-The first photo, from 1950, shows a west-to-east view of the fourth floor galleries about a decade after the new level was added on top of the original 1897 building of the Worcester Art Museum. For the first five decades after it's construction in 1940, the fourth floor was used as Special Exhibition space. Today, a viewer in the same spot would find themselves in the center of the Pre-Columbian Gallery (which contains many of my favorite objects in the WAM collection).
-The first sketch depicts a stone Aztec Fertility Goddess, circa 1450-1521.
-The second sketch depicts an earlier ceramic "Richly Adorned Male Figure," from about 600-900 A.D.
-The last sketch shows one of the more popular Pre-Columbian pieces, a "Woman in a Turtle Shell" from about 300-600 A.D.
-As stated above, the 4th floor galleries had long been used as a Special Exhibition area (even after the Hiatt Wing was constructed), and this sign in the Hiatt Stairwell still indicates it's past purpose. Actually, the signs in that seldom used stairwell are an interesting time capsule of WAM history, referencing areas in the Museum like the "Member's Room" and the "Auditorium" that are long gone.
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| 4th Floor. Worcester Art Museum. by Travis Simpkins |
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| Aztec Fertility Goddess. Worcester Art Museum. by Travis Simpkins |
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| Male Figure. Worcester Art Museum. by Travis Simpkins |
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| Woman in a Turtle Shell. Worcester Art Museum. by Travis Simpkins |
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| 4th Floor. Special Exhibitions. Worcester Art Museum |
