10/13/2026
This year, we are working with 3 student interns from UNCG. For their first project, we asked them to explore our online collection and write about an object that piqued their interest. We will be sharing all 3 of their responses this week, so be sure to follow along! We can first start with intern Shelby Way:
"While exploring the High Point Museum’s online collection as an intern, I came across this unique little chair and immediately wanted to know more about it. At first glance, it looks like a miniature armchair made for a doll, but it is actually a ceramic decanter from 1978! Made by Royal Halburton, the decanter once held McCormick Straight Bourbon Wh***ey and was designed to represent something High Point has long been known for: furniture!
The front reads “Furniture Capital of the World – High Point, NC,” while the back features the City of High Point seal. By the late 1970s, High Point had already become a major center of the furniture industry, with thousands of buyers and visitors traveling to the city for its furniture market. Objects like this are a fun reminder of just how closely High Point’s identity became connected to furniture and the home furnishings industry.
I especially liked this object because it shows that history can be found in some unexpected places. Something that may look like a quirky souvenir can actually tell us a lot about how a community viewed itself and what it was known for at the time. What do you think? Would you have guessed this little chair was actually a bottle?"
