Exhibition Marked 50th Anniversary of Jacksonville’s Consolidation
Neighborhoods help define Jacksonville as a city and many residents engage with the city on a neighborhood level. The Thomas G. Carpenter Library at the University of North Florida has launched the “Neighborhoods” exhibition, currently on display through Sunday, Dec. 1.
In 2018, the Museum of Science & History (MOSH) hosted a new signature exhibit, “Neighborhoods,” to mark the 50th anniversary of Jacksonville’s consolidation. A portion of that exhibition, free and open to the public, is now on view at the Carpenter Library, Building 12, on the first floor, near the Library entrance.
“The character of Jacksonville’s constituent neighborhoods gives our region a unique flavor – cultural, ethnic, linguistic, geographic, etc. and, the MOSH “Neighborhoods” Exhibit offers not only the campus community but Northeast Florida a taste of how that flavor developed,” said Dr. Brent Mai, UNF Carpenter Library dean.
The exhibit consists of illustrated text panels that trace the historical development of the neighborhoods in Jacksonville, featuring exhibit panels mounted in freestanding “door frames” that offer both architectural and metaphorical references to the subject matter. Given Jacksonville’s variety of communities, the exhibit touches on the role of neighborhoods in establishing the city’s identity.
The story progresses from early 19-century river communities through the automobile-centered suburbs that dominated the landscape after World War II. Along the way, exhibit guests will encounter railroad neighborhoods, streetcar suburbs, resort communities and boom-era subdivisions of the 1920s. The exhibit also covers African-American neighborhoods and neighborhoods that no longer exist.
The exhibit is the product of MOSH’s collaboration with the City of Jacksonville and many community organizations. The exhibition’s stop at UNF is the first of several planned throughout Duval County. The public is invited to view the display during Library hours from 7 to 3:30 a.m. Monday thru Thursday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. Sunday.
MOSH makes science, history and innovation accessible for all. Whatever age or interest, there’s always something to see and explore across three levels of exhibits. From interactive, award-winning favorites like Currents of Time and Atlantic Tails to the Florida Naturalist’s Center, which houses animals that are native to Northeast Florida.
The Carpenter Library supports the educational goals of UNF by providing information resources, services, and programs that encourage study and learning, support instruction and academic programs, facilitate research and scholarship, and engage the university-at-large and the broader communities we serve.
UNF is a nationally ranked university in Jacksonville, Florida, that is nestled on a beautiful 1,300-acre nature preserve, featuring six colleges of distinction as well as nationally recognized flagship programs, with 56 bachelor degree programs and over 75 areas of concentration.
