Paris, 1989, silver print, Elliott Erwitt, born 1928 Paris, France, Museum purchase made possible by Cindy and Lisa Olnick, in honor of their father Richard Olnick     2009.32

Born in Paris, Elliott Erwitt spent his childhood in Milan. He became interested in photography during his teenage years when he was living in Hollywood. Erwitt was invited to join Magnum Photos in 1953 and has been a member of that prominent agency ever since. He is known for his black-and-white candid shots of ironic and absurd situations within everyday settings. Since the 1940s, he has made a body of work focusing on dogs.  Erwitt’s images show what makes these creatures so beloved, and combines an impeccable sense of composition with the magic of the moment.  In Paris, a Jack Russell Terrier leaps in the air as his master, seen from the waist down, stands calmly beside him.  This photograph has been given in honor of Richard Olnick, who was a collector of photographs and a lover of Jack Russells.

Thomas Seir Cummings was one of the 19th century's most important miniaturists.  He began working for noted portraitist Henry Inman in 1821, and by 1824 he had become a partner. In 1827, Inman turned exclusively to oil portraits, which left Cummings, according to early American art historian William Dunlop, "the best-instructed miniature painter then in the United States." Cummings wrote: "Works in miniature should possess the same beauty of composition, correctness of drawing, breadth of light and shade, brilliancy, truth of colour, and firmness of touch, as works executed on a larger scale."

Philip Evergood was one of the leading New York social realist artists of the early 20th century. He is celebrated for his purposely awkward drawing and his spontaneous bold lines.  During the 1930s, Evergood was a muralist for the Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) in the Federal Art Project.  Cleaning Cotton resulted from his 1938 trip to Jackson, Georgia for the mural commission, Cotton from Field to Mill.

Through an agreement between the Columbus Museum, Columbus State University Archives, and the Zollo, McKinstry, Hand and Miller families, the Museum has acquired a large collection of items related to the Royal Crown Cola Company. One of the most widely recognized brands of consumer products to have originated in Columbus, the company’s history in the city dates to its founding in 1905. The company’s original products, especially Chero-Cola and the Nehi line of fruit-flavored beverages, proved so successful that by the late 1920s it had a network of several hundred franchised bottlers across the nation.

The company released what would become its most famous beverage, Royal Crown Cola, in 1934. The drink’s popularity, coupled with an aggressive advertising campaign involving celebrities such as Bob Hope and Lucille Ball, fueled rapid growth for the company. By the 1940s, the company’s products were being sold nationwide and its stock was listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The company was headquartered here until the 1970s. Today, its domestic division is owned by the Dr Pepper/Seven Up Company. Its international division, which oversees distribution in 70 countries worldwide, still has offices in Columbus.