The exhibit you will only see at the Newseum features 19 large-format portraits of influential baby boomers — one born each year of the baby boom, from 1946 to 1964. In addition to the 19 portraits, a timeline of historic events that defined the baby boom generation will be displayed, featuring newsmagazines from the Newseum collection plus more than 30 iconic artifacts, including newsmagazines from the Newseum collection plus a copy of Dr. Benjamin Spock’s parental advice book, “Baby and Child Care,” an original 1959 Barbie doll, a 1964 G.I. Joe action figure, a transistor radio and a U.S. Army draft card from 1965. The artifacts illustrate the news events and pop culture moments that defined the baby boom generation, from its start in 1946 until 1982, when the last boomers turned 18. Visitors are invited to add their baby boom memories to the timeline. In addition, an interactive kiosk will allow visitors to explore exclusive behind-the-scenes images of Greenfield-Sanders’s photo shoots.
“The Boomer List” also will feature a scent station with memorable aromas familiar to the baby boom generation. A first for the Newseum, the station will include whiffs of baby powder, to represent the 76 million-plus babies born between 1946 and 1964; fresh-cut grass, a reminder of the boomers’ move to the suburbs; and incense, evoking the musky smell of rebellion, flower power and love-ins.
