{"id":120,"date":"2011-01-24T18:35:00","date_gmt":"2011-01-25T02:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/curatingla.com\/2011\/01\/24\/a-visit-to-the-wende-museum-and-archive-of-the-cold-war\/"},"modified":"2017-03-08T09:59:53","modified_gmt":"2017-03-08T17:59:53","slug":"a-visit-to-the-wende-museum-and-archive-of-the-cold-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/2011\/01\/24\/a-visit-to-the-wende-museum-and-archive-of-the-cold-war\/","title":{"rendered":"A Visit to The Wende Museum and Archive of the Cold War"},"content":{"rendered":"

Growing up during the last decades of the Cold War, I vividly remember the political conflict, military tension, nuclear arms race, proxy wars and competition, both economic and athletic, that played out around the globe between the Communist world, primarily the Eastern Bloc nations, and the West. But what was life really like for people living behind the Iron Curtain? The reality is that for most people in the West, myself included, that era was, and still remains, shrouded in mystery. Enter The Wende Museum<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

The Wende Museum is a unique institution focused on preserving Cold War era artifacts and personal histories from Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union before they are lost due to neglect, destruction or the passage of time. The brainchild of native Angeleno Justinian Jampol, The Wende Museum was incorporated in 2002 and has gradually expanded its collection to more than 60,000 items that fall into four main categories: the German Democratic Republic; Personal Histories and Everyday Life; Public and Private Interaction; and Wende Moments.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why the name Wende? The museum\u2019s web site explains that it\u2019s a German word meaning \u201cturning point\u201d that \u201crefers to the collapse of communist East Germany in 1989 and the creation of a reunified German state a year later. The term more broadly represents the end of Soviet communism and the beginning of a new epoch in Eastern Europe and Soviet Bloc countries, an era marked by political changes with profound social and cultural consequences.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Since 2004, the museum has received operational and acquisition funding from the <\/span>Arcadia Fund<\/a>, enabling it to more aggressively pursue its acquisition and preservation objectives. At the same time, it has grown its full time staff and expanded its education and outreach programs, thereby raising the museum\u2019s profile within academic circles and among the general public.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Berlin

Portion of Berlin Wall painted by Thierry Noir.<\/p><\/div>\n

Like many up and coming arts and cultural institutions, The Wende Museum does not have the budget for a fancy building. There are no flashy foyers or grand plazas to greet visitors. <\/span>Instead, it is tucked away in a non-descript business park located in Culver City.<\/p>\n

Upon arriving at the museum, I immediately noticed a large slab of brightly painted concrete right outside the front door. It turns out this is <\/span>a piece of the Berlin wall painted by Thierry Noir<\/a>, who made a name for himself during the 1980s by painting large sections of the Berlin wall with fellow Frenchman Christophe Bouchet.<\/span><\/p>\n

After ascending the stairs to the museum\u2019s main entrance, I found myself in a small gallery displaying a variety of interesting items. I was particularly drawn to a wall of East German commemorative porcelain plates, which represent just a fraction of the museum\u2019s 1,000-piece collection. Commissioned by a variety of official organizations, these plates incorporate iconography that was commonly used throughout Eastern Europe during the Cold War.<\/p>\n

\"The

Main Gallery – Photo courtesy of The Wende Museum<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Commemoration

Commemoration of Russian Revolution, n.d. – Photo via The Wende Museum web site<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Fernsehturm

Fernsehturm Plate, n.d. – Photo via The Wende Museum web site<\/p><\/div>\n

Immediately upon my arrival, I was greeted by Cristina Cuevas-Wolf, Manager of Collection Development, who helped coordinate my visit and arrange my meeting with Ljiljana Grubisic, Director of Collections and Public Programs. Ms. Grubisic was very generous with her time and saw to it that my visit was both productive and informative. She explained that approximately 70% of the museum\u2019s collection comes from East Germany, 20% from the former USSR and the rest from other Eastern European countries. She also told me about a number of past exhibitions and programs produced by the Museum, such as The Wall Project<\/a>, a month long, Los Angeles-based public art initiative in 2009 commemorating the 20th<\/sup> anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.<\/p>\n

