Atlanta History Center celebrates 100 years with 'Atlanta in 100 Objects' exhibit
Not only is the United States celebrating a big milestone this year, but the Atlanta History Center is, too.
Founded in 1926 to preserve and study Atlanta's history, the center is celebrating 100 years.
To honor the occasion, the center has launched "Atlanta in 100 Objects" — an exhibit using artifacts to help tell the story of the city.
With over 60,000 items to choose from across its 33-acre campus, the Atlanta History Center had its work cut out when it came to selecting pieces for its "Atlanta in 100 Objects" exhibit.
"Whittling them down to 100 was a challenge," said Director of Exhibitions for the Atlanta History Center, Tim Frilingos.
Frilingos said it was an institution-wide effort.
"We brought people together in a room and said, 'You know, what are the things that you know about that we just can't miss?'" Frilingos said.
Staff wanted to make sure to select the 100 items they thought would tell the best stories, the best items to show off, and maybe some items they haven't really shown.
"We definitely wanted to represent all the different kinds of people who have lived here in Atlanta, and all the different kind of eras that you might think about here in Atlanta, from a railroad transportation hub all the way up to being, you know, an international city with the Olympics," Frilingos said.
When staff at the Atlanta History Center thought about events like the 1996 Olympics for this exhibit, they wanted to choose objects that helped tell those stories.
"We thought Izzy," Frilingos said. "I mean, what's more Atlanta Olympics than this character that was created for the Olympics?"
Frilingos said when Izzy was released as the mascot for the 1996 Olympics, not everybody was excited about it.
"It was computer-generated, one of the first of that kind, CGI mascot," Frilingos said. "But people were like, 'What is it?' And that became the name. But when it got shortened to Izzy and the plush dolls started coming out, everyone became a little more endearing to this representative of the 1996 Olympics."
Other items in the exhibit include a fire engine used in the Great Atlanta Fire of 1917, Spelman College bulletins from the late 1800s and early 1900s, and the Auburn Avenue Rib Shack sign.
Frilingos said there really isn't any part of the institution that wasn't touched.
"Every part of the institution got involved in some way because as we dug deeper, we really wanted to make sure all of the stories were being told, we didn't want to miss something," Frilingos said.
The exhibit expands across the entire 33-acre campus. Frilingos recommends breaking up your trips to see all 100 items and checking out the Atlanta History Center's digital guide to see the exhibit's themes.
The exhibit runs from now until January 2027.