9 O GIFT or 1 GIFT AH 27 ^916 SE18 AN EFFECTIVE EXHIBITION OF A COMMUNITY SURVEY A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SPRINGFIELD SURVEY EXHIBITION U N I V h, K 3 1 I' ^ Reprinted from The American City Vol. XII, No. 2; February, 1915 Department of Surveys and Exhibits Russell Sage Foundation ' — I^EW York City Price 5 Cents 'fi^ Tntor-I \ii MANUM. TR/UMNfi CLASSES SENCT noTWN nctunts SCCONO STREET Floor plan of The Springfield Survey Exhibition — " One Way " Exhibition — Follow the Arrows An Effective Exhibition of a Community Survey IN Springfield, IH., November 21 to De- cember 2, 1914, was held a survey ex- hibition which embodied many excep- tional features and which offers practical suggestions for similar work in other cities. Several years ago a limited sanitary sur- vey in Springfield attracted considerable attention and stimulated locally the idea of a more complete social survey. This idea was nursed and cultivated until a group of influential men and women, representing many interests in the community, became convinced that the time had arrived for such an undertaking. Application was made to the Department of Surveys and Exhibits of the Russell Sage Foundation, and in due season a plan for a social survey was prepared. The local com- mittee guaranteed $6,000 of the proposed expenditure for the survey proper. After the local data were gathered and while the findings were being worked over by the several surveyors, the Springfield committee guaranteed an additional expenditure of $3,000 for the survey exhibition. The final expenditures for the survey aggregated $12,000 or more, and for the exhibition ap- proximately $4,000, of which total Spring- field raised about $10,000, the rest being contributed by the Russell Sage Foundation. No attempt will be made in this article to describe the methods or to detail the find- ings of the survey itself. These will be cov- ered by a series of ten reports soon to be issued for the General Springfield Survey Committee. The sub-committees formed to handle the many details of the preparation and presen- tation of the exhibition were as follows: Honorary Committee Advisory Committee Executive Committee Finance Committee Census of Useful Peo- ple Directory of Organira- tions Committee on Com- mittees Office Kquipment Office Helpers Automobiles Committee on Exhibits Art Construction Decoration Drayage Furnishings Lettering Lighting Models Photographs Stereopticon and Mov- Committee on Promotion Arrangement of Ad- dresses Advertisement Mention Cooperating County Excursions Handbook Newspaper Discussion Out-of-Town Organira- tions Press Printed Matter Speakers Special Days Committee on Informa- tion and Management Care of School Children Explainers Hospitality Lunch Room Play Demonstration Playhouse The Summary Ushers Candies ing Pictures The first step in enlisting workers for the preparation of the exhibition was the "Cen- sus of Useful People." About three months before the exhibition this census was made, starting off with a lively newspaper story with the headline, "Are You a Live One?" A committee, composed of a member of the 388431 A SECTION ON CITY AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATION This exhibit touched very briefly on a few of the problems of city housekeeping. Toy fire apparatus was shown on shelves mounted on the face of a panel. The street model in the foreground was a home-made production, adding to the attractiveness of the display and suggesting some practicable possibilities in street planning. bchool Board, a union man, a prominent lodge worker, a minister and others, the whole group representing a wide range of interests, made the census. There were listed the names of hundreds cf people who might be considered "useful" for a great variety of services in preparation for the exhibition. A card catalogue was made of the names, addresses and special interests of these useful people. On the basis of this catalogue forty committees were made up on which several hundred people served. During two months preceding the open- ing of the exhibition, a campaign of public- ity and promotion was carried on that kept the subject of the survey before the people pretty constantly. Enough things happened in the course of the campaign to furnish good daily stories for the papers ; and as the campaign grew, more and more people not generally associated with "uplift" work were drawn in. From 800 to 1,000 people took some part in the preparation or in the programs of the exhibition itself. One method of enlisting rpany new work- ers was through the appointment of "coop- erating committees." Organizations of all kinds were canvassed systematically and in- vited to appoint a committee of their mem- bers to represent them in cooperation with the exhibition. Some forty church societies and many lodges, labor unions, school clubs and others responded to this request. Many people were persuaded to con- tribute services that would have greatly in- creased the