After spending much of 2010 building its curatorial <\/span>capacity and capabilities, the museum is now planning to roll out a slate of new programs and exhibitions over the next two years. During 2011, it will mount a show titled \u201c<\/span>Deconstructing Perestroika\u201d to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the collapse of the Soviet Union. Featuring<\/span> 30 original, hand-painted poster designs created by 13 artists responding to Mikhail Gorbachev\u2019s transformative policies of Glasnost and Perestroika, these rarely seen works have been culled from The Wende Museum\u2019s Ferris collection. The exhibition aims \u201cto examine key political and cultural shifts that defined the era and that ultimately undermined the very foundation of Soviet ideology,\u201d Ms. Grubisic says.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Stasi

Stasi briefcase – Photo courtesy of The Wende Museum<\/p><\/div>\n

Next year, the museum will produce <\/span>a yearlong initiative called \u201c<\/span>Prying Eyes & Ears: From Secret Agents to the Routine of Surveillance,\u201d which will explore both the historical significance of surveillance and its impact on contemporary popular culture. A centerpiece of this program is a planned art installation that will re-contextualize a selection of The Wende Museum\u2019s listening and surveillance device collection through a creative intervention by American artist Lisi Raskin<\/a>. I very much look forward to this program, partly because it taps into my fascination with James Bond like gadgets and because of its relevance to the post 9-11 privacy debate going on today in the US and many other countries around the world.<\/p>\n

Given The Wende Museum\u2019s expansive collection, I was only able to scratch the surface of its holdings. I did, however, get the opportunity to delve into the Ferris Poster Collection<\/a>, a fascinating collection of Russian graphic art, the majority of which was produced <\/span>during and immediately after the Perestroika-era, <\/span>between 1987 and 1992. Compiled by Jeri Ferris and her late husband Tom, a former Beverly Hills High School Russian teacher, this artwork cleverly and powerfully addresses a wide range of <\/span>social issues and political events, including the failed coup of August 1991, Stalin\u2019s terrors, environmental concerns and AIDS. Other items from the former USSR collected by Jeri and Tom Ferris comprise The Ferris Collection of Sovietica<\/a>, which resides at USC.<\/span><\/p>\n

Below you’ll find selected posters from The Wende Museum’s Ferris Collection. All images provided courtesy of the museum.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

Aside from learning about the Ferris Collection, a highlight of my visit was touring the museum\u2019s archive vault. As I walked down the aisles of boxes and artifacts, I could feel history all around me. Bags full of military uniforms, busts of political figures, paintings, listening devices hidden in brief cases \u2013 the list of items goes on and on. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Wende

The Wende Museum Archive Vault<\/p><\/div>\n

I was particularly intrigued by the Museum\u2019s collection of 16mm films, which were stacked on shelves just beckoning me to view them. The majority of these films fall into two categories: domestic life and official educational films, and will undoubtedly help historians understand and visualize the Cold War era. While I didn\u2019t have the opportunity to view any of these movies on this visit, my interest is definitely piqued \u2013 I just might have to arrange a time to see some of them.<\/span><\/p>\n

From the vault, I was escorted to the first floor gallery, where John Ahouse, Special Collections Curator, gave me a tour of an exhibition titled \u201cFacing the Wall: Living With the Berlin Wall<\/a><\/em>.\u201d Using audio, video, still images and various period items, it both evokes a particular place and time and sheds light upon how the Cold War impacted those living on either side of the wall. The installation\u2019s impact far exceeds its small size largely because of the way it uses personal stories to such great effect. While I won\u2019t go into these stories here, suffice it to say they are well worth your time. You can access these videos online<\/a>.<\/p>\n

My visit to The Wende Museum concluded back upstairs, where I viewed several more exhibits. One was comprised of a girl\u2019s gym locker filled with various sports related items from the former Soviet Union and the German Democratic Republic (GDR).<\/p>\n

\"Wende

Sports locker<\/p><\/div>\n

As I discussed the display with museum staff, I was reminded of the personal toll that state sponsored drug abuse exacted on young athletes from Eastern Europe and the USSR, as well as the political motivations for creating world-class athletic programs. In the West, we only heard about those who made it through the government run training programs. But what of the others I wondered? The Wende Museum encourages this sort of questioning and for those inclined to dig deeper, provides a wealth of material to help provide answers.<\/p>\n

