Last Days of the Red Cross Exhibit At The SC State Museum

Everybody knows what a vital organization the American Red Cross is. Its logo is the third most-recognized symbol in the world, behind Coca-Cola and McDonald’s.

The South Carolina State Museum’s national-premier exhibit Our National Treasure: The American Red Cross tells – and shows – what many don’t know about this life-saving group.

“When people think of the Red Cross, they think of blood drives, which is, of course, a big part of what it does,” said Director of Exhibits Mike Fey. “Or they may think of disaster relief, another very visible and important function.

“But most folks don’t know that the Red Cross performs many other important tasks in local communities, such as providing relief and safety kits for military personnel, giving swimming and CPR lessons and more,” he said. “The Red Cross also teaches lifesaving water safety lessons.”

Internationally, the American Red Cross works with other Red Cross and Red Crescent societies on projects related to health, nutrition, water and sanitation, and disaster preparedness throughout the world.

The exhibit contains artifacts from Clara Barton and the early days of the Red Cross, as well as a section about aid to prisoners of war which includes artifacts such as aid packages and letters from POWs.

Another section presents the story of the Junior Red Cross – which numbered 11 million just after World War I – as well as personal and inspiring oral histories provided by video interviews.

An interactive quiz,“Do I Know What to Do?,” tests the visitor’s knowledge of basic first aid, water safety, CPR and other lifesaving topics.

Among other features, guests will walk through the re-created remains of a burned living room. Blackened walls, burnt furniture and melted personal items will underscore the feeling of losing everything in a house fire, the most common disaster responded to by the Red Cross.

The Red Cross’s history itself is fascinating. The idea began in 1859 when Swiss businessman Henry Dunant came upon a northern Italian battlefield where 40,000 troops had been killed or wounded and left without help. His concern led in 1863 to the formation of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva, Switzerland.

Former schoolteacher Clara Barton, who had become famous for caring for the wounded during the American Civil War, visited Europe after the war and learned about the Red Cross movement. She worked in relief efforts during the Franco-Prussian War and, after returning to the United States, founded the American Association of the Red Cross in 1881.

“Clara Barton soon expanded relief beyond the battlefield to include helping victims of natural disasters,” Fey said. “She even organized relief efforts to aid victims of a hurricane that hit South Carolina’s sea islands in 1893.”

Since the Spanish American War in 1898, the American Red Cross has supported the military in times of war by providing nurses, communications and comfort.

“We hope that seeing this exhibit will give people a better understanding of the structure, and especially the services, of today’s Red Cross,” said Fey.

Our National Treasure: The American Red Cross continues on the museum’s fourth floor through June 28.