One possibility to get other stories (and artifacts)
out would be to see if there are other display spaces
(locked, of course) in the community.  Here we are
often asked to put displays in cases in libraries and
such places for a period of time.  It works to get
extra ideas displayed and to get publicity in the
area.

Marty Buxton


--- archives <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>    We have a expensive new permanent museum project
> in the works for our small town 
> historical society headquarters that is focused on a
> very narrow subject (land 
> preservation-our county has 16% of its area under
> conservation easements). Agreed, that 
> our county history was peopled early with those rich
> enough to have plantations, and 
> that there were/are enough rich people left to get
> sliding-scale zoning passed in the 
> late 1960s is a great story, and their foresight has
> saved us from the exploding urban 
> sprawl of our surrounding counties, but it leaves
> out the history of all the other 
> people who made our county what it is today.
>     The head of the committee (who is well off) is
> dedicated to telling this story, to 
> the exclusion of the wider county history. He is
> very narrow in what he feels needs to 
> be shown to support his vision, and he is the
> driving force (and contentious force) 
> behind this whole project.  Even tho our board
> members have had quibbles about the 
> project, they are not going to confront this man or
> try to rein him in because they 
> might have to take over.
>    At the moment 16 sq. feet of rotating exhibit
> space is what we have desiginated in 
> the whole building (and this is debatable as the
> chairman feels it would take away from 
> his story). As their historical society
> archivist/curator, I (and the museum design 
> team) are frustrated that I/we cannot make this man
> understand that if the permanent 
> exhibits are only to support his story, that two
> things will be apparent:  1. it will 
> limit our audience (most of whom will never own a
> historic house or own 600 acres of 
> land they can put in easement; besides it seems to
> be a political stand which a hist. 
> soc. should not be involved with); & 2. it will dry
> up the flow of artifacts into our 
> society when people know that 99.5% of our artifacts
> will be in permanent storage and 
> never seen, because of the tight focus and
> permanency of the displays. 
>    At this point in the project, a lot of people are
> almost hoping that the project 
> funds appeal will not raise the funds to go into the
> second stage (at least not in this 
> narrow configuration). 
>    If indeed this project comes to fruition, what
> can I or the members of the society 
> do to reach possible donors and make them understand
> that we still do care about their 
> artifacts (archival materials will not be affected
> as I have that well in hand) and 
> wish to have them in our collection.  I would hate
> not to get an artifact tomorrow that 
> might be very significant to a new exhibit in the
> future.  Any other suggestions on 
> this would also be appreciated.
> M.T. Morris-CCHA, Virginia
> 
> 
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