After spending several hours at the museum, what I found was an institution that seems to steer clear of interpretation. Instead, it leaves that up to the researchers and other visitors who view, study, question and contemplate the museum\u2019s artifacts. This is a refreshing approach to curation \u2013 one that seems particularly well suited for a collection that is so politically charged.<\/p>\n

It’s also apparent that The Wende Museum is truly an entrepreneurial endeavor, characterized by a singular vision, passion and creativity on the part of the staff, and an embrace of ideas that come from the museum\u2019s friends and supporters for what a museum \/ archive should and could be. Moreover, it doesn\u2019t have the institutional feel so common at older, more established museums, which tend to keep the visitor at arms length. I look forward to watching this museum grow in the coming years.<\/span><\/p>\n

So should you make time to visit The Wende Museum? If you\u2019re fascinated by history, want to learn what life was like behind the Iron Curtain and better understand the Cold War\u2019s enduring legacy, the answer is most definitely yes. You won\u2019t be disappointed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Note: Special thanks are due Cristina Cuevas-Wolf, Manager of Collection Development; Ljiljana Grubisic, Director of Collections and Public Programs;<\/span> John Ahouse, <\/em>Special Collections Curator; and <\/em>intern <\/em>Alina Serebryany for so warmly welcoming me to The Wende Museum and sharing <\/em>their expertise regarding the museum\u2019s collection and subject matter. My visit would not have been as satisfying or informative without their assistance.<\/em><\/p>\n

PLANNING YOUR VISIT<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Hours of Operation:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The museum is open to the public Monday through Thursday by appointment from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (except on holidays). A tour of the Museum\u2019s vault is offered every Friday at 3 p.m.<\/span><\/p>\n

Admission<\/span><\/strong>: free<\/span><\/p>\n

Where: <\/span><\/strong>5741 Buckingham Parkway, Suite E\u2028  Culver City, CA 90230<\/span><\/p>\n

