Introduction and Preview:
The 20th Century Technology Museum was founded to exhibit items that showcase the highlights of technological developments in the 20th century. While this may seem too recent a subject for a historical museum, with the rapid pace of technological change, items from the first half of the 20th century are truly "museum pieces" at this point. Technology from the latter half of the century may not seem so antiquated, but items from this period help to show how the earlier items relate to current technology. Major technological developments of the 20th century include:
Electronic media and recording/reproduction (radio, teleivision, film, phonograph, etc.)
Computers
Home appliances (washing machine, dishwasher, refrigerator, microwave oven, air conditioning)
Telephones
Automobiles
Aircraft and spacecraft
Agricultural mechanization
Medical devices
Many items in the collection at the opening of the museum in July 2005 are from the collection of the Schulze family of Fort Bend and Wharton counties in Texas, and will not initially represent all aspects of technology from the 20th century. Included in the founding collection are an experimental aircraft, numerous radios, computers, and home appliances. We expect that the collection will grow to encompass more areas of technology as the museum matures. As appropriate, the connection of the technology to the region and state will be emphasized to provide local historical context for the collection
