Ongoing

Mint Museum Randolph

 

In space formerly occupied by the STAR Gallery for student art, the Heritage Gallery documents and celebrates the history of The Mint Museum. Organized chronologically, and accompanied by a mural timeline that addresses key moments over the past seventy-five years, the exhibition features works of art, archival documents, and photographs illustrating the growth and evolution of the museum and serves as an orientation to the museum's history and mission, connecting the museum's past with its future.

 

The Mint's Inaugural Opening, October 22 1936 From left: Charles Tillet, Jr., Master of Ceremonies, Franklin Graham, President, University of North Carolina; Mary Myers Dwelle, President, The Mint Museum; Leila Mechlin, Advisory Director, The Mint Museum; and Philip N. Youtz, President, American Federation of Arts and Director, Brooklyn Museum	Mint Museum Uptown Ribbon-Cutting October 2010 From left: Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, President & CEO, The Mint Museum; Richard "Stick" Williams, Chair, Board of Trustees, The Mint Museum; Anthony Foxx, Mayor, The City of Charlotte; County Commissioner Jennifer Roberts; Phil Kline, outgoing CEO, The Mint Museum; and Bob Bertges, Director of Corporate Real Estate, Wachovia/Wells Fargo.		The Mint building as U.S. Assay Office circa 1900. The Charlotte Branch Mint opened December 4, 1837 but ceased operations at the start of the Civil War. The building served as a Confederate headquarters, and then a military post for federal troops. It re-opened as a U.S. Assay Office in 1867 and operated until 1913.	Mint Museum of Craft + Design Opening, January 10 1999. The renovated Montaldo's department store was the original home of the Mint Museum of Craft + Design showcasing collections of glass, ceramics, fiber, metal, wood, and design by nationally and internationally-renowned artists.
Mint Museum Uptown Designed by Machado and Silvetti Associates of Boston, the 5-story, 145,000 square feet facility opened October 1 2010 in Levine Center for the Arts as part of a ground-breaking public/private partnership. (Photo by Jeff Clare)	The Mint Museum of Art, the first art museum in North Carolina, opened October 1, 1936 following a remarkable effort by a dedicated group of citizens, and labor provided by the WPA.		Lewis Family Gallery, Mint Museum Uptown	Main Gallery, Mint Museum of Art, 1936

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Selected Online Resources 

Charlotte Branch Mint 

•  A brief historical overview from Hancock & Harwell 
•  Gold Rush - a brief historical sketch from NCPedia.org 
• Stuart Cramer, chief assayer from 1889-1893, achieved fame, but not related to gold.
• Historical marker at the Charlotte Branch Mint's original location 

 

Mint Museum of Art

• Historical marker  for the Mint Museum of Art from the state of North Carolina
• Mary Myers Dwelle
• Her grave marker
• It Was Mint to Be, a 2006 article from Charlotte magazine 
• Information sheet from the Mint's 70th anniversary 
• Dorothy Masterson established the Mint Museum Theatre Guild in 1954. The Charlotte Garden Club becomes the first affiliate of the museum that same year.
• In 1956 and 1957 respectively, the Mint Museum Auxiliary and the Docents became affiliates of the museum. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daisy Wade Bridges, unpacking a cauliflower pitcher

from M. Mellanay Delhom's Collection, circa 1965

 

• Chicago Tribune article about Miss M. Mellanay Delhom and another from TFAOI.org
• Historic Site designation received in 1976 from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Properties Commission 
• Also in 1976, the Charlotte Museum of History, then known as the Mint Museum of History, opened and operated as a department of the Mint until 1987.
• Dalton Wing expansion changes the face and direction of the Mint from The Rock Hill Herald 
• Ramesses the Great exhibition, before 
• Mint Museum of Craft + Design opens in 1999
• Breaking New Ground: the Mint Museum Expansion, an exhibition that ran from April 2009 to October 2010, introduced visitors to the museum's uptown expansion.  

 

Selected Print Resources from the Mint Museum Library 

• Birdsall, Clair M. The United States Branch Mint at Charlotte, North Carolina: its History and Coinage. Easley, SC: Southern Historical Press, 1988.
• Stautzenberger, Anthony Joseph. The Establishment of the Charlotte Branch Mint: a Documented History. Austin, TX: Anthony Joseph Stautzenberger, 1976. 
• Tompkins, D.A. History of Mecklenburg County and the City of Charlotte: from 1740 to 1903. Charlotte: Observer Print.House, 1903. 
• Wilkinson, Henrietta H. The Mint Museum of Art at Charlotte: a Brief History. Charlotte: Heritage Printers, 1973.  

 

 

 

 

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Created by Joyce Weaver, Librarian