See Map<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Parking: <\/span><\/strong>Parking is available in designated spots marked with the name \u201cWende.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Contact Information:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Tel: 310.216.1600
\n<\/span>info@wendemuseum.org
\n<\/a>www.wendemuseum.org<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Growing up during the last decades of the Cold War, I vividly remember the political conflict, military tension, nuclear arms race, proxy wars and competition, both economic and athletic, that played out around the globe between the Communist world, primarily the Eastern Bloc nations, and the West. But what was life really like for people living behind the Iron Curtain? The reality is that for most people in the West, myself included, that era was, and still remains, shrouded in mystery. Enter The Wende Museum.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":3672,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[15,30],"tags":[403,402],"class_list":["post-120","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-history","category-museums","tag-cold-war","tag-the-wende-museum","entry"],"yoast_head":"\nA Visit to The Wende Museum and Archive of the Cold War - Curating Los Angeles<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/2011\/01\/24\/a-visit-to-the-wende-museum-and-archive-of-the-cold-war\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Visit to The Wende Museum and Archive of the Cold War - Curating Los Angeles\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Growing up during the last decades of the Cold War, I vividly remember the political conflict, military tension, nuclear arms race, proxy wars and competition, both economic and athletic, that played out around the globe between the Communist world, primarily the Eastern Bloc nations, and the West. But what was life really like for people living behind the Iron Curtain? The reality is that for most people in the West, myself included, that era was, and still remains, shrouded in mystery. Enter The Wende Museum.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/2011\/01\/24\/a-visit-to-the-wende-museum-and-archive-of-the-cold-war\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Curating Los Angeles\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CuratingLA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2011-01-25T02:35:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2017-03-08T17:59:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/curatingla.com\/cla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/wendeLogo.png?fit=272%2C78&ssl=1\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"272\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"78\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jim Gilbert\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@curatingla\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@CuratingLA\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jim Gilbert\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/curatingla.com\\\/cla\\\/2011\\\/01\\\/24\\\/a-visit-to-the-wende-museum-and-archive-of-the-cold-war\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/curatingla.com\\\/cla\\\/2011\\\/01\\\/24\\\/a-visit-to-the-wende-museum-and-archive-of-the-cold-war\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Jim Gilbert\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/curatingla.com\\\/cla\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/7c1af5793d02b4c3a13dd8c77ca8dab4\"},\"headline\":\"A Visit to The Wende Museum and Archive of the Cold War\",\"datePublished\":\"2011-01-25T02:35:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2017-03-08T17:59:53+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/curatingla.com\\\/cla\\\/2011\\\/01\\\/24\\\/a-visit-to-the-wende-museum-and-archive-of-the-cold-war\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1796,\"commentCount\":1,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/curatingla.com\\\/cla\\\/2011\\\/01\\\/24\\\/a-visit-to-the-wende-museum-and-archive-of-the-cold-war\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/curatingla.com\\\/cla\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2011\\\/01\\\/wendeLogo.png?fit=272%2C78&ssl=1\",\"keywords\":[\"Cold War\",\"The Wende Museum\"],\"articleSection\":[\"History\",\"Museums\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/curatingla.com\\\/cla\\\/2011\\\/01\\\/24\\\/a-visit-to-the-wende-museum-and-archive-of-the-cold-war\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/curatingla.com\\\/cla\\\/2011\\\/01\\\/24\\\/a-visit-to-the-wende-museum-and-archive-of-the-cold-war\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/curatingla.com\\\/cla\\\/2011\\\/01\\\/24\\\/a-visit-to-the-wende-museum-and-archive-of-the-cold-war\\\/\",\"name\":\"A Visit to The Wende Museum and Archive of the Cold War - Curating Los Angeles\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/curatingla.com\\\/cla\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/curatingla.com\\\/cla\\\/2011\\\/01\\\/24\\\/a-visit-to-the-wende-museum-and-archive-of-the-cold-war\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/curatingla.com\\\/cla\\\/2011\\\/01\\\/24\\\/a-visit-to-the-wende-museum-and-archive-of-the-cold-war\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/curatingla.com\\\/cla\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2011\\\/01\\\/wendeLogo.png?fit=272%2C78&ssl=1\",\"datePublished\":\"2011-01-25T02:35:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2017-03-08T17:59:53+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/curatingla.com\\\/cla\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/7c1af5793d02b4c3a13dd8c77ca8dab4\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/curatingla.com\\\/cla\\\/2011\\\/01\\\/24\\\/a-visit-to-the-wende-museum-and-archive-of-the-cold-war\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/curatingla.com\\\/cla\\\/2011\\\/01\\\/24\\\/a-visit-to-the-wende-museum-and-archive-of-the-cold-war\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/curatingla.com\\\/cla\\\/2011\\\/01\\\/24\\\/a-visit-to-the-wende-museum-and-archive-of-the-cold-war\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/curatingla.com\\\/cla\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2011\\\/01\\\/wendeLogo.png?fit=272%2C78&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/curatingla.com\\\/cla\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2011\\\/01\\\/wendeLogo.png?fit=272%2C78&ssl=1\",\"width\":272,\"height\":78},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/curatingla.com\\\/cla\\\/2011\\\/01\\\/24\\\/a-visit-to-the-wende-museum-and-archive-of-the-cold-war\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/curatingla.com\\\/cla\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"A