Museums joined an online ‘Snowball Fight’ to share cool vintage photos of snowstorms
Whenever a snowstorm hits, you can be sure a snowball fight is not far behind. So when a storm of storms, the Bomb Cyclone, blew through the East Coast on Jan. 4, it’s no surprise it inspired a one-of-a-kind snowball fight to match.
Snow Day
The unlikely instigator, a New York City museum, threw the first ‘snowball’ with a tweet. The Museum of the City of New York shared a snowy shot from 1899.
Pow! @nyhistory, you've been hit with a #bombcyclone snowy pic! Let the #museumsnowballfight begin. What you got?
(We're thinking the visibility up Broadway from 34th St. is abt the same today as in 1899! 🤣) pic.twitter.com/vZ47TQb30V
— Museum of the City of NY (@MuseumofCityNY) January 4, 2018
Like a snowball fight in the park, this virtual blizzard brawl escalated quickly. More museums joined in with the hashtag #museumsnowballfight and sent snowy photo after snowy photo flying on Twitter.
The New-York Historical Society fired back with a vintage shot of piled high powder. This one dates back to 1888.
Challenge accepted—incoming! Visibility was a little tough during the 1888 blizzard, too…but on the upside, snow-fort-making was at an all-time high. #museumsnowballfight #bombcyclone pic.twitter.com/lQneQSSwZ5
— New-York Historical Society (@NYHistory) January 4, 2018
As the game went on, the museums got more creative with their photos.
That's a big pile of snow for a fort, but is it for rent?? #museumsnowballfight #BombCyclone
[Wurts Bros., ca. 1940-1955, X2010.7.1.16299] pic.twitter.com/k0oUN2HkGX
— Museum of the City of NY (@MuseumofCityNY) January 4, 2018
Snow removal has come a long way since these shots from 1929.
YIKES! At least W. 47th in 1929 had a little help from some plows. (But some things never change…dirty snow abounds!) #museumsnowballfight #BombCyclone pic.twitter.com/BSjhHf2T4M
— New-York Historical Society (@NYHistory) January 4, 2018
After some friendly blizzard banter, more museums joined in. It didn’t matter that some museums were well outside of the bomb cyclone’s reach.
Oh, hey! We aren't getting this #BombCyclone in Colorado, but we also aren't strangers to snow! #museumsnowballfight pic.twitter.com/5lSJROMbMF
— History Colorado (@HistoryColorado) January 4, 2018
Skiing in to join the #museumsnowballfight! #BombCyclone can't stop us from joining the fun.
Charles Chusseau-Flaviens. Russie, ca. 1900-1919. Gelatin silver negative. Gift of Kodak Pathe pic.twitter.com/YWqpPAetU6
— EastmanMuseum (@EastmanMuseum) January 4, 2018
Like many great trends, the #museumsnowballfight started in New York City and quickly spread across the country. In fact, some especially clever cultural institutions abroad joined in as well.
International Affair
The National Gallery of Canada tossed in a classic snowy scene complete with a horse-drawn carriage.
Meanwhile in Canada… we may be used to the snow, but this is a doozy! Stay safe out there! #museumsnowballfight #weatherbomb pic.twitter.com/k14kqEODI7
— National Gallery of Canada (@NatGalleryCan) January 4, 2018
This museum in Munich even found the impossible: unicorn snow.
We bet you only got white snow 😉
Take a dash of this colourful #unicorn #snow from Munich! #museumsnowballfightClouds by Philipp Messner in 2016 @smaek_muc @Pinakotheken pic.twitter.com/0hmm33gwnM
— Museen und Schlösser (@InfopointBayern) January 4, 2018
Also in Germany, this university shared a print from 1792.
Na gut, ein Schneebällchen haben wir auch noch (@Friedenstein durfte auch zwei Mal 😏) #ColourOurCollections: Johann Friedrich Frauenholz: Bilder für Kinder. Nürnberg 1792, FB Gotha, P 4° 740 (1) Bl. 1. #FBG #museumsnowballfight #sammlung pic.twitter.com/LXKhMIPbAg
— Universität Erfurt (@unierfurt) January 5, 2018
Friendly Fight
The more the merrier for this snowy skirmish. The original participants invited other museums to join in the fun with each new snowball.
Hey @USNatArchives! You've been hit in the #museumsnowballfight! We're tromping around in the snow here in NYC (but TBH spirits are very high!) Wanna play? #BombCyclone pic.twitter.com/ztif0fTEUF
— New-York Historical Society (@NYHistory) January 4, 2018
As the day went on, the New-York History Society made sure to keep the ball rolling.
Hey @amhistorymuseum! You've been hit in the #museumsnowballfight! (Things aren't as bad today as the 1947 blizzard, but it's still looking preeetty gray out there.) Wanna play? #BombCyclone pic.twitter.com/JpkuqiQ0Cl
— New-York Historical Society (@NYHistory) January 4, 2018
Then, the George Eastman Museum in Rochester, NY, upped the ante with a snow fort circa 1910.
