Just wanted to add a couple of items to two recent threads.  We have had
some success in the Please Don't Touch department by adding illustrations to
our signs, since visitors' eyes are more drawn to graphics than text.  We
frequently add some pictorially appropriate late 19th century clip art
images to our signs, (since we do local history in an 1881 building), and
sometimes color them in with pencils or markers.  On one occasion we even
had a cassette tape playing in the gallery to add audio reminders like
"Please don't touch the quilts.  We know it's hard to resist, but don't
touch!" For our next quilt exhibit we will also have live "guards" from the
quilt guild in our gallery at all times, as well as signs.

On the Selina side of things, we have already accessioned several pieces of
Selina memorabilia into our collections - among them a tee shirt, a framed
poster, and a souvenir of her last performance here.  Her concerts were
arranged and promoted by a local man, and many people attended the shows.
There is even a small memorial scholarship set up in her name by a fan, so
Selina is definitely a part of our regional culture and history, both before
and after her death.  The 20th century is almost over: collect the recent
stuff while it is still in good condition!  I will try to see the Selina
film as soon as we get it here, in a great old restored movie theater
downtown.

Robin Gilliam
Curator of History and Interpretation
Silver City Museum