After I blogged\u00c2\u00a0that my bluejeans\u00c2\u00a0had been on display\u00c2\u00a0in the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History from 1995-2006, I received a lot of messages and comments .\u00a0 I thought I would save the story until after I found the photos of the exhibit .\u00a0 Sad to say, I haven’t found the photos, but I did find the negatives .\u00a0 It’ll be a few days before I can have prints made, so I decided to end the suspense .\u00a0<\/p>\n
Back in 1994, when I was working for a company called Genencor, curators from the Smithsonian visited the company and asked for a tour .\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0The\u00c2\u00a0employees who usually led such tours were at an off-site meeting, so the company receptionist asked me if I could\u00c2\u00a0show the\u00c2\u00a0guests from the Smithsonian\u00c2\u00a0around the facility.
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\nThe curators\u00c2\u00a0explained to me\u00c2\u00a0that the National Museum of American History was preparing a new permanent exhibit on “Science in American Life” and\u00c2\u00a0was looking for some ideas to include in the section on biotechnology .\u00a0 I told them about Genencor’s project to use enzymes from microorganisms to give a stonewashed look to jeans.
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\nUp until then, manufacturers of bluejeans actually washed the jeans with pumice stones to abrade the jeans and give them a “worn” look and feel .\u00a0 The technology Genencor was developing would avoid the use of stones, avoid a lot of wear and tear on the washing machines, provide a more uniform product, and avoid the problem of having to clean the residue of the stones from the jeans after they were stonewashed.
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\nThe curators from the Smithsonian liked this idea and asked if I could provide some materials for the exhibit .\u00a0 So, I sent them two pairs of jeans – one was a stiff, dark blue, unwashed\u00c2\u00a0pair (you can hardly find these in the stores anymore) and one was a pair that I washed with\u00c2\u00a0cellulase enzymes (and yes, I actually wore the jeans before I sent them to the Smithsonian) .\u00a0 Today, almost all “stonewashed” jeans are really enzyme-washed.
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\nThe Science in American Life exhibit opened in 1995 and, a few\u00c2\u00a0years later,\u00a0the museum\u00c2\u00a0moved Julia Child’s kitchen into\u00c2\u00a0a space\u00c2\u00a0right across the hall from where my jeans were displayed .\u00a0 I was\u00c2\u00a0honored that my bluejeans\u00c2\u00a0shared the\u00c2\u00a0company of Julia Child’s pots and pans.
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\nPresently, the museum is closed during renovation and will reopen in 2008. Unfortunately, the Science\u00c2\u00a0in American Life exhibit will not have a place\u00c2\u00a0in the remodeled museum .\u00a0 Still,\u00a0for 11 years my bluejeans were on display to the public.
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\nSo, no racy stories at all .\u00a0 No protests, no arrests .\u00a0 But, I wonder how many people have viewed my bluejeans in awe and wonder over the years?<\/p>\n
And, by the way,\u00a0may I\u00c2\u00a0have my jeans back now?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
After I blogged\u00c2\u00a0that my bluejeans\u00c2\u00a0had been on display\u00c2\u00a0in the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History from 1995-2006, I received a lot of messages and comments .\u00a0 I thought I would save the story until after I found the photos … Continue reading