A Curator's Day

The only reason I didn't take a full week's vacation was because I needed to uninstall the Milestones exhibit so we can start setting up for our big fundraiser first thing Monday morning. That's what I did today and now the Barn Gallery is empty and ready to go.

The long drive back home again under cloudless skies.

The Saratoga National Historical Park by bicycle and Congress Park in Saratoga Springs, NY on foot

The Wild Center in Tupper Lake, NY featuring Thomas Dambo's TROLLS: Save the Humans

The Adirondack Carousel in Saranac Lake, NY and Paul Smith’s VIC.

Today was my last day of work before vacation!

We've got a new exhibit coming up that shows how common items changed over time. I think it's going to be a fun one.

We've got a lot of neat panoramic photos of soldiers from World War I.

Today, while looking at photos of the Bicentennial parade held on June 19, 1976 in Elmira , I noticed that this tricycle, which is part of our artifact collection, was on our float. Our records show it wasn't formally accessioned until 1978, but it is a vintage mid-19th century piece. Upon closer examination, I've identified the parasol carried by the person in the center as another piece in our collection, made in the late 19th century and accessioned in 1974. I wouldn't be surprised if quilt on her lap, the other parasol, and even the dresses were pulled from the collection. Museum practice was different 50 years ago. At least it looked like a dry day.

I steamed the dress that's going on display in Remembering the Bicentennial. It's not a huge change, but it makes a difference.

Today, I started pulling objects for our upcoming Remembering the Bicentennial exhibit.

I drove up to Woodlawn Cemetery one more time today to get the last two headstone photographs for our 20th anniversary Ghost Walk book. I also finished writing my second script for this year's Ghost Walk.

I wrote my blog post about Lovell's Drug Store today which included a section on ice cream during World War II. It'll be posted to the museum's history blog in two weeks.

This photo is of a fair in Elmira in 1918, btw.

Today, I found this great photo of Red Cross production during World War II. It's even labeled with names - from left to right Mrs. Frank Hobler, Mrs. Arthur W. Booth, Mrs. Orley M. Canter, Mrs. Willis Linn. It would be nicer if it had their actual names not Mrs. Hisname, but I'll take what I can get.

I gave my lecture on Prohibition at today’s Out to Lunch. Everyone seemed to enjoy it. There were mixed reactions, however, to the “orange cider” we offered with refreshments, produced from an 1893 recipe.

I really appreciate the photographer(s) who went around in the early 1860s taking pictures of Civil War soldiers in camp. We have several of them in our archive, and they are all amazing.