The Cedartown Museum of Coca-Cola Memorabilia will open its doors to the public for the first time on Saturday, June 25. The museum has been a dream of mine for about four years and for the past year and a half, my parents and I have made the dream a reality.
I have a few personal goals for this project. The first and most obvious is to make my collection of Coca-Cola artifacts available for the public to view and enjoy. After spending much time around Coca-Cola collectors and collectibles, I learned that the perspectives of consumers are discoverable through examining the many mediums of advertising goods. The Coca-Cola Company has a long history since its humble beginnings in 1886. Since then, its advertising has reached consumers in the post-war South, through two World Wars, the Great Depression, the Cold War, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and everything in between.
Understanding how worldwide events like these ever occurred in the first place begins with understanding the values of the people who were involved. In other words, if I want to learn more about the home life of a boy about to be sent to fight in World War I, I can reference the advertising from that period to learn more about what was important and attractive to that boy living in 1913. Maybe he was attracted to a poster with nationalistic symbols like the American flag or Uncle Sam, or alternatively, maybe he valued a nice ice pick stamped with a Coca-Cola logo that he used on his farm every morning. With this knowledge, I can understand the mindset and values of men similar to this boy returning from the war in 1918. This generation would go on to cause an augmented consumer economy in the Roaring ‘20s. I learned the value in understanding the perspective of people throughout history from my high school history class experiences at Darlington with Mr. Schmidt and Mr. McDurmon.
My second goal is on the local level. I hope that the initiative my parents and I have shown in revamping the block that was once the Coca-Cola Bottling Company on Main Street will cause other Cedartown property owners to take pride in finding new potential for their historic properties as well. I consider this to be leading by example, which is one skill Darlington has instilled in me throughout my 15-year career at the school. The work I have done in the Greenhouse is one example of Darlington allowing me to take on a project as my own, and getting it done so others can once again benefit from the space.
My final goal is to show my peers around me that sometimes your dream might seem impossible, BUT—never stop dreaming! I can confidently say that Darlington School has allowed me to develop with the capacity to think big and to see no challenge as impossible.
No matter if I am in the classroom or at a collectors’ convention, I can learn with passion. No matter if I am taking a test or sealing a negotiation, I can act with integrity. No matter if I am helping Mrs. Barnes at Light the Lake or bidding against someone in an auction, I can serve with respect. These three examples are just the beginning of how values held highly at Darlington have shaped who I am and have allowed me to not only take on unheard of challenges, but to accomplish them in a wise and honorable way.
I hope to see you in June!
The Cedartown Museum of Coca-Cola Memorabilia is located at 209 Main St. in Cedartown, Ga.