cost of the exhibition if they had not volunteered. They helped partly because their leaders were energetic and enthusiastic, but largely because the work itself was interesting and the spirit of the campaign contagious. These services in- cluded the making of models and mechanical devices, much of the art work, special stories for the newspapers, clerical work in the office and the taking of photographs. All of the out-of-town publicity, of which there was a generous amount, was done by volunteer committees without cost to the exhibition budget. A Committee on Out- of-Town Organizations arranged to have a letter sent by the Mayor on his official sta- tionery to mayors of all towns within a radius of 100 miles ; similarly the Chamber of Commerce secretary wrote to secretaries of commercial associations; the county school superintendent wrote to many school superintendents, etc. The work of this com- mittee brought many influential people from nearby towns. One town was rep- resented by a delegation consisting of the mayor, chief of police, president of the school board, superintendent of schools and principal of the high school. The County Committee prepared a series of three articles for publication in each of the fourteen county papers, and followed up the first articles by requests to the editors for cooperating committees which would work up an attendance of people from their localities. Speakers were sent to meetings arranged for by these committees. The climax was County Day, when special program features were arranged to interest the farmers and the country school dele- gations. Many groups of people attended the ex- hibition on other "special days" arranged for them by the various committees. The Bar Association, Rotary Club, a group of Catholic Societies, the Art Club and others had special luncheon or dinner meetings in the restaurant at the exhibition hall, and were then conducted through the exhibition by members of the exhibition committees. By skilful planning, the exhibition pro- vided a variety of helps to enjoying and profiting by the exhibits without undue weariness. In the first place, it was a one- way exhibition and guide rails steered the visitor so that he was never in doubt as to which way to turn. In the second place, the amount of reading matter was reduced to a minimum and illustrative material and graphic devices were used wherever possi- ble. But the most restful feature was that at four different points in the hall, well dis- tributed, there was an opportunity to sit down for ten or fifteen minutes and watch one of the "live exhibits." These included a playground, where children were con- tinuously present learning and playing sim- ple games to their own enjoyment as well as that of the visitors; a moving-picture hall, where films pertaining to subject matter of the exhibition were shown ; the "Play- house," described below ; and the "summary room," an open space with plenty of chairs where groups of people gathered on their wav out to ask questions, suggest and criti- cise and hear a brief account of the plans for "follow-up" work in which they were invited to take part. The Playhouse, one of the most novel and attractive features of the exhibition, was a charming little pavilion with white pillars and a red and white canopy top. A small stage with an interior and an out- door setting faced a seating space for loo people. Here, at half-hour intervals, a 15- minute play was produced during each afternoon and evening session. Five differ- ent plays, presented by seven castes includ- ing some 200 amateur performers, were given during the course of the exhibition. They illustrated different survey topics, such as recreation, charities, industrial con- ditions and medical inspection. While the little plays pointed their moral rather obvi- ously and insistently at times, they were nevertheless full of life and dramatic ac- tion, and were quite as entertaining as they were instructive. The five plays may be briefly summarized as follows: The Playmaker: The school recess bell rings, and boys corhe running out in a disorderly manner. Some A SCHOOL PLAYGROUND AS IT MIGHT BE The model of a school playground was made from a plan included in the recreation survey, suggesting a use of the grounds of one of the Springfield schools. High school classes prepared the model, which was worked out to scale with most careful attention to every detail. ffifHWil*^ PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY Spr'mgrield apparenily has at hand an adequate supply __ of Dure Ground water SOME NEEDS ® To test for possible additional yield and to develop greater reserve .(D To absolutely eliminate possibility of pumping polluted river water (D To increase distribution to serve 30*oflJ!Ward residents and20%of 6y>Ward who cannot now get city water (4) To supply funds for the needed improvements SEWERS OR WATER OR BOTH LACKING '^ . I »'•<=•> FlLt" '--''.1 "" ^ indic»ttL__4_, ^ _ T n«ilh«r »«v»«r» ' , " ^ ^ | nor city we*