Visit to The Wende Museum and Archive of the Cold War\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/curatingla.com\\\/cla\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/curatingla.com\\\/cla\\\/\",\"name\":\"Curating Los Angeles\",\"description\":\"Exploring the people, places & culture of greater LA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/curatingla.com\\\/cla\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/curatingla.com\\\/cla\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/7c1af5793d02b4c3a13dd8c77ca8dab4\",\"name\":\"Jim Gilbert\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/b8b28ad3277b8b95c6a5cb59a14317b910706262d7fde86497037c4a1170dbcf?s=96&d=mm&r=pg\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/b8b28ad3277b8b95c6a5cb59a14317b910706262d7fde86497037c4a1170dbcf?s=96&d=mm&r=pg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/b8b28ad3277b8b95c6a5cb59a14317b910706262d7fde86497037c4a1170dbcf?s=96&d=mm&r=pg\",\"caption\":\"Jim Gilbert\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/www.CuratingLA.com\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/@curatingla\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"A Visit to The Wende Museum and Archive of the Cold War - Curating Los Angeles","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/2011\/01\/24\/a-visit-to-the-wende-museum-and-archive-of-the-cold-war\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"A Visit to The Wende Museum and Archive of the Cold War - Curating Los Angeles","og_description":"Growing up during the last decades of the Cold War, I vividly remember the political conflict, military tension, nuclear arms race, proxy wars and competition, both economic and athletic, that played out around the globe between the Communist world, primarily the Eastern Bloc nations, and the West. But what was life really like for people living behind the Iron Curtain? The reality is that for most people in the West, myself included, that era was, and still remains, shrouded in mystery. Enter The Wende Museum.","og_url":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/2011\/01\/24\/a-visit-to-the-wende-museum-and-archive-of-the-cold-war\/","og_site_name":"Curating Los Angeles","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CuratingLA","article_published_time":"2011-01-25T02:35:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2017-03-08T17:59:53+00:00","og_image":[{"width":272,"height":78,"url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/curatingla.com\/cla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/wendeLogo.png?fit=272%2C78&ssl=1","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Jim Gilbert","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@curatingla","twitter_site":"@CuratingLA","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Jim Gilbert","Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/2011\/01\/24\/a-visit-to-the-wende-museum-and-archive-of-the-cold-war\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/2011\/01\/24\/a-visit-to-the-wende-museum-and-archive-of-the-cold-war\/"},"author":{"name":"Jim Gilbert","@id":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/#\/schema\/person\/7c1af5793d02b4c3a13dd8c77ca8dab4"},"headline":"A Visit to The Wende Museum and Archive of the Cold War","datePublished":"2011-01-25T02:35:00+00:00","dateModified":"2017-03-08T17:59:53+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/2011\/01\/24\/a-visit-to-the-wende-museum-and-archive-of-the-cold-war\/"},"wordCount":1796,"commentCount":1,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/2011\/01\/24\/a-visit-to-the-wende-museum-and-archive-of-the-cold-war\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/curatingla.com\/cla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/wendeLogo.png?fit=272%2C78&ssl=1","keywords":["Cold War","The Wende Museum"],"articleSection":["History","Museums"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/2011\/01\/24\/a-visit-to-the-wende-museum-and-archive-of-the-cold-war\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/2011\/01\/24\/a-visit-to-the-wende-museum-and-archive-of-the-cold-war\/","url":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/2011\/01\/24\/a-visit-to-the-wende-museum-and-archive-of-the-cold-war\/","name":"A Visit to The Wende Museum and Archive of the Cold War - Curating Los Angeles","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/2011\/01\/24\/a-visit-to-the-wende-museum-and-archive-of-the-cold-war\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/2011\/01\/24\/a-visit-to-the-wende-museum-and-archive-of-the-cold-war\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/curatingla.com\/cla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/wendeLogo.png?fit=272%2C78&ssl=1","datePublished":"2011-01-25T02:35:00+00:00","dateModified":"2017-03-08T17:59:53+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/#\/schema\/person\/7c1af5793d02b4c3a13dd8c77ca8dab4"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/2011\/01\/24\/a-visit-to-the-wende-museum-and-archive-of-the-cold-war\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/2011\/01\/24\/a-visit-to-the-wende-museum-and-archive-of-the-cold-war\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/2011\/01\/24\/a-visit-to-the-wende-museum-and-archive-of-the-cold-war\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/curatingla.com\/cla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/wendeLogo.png?fit=272%2C78&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/curatingla.com\/cla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/wendeLogo.png?fit=272%2C78&ssl=1","width":272,"height":78},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/2011\/01\/24\/a-visit-to-the-wende-museum-and-archive-of-the-cold-war\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"A Visit to The Wende Museum and Archive of the Cold War"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/#website","url":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/","name":"Curating Los Angeles","description":"Exploring the people, places & culture of greater LA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/#\/schema\/person\/7c1af5793d02b4c3a13dd8c77ca8dab4","name":"Jim Gilbert","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b8b28ad3277b8b95c6a5cb59a14317b910706262d7fde86497037c4a1170dbcf?s=96&d=mm&r=pg","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b8b28ad3277b8b95c6a5cb59a14317b910706262d7fde86497037c4a1170dbcf?s=96&d=mm&r=pg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b8b28ad3277b8b95c6a5cb59a14317b910706262d7fde86497037c4a1170dbcf?s=96&d=mm&r=pg","caption":"Jim Gilbert"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/www.CuratingLA.com","https:\/\/x.com\/@curatingla"]}]}},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/curatingla.com\/cla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/wendeLogo.png?fit=272%2C78&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p35v7a-1W","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":252,"url":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/2012\/02\/09\/deconstructing-perestroika\/","url_meta":{"origin":120,"position":0},"title":"Deconstructing Perestroika","author":"Jim Gilbert","date":"February 9, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"To mark the 20th anniversary of the USSR\u2019s demise in 1991, the Wende Museum and Archive of the Cold War, in collaboration with the Craft and Folk Art Museum, have produced an exhibition of poster art titled \u201cDeconstructing Perestroika: Soviet Ideology and its Discontents.