Category : MulvaneExhibits
Location: Main Level Galleries
April 3–August 1, 2026
Guest curated by Dr. Laura Murphy's Spring 2026 Applied Anthropology class
A 2025 archaeological excavation at the site of a Kansas mansion built in the 1850s produced buttons, medicine bottles, animal teeth, and thousands of other artifacts. These objects provide a snapshot of the lives of those who called the mansion home—from its first inhabitant, Frederick P. Stanton, Acting Governor of Kansas Territory, to Civil War squatters, to former Kansas Governor Harry Woodring, who purchased the property in 1940. Recovered from Ruins tells their everyday stories through household objects, inviting you to reflect on domestic life in Kansas over time.
Join us at the April 3 opening reception! The student curators of this exhibition and Dr. Laura Murphy, the Project Investigator for the 2025 Archaeological Field School, will be available at the event to answer questions and offer insights about the excavations and the recovered artifacts.
