Decades ago, a Walkman, which was a portable cassette player was the only way to listen to an entire album on the go. No CDs, no streaming, no satellite radio.  

A museum exhibit dedicated to an entire generation, almost sounds like something that would feature the World War II Era or the Roaring '20s.

But an exhibit dedicated to Generation X that features the ways of life from the late-'60s through the '80s and segued into parts of the '90s? Well the folks at the Illinois State Museum think it'll be a hit, and right now they're trying to get all they can to put up a full exhibit on a generation that seems to be shadowed between the cultures and upbringings of Baby Boomers and Millennials.

"This exhibition came out of discussion among our staff about how different technology is now from when many of us were growing up and how neat it would be to explore the technology and toys of Generation X," exhibit curator Erika Holst said. "They are considered the last 'analog' childhood before the digital age came upon us."

To be clear, Baby Boomers range in birth years 1946-1964 followed by Generation X which is 1965 to 1980. If you're born between 1981 and 1996, you're considered a Millennial (sometimes referred to as Generation Y). However, the micro-generation known as X-ennials, anyone born between 1977 and 1985, are considered "cuspers" as they have lived through the ways of life in both the X and Y generations.

The exhibit isn't scheduled to open at the museum in Springfield until the fall. And within that time, Holst is hoping to get a lot of feedback and items from the public that can be used in the exhibit displays. There's even an online survey one can take.

"We really want this exhibit to reflect the experience of Gen-X Illinoisans through their own voices and photographs," Holst said. "We'd love it if the public would share their memories and let us know if they're willing to lend objects or share photographs by taking our survey."

So what are they looking for? Pretty much anything that defines the Generation-X time frame. Things like rotary phones, VCRs and VHS tapes, Walkmans, inline skates, video and hand-held electronic games, record players — the list goes on and on.

"​We're hoping that Gen-Xers will visit the exhibit and get a kick out of seeing items from their childhoods, and maybe jog memories of things they had forgotten," Holst said. "Beyond that, we hope to inspire reflection and discussion of how growing up as part of Generation X shaped the adults we are today.

"We welcome input from 'cuspers' on either end of this range as well."

By October's end, the exhibit will debut and the plan is for it to stick around until May 2023.

Dominic Genetti was born and raised in St. Louis and has been in the media industry since 2003. He holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Northwest Missouri State University, and has covered a variety of subjects including hard news, courts, enterprise features, and sports. From 2011 to 2013, Genetti wrote a syndicated baseball column that published daily throughout the country. He was also awarded the "Community Service" award from the Missouri Press Association for his efforts to bring light to a historic cemetery in disrepair in Hannibal, Missouri. Multimedia coverage is also part of Genetti's repertoire. In 2011 he was named the GateHouse Media Videographer of the Year. Genetti has worked for newspapers in Missouri, Iowa, Texas, and Illinois.