\u201d Comprised of 24 political posters produced\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art"","block_context":{"text":"Art","link":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/category\/art\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Ljiljana Grubisic","src":"\/cla\/legacy-images\/wendemuseum\/DeconstructingPerestroika_LGrubisic_SmallPhotoMarkHayes.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1328822212329","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":187,"url":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/2011\/05\/13\/artwalk-2011-experience-the-miracle-mile-art-scene\/","url_meta":{"origin":120,"position":1},"title":"ArtWalk 2011 \u2013 Experience the Miracle Mile Art Scene","author":"Jim Gilbert","date":"May 13, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"With its many museums and art galleries, the Miracle Mile and surrounding mid-Wilshire neighborhood is one of several important centers of LA\u2019s vibrant art scene. Home to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the Architecture+Design Museum, and the Craft and Folk Art Museum, as well as numerous galleries,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Architecture"","block_context":{"text":"Architecture","link":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/category\/architecture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":276,"url":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/2012\/05\/09\/member-appreciation-days-are-here\/","url_meta":{"origin":120,"position":2},"title":"Member Appreciation Days Are Here!","author":"Jim Gilbert","date":"May 9, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"This weekend twenty of southern California\u2019s finest cultural institutions join together to honor their members. Show an active membership card from any of the participating museums and gain entry to all the others at no charge. What\u2019s more, you\u2019ll also receive significant savings in the museums\u2019 gift shops.","rel":"","context":"In "Family Friendly Activity"","block_context":{"text":"Family Friendly Activity","link":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/category\/family-friendly-activity\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":262,"url":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/2012\/03\/23\/the-clock-is-coming-back-to-lacma-make-time-to-experience-it\/","url_meta":{"origin":120,"position":3},"title":"“The Clock” is Coming Back to LACMA \u2013 Make Time to Experience It","author":"Jim Gilbert","date":"March 23, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Last May LACMA held the inaugural west coast screenings of Christian Marclay\u2019s film, The Clock, a work which subsequently won Marclay the Gold Lion for best artist at the 2011 Venice Biennale. The film is a cinematic mash-up that seamlessly weaves together hundreds of television and film clips into a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art"","block_context":{"text":"Art","link":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/category\/art\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":290,"url":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/2012\/06\/01\/lummis-day-7-the-festival-of-northeast-los-angeles\/","url_meta":{"origin":120,"position":4},"title":"Lummis Day 7 \u2013 The Festival of Northeast Los Angeles","author":"Jim Gilbert","date":"June 1, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"This weekend Northeast LA is celebrating its history and diverse culture with music, dance, and poetry at the 7th Annual Lummis Day Festival. Named after Charles Fletcher Lummis (1859\u20131928), who was the Los Angeles Times\u2019 first city editor, founder of the Southwest Museum, prolific author and historic preservation activist, among\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Entertainment"","block_context":{"text":"Entertainment","link":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/category\/entertainment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1287,"url":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/2014\/06\/19\/visiting-the-los-angeles-police-museum\/","url_meta":{"origin":120,"position":5},"title":"Visiting the Los Angeles Police Museum","author":"Jim Gilbert","date":"June 19, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"I first learned about the Los Angeles Police Museum from Joan Renner, a writer, lecturer, and social historian with expertise in the area of historic Los Angeles crime. I met Joan on Esotouric\u2019s Eastside Babylon tour and during one of our conversations she mentioned her volunteer efforts at the museum\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "History"","block_context":{"text":"History","link":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/category\/history\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/curatingla.com\/cla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/LAPoliceMuseum_Cars.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/curatingla.com\/cla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/LAPoliceMuseum_Cars.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/curatingla.com\/cla\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/LAPoliceMuseum_Cars.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=120"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3675,"href":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120\/revisions\/3675"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3672"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=120"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=120"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/curatingla.com\/cla\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=120"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}