Donated to the Morrison County Historical Society in 1971 by the J. Kenneth Martin Estate, this colorful cotton half apron with hand crocheted lace at the bottom belonged to Lottie Lee (Tanner) Martin, the wife of J. Kenneth Martin. Martin was a prominent banker and businessman in Little Falls, Minnesota, during the early twentieth century. The apron is part of the exhibit, The Apron: Body Armour or Bling. The exhibit features aprons from the museum’s collections as well as aprons loaned by community members. Whether worn primarily for protection or fashion, the apron has served as an important article of clothing for thousands of years. Aprons have been depicted in wall paintings found in ancient Egypt, on sculptures of ancient deities from Central America and in relief carvings on ancient monuments. The aprons from the collections of The Morrison County Historical Society date roughly to a period of about one hundred years, from the mid-nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century. They represent the broad spectrum of functions aprons fulfill, whether serving as a protective article of clothing, a symbol of ritual or authority, or an object of ornamentation. The exhibit can be viewed during regular museum hours, Tuesday through Saturday, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For more information, call 320/632-4007.