be just like Julia Child when they grow up.
NMAH has two incredible children’s rooms named Wegmans Wonderplace and The Spark Lab. The Wegmans Wonderplace is specifically for ages 0-6 years old. I was a volunteer in the room from November 2019 till the pandemic closed the museum down in March 2020. The most popular activity in the room was the children’s kitchen, modeled after Julia Child’s kitchen. By having a replica of Julia Child’s kitchen at Wegmans Wonderplace, children can feel as if they are Julia Child cooking in the kitchen. There is information on the walls that parents can explain to their children as they are playing to help them understand how the kitchen they saw in the Transforming the American Table exhibit and this kitchen they are currently playing in ties together with Julia Child.
I saw the Julia Child’s children’s kitchen as an amazing example for children, especially young girls, to learn about a piece of monumental history for women in the culinary world and the history of cooking TV shows in a way that is most suitable and age appropriate to the children allowed in the room. This is especially great for young girls to be able to engage and learn about a significant woman in American history through the act of play. An important part of the NMAI mission is to create spaces that allow visitors of all ages to learn about key historical moments throughout American history. Women’s history has always been a critical factor in that mission, and this is a beautiful way to help young girls learn about significant women in American history in a way that is meant for them.
-Lindsay Guarnieri
Junior Girl, Curatorial
Girl Museum
Work Cited: Blooloop. “How to Create Meaningful Children’s Museums.” Blooloop, 28 June 2023, blooloop.com/museum/in-depth/childrens-museums/.