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Robert Haynes, First Black Curator of the Plano Interurban Railway Museum

Updated: Feb 16, 2021

Robert Haynes: Curator of the Plano Interurban Railway Museum

Robert Haynes is the curator at the Plano Interurban Railways Museum and director of the Johnny J. Myers Archives and Research Center in Plano. He was trained as an anthropologist at the University of California Berkely and in museum studies at San Fransico and also co-authored the book Plano and the Interurban Railway.


Robert Haynes has studied at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History and received an appointment to study at the Getty Museum Management Institute. As a founding director of the African American Museum and Library at Oakland, California, he was managing editor of the publication From the Archives and created the exhibit "Bittersweet Triumph: African Americans in World War II", which was recognized by the Associated Press.


He was recruited to come to Dallas as Deputy Director of the Dallas African American Museum and later chose to explore his interest in trains and rail technology by accepting the position as curator of the interurban Railways Museum. Robert Haynes is also the Chief Curator and Director of Texas Curatorial Services in Dallas, having served many clients such as the Old Red Courthouse Museum, the Irving History Center, the Mayme Clayton Museum of California, and the Dallas African American Museum and specializes in voiceovers for museums.


To Learn More about the Interurban Railway visit these articles below and don't forget to complete the activities to this exhibit!





Exhibit Activity & Discussion:

  1. Where is the Interurban Railway?

  2. Where can you visit Car 360?

  3. Why were the streetcars and the interurban lines were vital in the development of the city of Dallas and North Texas?

  4. What does a museum curator do and why is it important?

  5. Have you visited the museums that Robert Haynes helped in the North Texas area?



Sources:

DART

Plano Magazine

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