SUNY Poly unveils a technology exhibit to the public

Laura Sitterly, Utica Observer Dispatch
·2 min read

Curious about what your great-grandfather’s telephone looked like?

Ever wondered how people communicated before cell phones? Or what the world looked like prior to the advent of social media?

SUNY Poly and the Oneida County Historical Center have teamed up to unveil a new exhibit showcasing how people used to communicate in the good old-old days.

Dinosaur Technologies: Communication From the Past is now open to the public. Visitors are invited to meander through the display tables set up in the Gannett Gallery on campus.

The Dinosaur Technologies exhibit at SUNY Poly showcases different ways people used to communicate.
The Dinosaur Technologies exhibit at SUNY Poly showcases different ways people used to communicate.

The exhibit features an array of old inventions – and their respective visionaries – from the telegraph to the boombox.

“Looking back is an important part of both acknowledging our progress and moving forward,” said Dr. Patricia Murphy, curator of the exhibit. “While in many ways technology has improved our lives it has also isolated us.”

Handwritten letters used to be the touchstone of communication. The exhibit offers free postcards with the hope that visitors write their own messages to later send out in the mail.

This exhibit features amazing old inventions and information about the people who had the vision to come up with them.
This exhibit features amazing old inventions and information about the people who had the vision to come up with them.

“These technologies started a social revolution; they allowed people to communicate more easily,” explained Dr. Murphy. “Before the telegraph people were unable to interact with loved ones for extended periods of time.”

Dr. Patricia Murphy is the Assistant Professor of English at SUNY Poly, as well as a volunteer at the Oneida County History Center. She’s also involved in SUNY Poly’s Cultural and Performing Arts Committee (CPAC).

“When people hear the ‘exhibit’ they think of art – but technology can stir up beauty too,” said Dr. Murphy.

The collection will remain open to the general public throughout the next month.
The collection will remain open to the general public throughout the next month.

“Art and technology constantly converge… think about the backgrounds that we choose for our cell phones – we often choose an image that we find beautiful and it’s technology that allows for us to do that.”

The exhibit will remain on display until Dec. 1.

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: SUNY Poly Dinosaur Technologies exhibit highlights communication tools