9 Apr 2016
Two Arizona Museums

A two-story pink stucco building set against a sky filled with white clouds against a blue background Amerind Museum

We drove north out of Douglas heading for the Amerind Museum. After a while Elsa told Bob the museum didn't open until 10:00. Since we had made our typical early start around 8:00 we had time to kill, which we accomplished by driving slowly and letting exasperated following cars get by when we partially pulled onto the narrow shoulder.

Anyhow, were we ever delighted when we got to the museum! The Amerind Foundation is as old as we are, having been founded in 1937 by a Connecticut manufacturer turned archaeologist, William Shirley Fuller (1880-1964). In fact it is located on Fuller's Double Two military aircraft with twin tails World War II planes F ranch in Dragoon, Arizona.

This really should be a must stop here for anyone driving through southeastern Arizona. Fuller got hooked when he wandered into a canyon on (or near) his ranch and found a nearly perfect prehistoric decorated pot.

The museum is educational and artistic, and of course the Foundation does more than just display gorgeous Indian artifacts, primarily from the Southwest; it participates and Two men looking at military motorcycles Motorcycles and Trucks sponsors archaeological digs. and other activities designed to enhance our study of Amerindian cultures and history.

Our feeling was that the exhibits were of extraordinarily high quality, and the art work was Western in spirit and again of very high quality.

The very next day we found a kind of pop-up museum. That is,we happened upon a World War II show featuring planes, vehicles, tents and paraphernalia used in the war, all owned by local hobbyists and collectors and organizations. A fully kitted out Army green ambulance, World War II era. Ambulance

The planes were the B-17, B-24, B-25, and P-51, all in good flying condition, and indeed well-heeled visitors paid for plane rides during the day. We were content to photograph the planes on the ground (although we saw them flying).

The exhibits included a number of trucks and jeeps and motorcycles, etc., on show, and many tents with Army equipment of the period.

At this many years' distance, the exhibition can't really evoke much of the operations and emotions surrounding the war, but they do serve some educational purpose, and, like all museums, provide an environment for recalling memories, or perhaps the memories of one's parents.