The Coolest Artifacts History Colorado Has Collected Over the Past 10 Years – 5280 – 5280 | The Denver Magazine

Photos courtesy of History Colorado, DenverCulture

From Blinky the Clown to bongs to statement headwear, these items reflect the ever-shifting diversity of Colorado.

Its been a decade since the Colorado History Museum, the states pre-eminent repository of the past, became the History Colorado Center, a rebranding officially capped off with the opening of the nonprofits giant, $111 million center on Broadway in Denver. Another significant part of the organizations transformation was a renewed focus on fleshing out its permanent collection to better reflect the states diversity. To that end, History Colorado has accepted some 1,201 donations since April 2012. Here are some of the most remarkable additions.

Blinky the Clownaka Russell Scottentertained and educated on the local Blinkys Fun Club show wearing his trademark tartan blazer for more than 40 years, making him TVs longest-running clown.

Along with used tear gas grenades, rubber bullets, and spray paint canisters, History Colorado staff collected posters after the first Denver demonstration against the murder of George Floyd.

Pink beanies became a symbol of 2017s Womens March on Denver after thousands of people wore handmade versions as part of a protest against the presidential election of Donald Trump, who infamously used the term pussy in an offensive manner during an Access Hollywood taping in 2005. The nationwide demonstrations were some of the largest in the countrys history.

Its likely most Coloradans have already seen this artifact: Governor Jared Polis wore it often during the early days of the pandemic, including at the April 2020 press conference where he first urged all Coloradans to wear masks when outside of home.

History Colorado owns blueprints drafted by Colorados first licensed Black architect, John Henderson, who designed Denvers Byron Rogers Federal Building and his own midcentury modern home in Skyland, which was designated a local historical landmark in 2018.

The papers of Linda Fowler, a champion of womens and LGBTQ rights and one of the plaintiffs in Romer v. Evans, reside in History Colorados collection. The lawsuit challenged Amendment 2, a 1992 voter initiative that banned anti-discrimination laws for gay people and earned Colorado the moniker the hate state. The U.S. Supreme Court struck the amendment down as unconstitutional.

This water bong was one of only 30 made by now-defunct Heady Glass Studios to commemorate the 2014 Denver County Fairs Pot Pavilion, erected less than a month after the state legalized the sale of recreational cannabis.

This article appeared in the April 2022 issue of 5280.

Nicholas writes and edits the Compass, Adventure, and Culture sections of 5280 and writes for 5280.com.

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The Coolest Artifacts History Colorado Has Collected Over the Past 10 Years - 5280 - 5280 | The Denver Magazine