Collection Connection

Learn more about art in one-hour presentations by regional experts. FREE and open to the public. David Wells: The Trans-Mississippi Exposition of 1898 in Omaha Wednesday, May 22 • 2:00 p.m. Independent historian David Wells celebrates The Trans-Mississippi Exposition of 1898 with a presentation of rare photographic images. Hailed as a showcase of technology west of the Mississippi River, the Exposition showed that life beyond the mighty river was civilized and forward-thinking. Wells describes the construction of the exposition, the use of the lagoon and the sophisticated buildings at their zenith, and their dismantling. The Indian Congress, the largest gathering of Native American tribes since the end of the Indian Wars 10 years previously, was part of the Exposition. Omaha-based photographer Frank A. Rinehart focused on the Exposition architecture. His assistant, Adolph F. Muhr, was responsible for the portrait photography of the 500 Native American participants, one of which is on view in the MONA There’s an App for That 2.0 exhibition. Humanities Nebraska (HN) provides major funding for this program. HN receives support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Nebraska State Legislature, the Nebraska Cultural Endowment, and private donations.