March 28, 2024

Kellogg Historical Museum opens new exhibit

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KELLOGG — Kellogg Historical Museum, 218 Front St., will be opening a new exhibit, “1954; After the Korean War-Photographs by Cliff Strovers” on June 10. The exhibit will be on display through July 8.

Cliff Strovers was stationed in Busan, South Korea after the Korean War cease-fire in 1953.
For 14 months, he served with the 44th Engineering Construction Group, "to begin rebuilding the city's infrastructure so its residents could get back on their feet." While on duty, he helped construct roads, port facilities and the city's first hospital, off duty he moved around Busan and the nearby country side, photographing Koreans as they moved through their daily lives.

When he returned to his home town of Grinnell, the pictures were placed in a tin box and stored away. Fifty-five years later he pulled them from storage, digitalized them and took the copies with him on a return trip to Korea. While in Busan, he met Kang, Suck-Hwan director of an observation tower in the city park.

Impressed with the quality and subjects of the color photographs, Kang asked Cliff’s permission to exhibit his work. The exhibit opened in Busan July 29, 2010. Three years later another exhibit was created by the Grout Museum District in Waterloo, which opened in November 2013. It has since been offered as a traveling exhibit.

The Kellogg Historical Museum is open to the public from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Freewill donations are accepted. Children younger than 12 must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday, from 1:30 to 5 p.m. Sunday, closed Saturdays and holidays. To schedule tours or alternate times, call 641-526-3430 or 641-417-0111.