If you're going to rent your snow fort, you should try to make it as welcoming as possible, like this one! #museumsnowballfight #BombCyclone
Jeanette Bernard (American, b. 1860 – d. unknown). Two girls standing outside of snow fort, ca. 1910. Platinum print. pic.twitter.com/5buU5jijsO
— EastmanMuseum (@EastmanMuseum) January 4, 2018
Not to be left out, the American Museum of Natural History in New York City shared a photo of penguins from Antarctica. If anyone knows how to weather a snowstorms, it’s these well-dressed birds.
#MuseumSnowballFight! We're "throwing" snow photos with other institutions. Early Antarctic explores thought penguins were feathered fish because they were flightless & well adapted to their marine environment. This pic is from traveling exhibition, "Race to the End of the Earth" pic.twitter.com/CXkJl0jhNm
— American Museum of Natural History (@AMNH) January 4, 2018
On the other hand, the Brooklyn Museum opted for a Japanese artist’s snowball fight scene.
Did somebody say #museumsnowballfight? Here's a playful snow scene by 19th-century Japanese artist Utagawa Kunisada: https://t.co/EyhMX0FrOT pic.twitter.com/iYP6qcVDuM
— Brooklyn Museum (@brooklynmuseum) January 4, 2018
The Detroit Institute of Arts joined in with a snowy painting from Willard Leroy Metcalf.
We hear there's a #museumsnowballfight happening now! While we're not affected by #BombCyclone, we have plenty of snow over here in #Detroit! Throwing Willard Leroy Metcalf's "The White Veil" your way! pic.twitter.com/BI7gizTb7m
— Detroit Inst of Arts (@DIADetroit) January 4, 2018
The Museum of History & Industry in Seattle wins hands down for biggest snowball with this photo from 1947. Though, it looks pretty difficult to throw.
We might not be in the middle of the blizzard, but that doesn't mean Seattle should be left out of the #museumsnowballfight!
Now, who wants to help us finish this snowball?
1947, Museum of History & Industry Photograph Collection pic.twitter.com/4bgw4ZL6Ux
— MOHAI (@MOHAI) January 4, 2018
Presidents at Play
These throwback images from the Presidential Libraries & Museums of the National Archives and Records Administration provide a glimpse into how past presidents played in the powder.
For example, Jimmy Carter went sledding at Camp David.
How about some sledding with that snowman? ☃️
📸Jimmy Carter sledding at Camp David, 2/4/78. @CarterLibrary #museumsnowballfight pic.twitter.com/M38ZLpegn6
— OurPresidents (@OurPresidents) January 4, 2018
Meanwhile, Barack Obama played with his daughters near the White House after heavy snowfall in 2010.
Count us in for the #museumsnowballfight! #TBT to #Snowmageddon with Barack Obama playing with Sasha and Malia in the Rose Garden. 2/6/10. 🌨️ More photos at https://t.co/Shex836P98 pic.twitter.com/YWVz3GuyMV
— OurPresidents (@OurPresidents) January 4, 2018
The Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum in Tennessee shared a charming stereoscopic image of a snowman from 1902.
With snow reaching as far as Tennessee, we're joining in the #museumsnowballfight ! In addition to our Civil War Collection, we have a wide-ranging collection of stereoscopic images, too. This image of children building a snowman with their loyal canine companions dates to 1902. pic.twitter.com/TA46rlm4wF
— Abraham Lincoln Library & Museum (@the_allm) January 4, 2018
The Missouri History Museum in St. Louis taught us that the winter of 1905 was so cold, the Mississippi River froze over.
Snowball fight? Try #IceGorge. In February 1905, it was cold enough in St. Louis that the mighty Mississippi River froze solid. At least, solid enough for Annie Kuehn to pose for a picture under the Eads Bridge. (snowball fights in the background) #MuseumSnowballFight #STL pic.twitter.com/iYgvPJ336b
— Missouri History Museum (@mohistorymuseum) January 4, 2018
National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C. fired back with two snowy works of art.
Game on @PhillipsMuseum ! You've been hit with a #MuseumSnowballFight double whammy—#JustineKurland's "Buses on the Farm" (2003) AND #JoanMitchell's "Sale Neige" (1980). Brrr it's getting cold out there. #BombCyclone pic.twitter.com/gHHYYZODos
— Women in the Arts (NMWA) (@WomenInTheArts) January 4, 2018
No scarves, hats or gloves were required to join in on this snow-day skirmish. It brightened up a cold day for many people and shows no signs of stopping!
The world needs more people that are like social media managers for museums. That needs to happen.#museumsnowballfight
— Charlotte Clymer 🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) January 4, 2018
1) adorable
2) a rare redemption of this website
3) a reminder that social media strategists are wonderful and creative people who don't get days off when everyone else does. shout out to you, museum social staffers ☃️ https://t.co/ADM9Qr5Hb3
— Emmy Bengtson (@EmmyA2) January 4, 2018
Even though many schools were closed on the East Coast, we all learned a little and laughed a lot. In this virtual snowball fight, we definitely all win.
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