The Augusta Museum of History will be open all of the Fourth of July Week.
June 29 - July 5, 2015
Hours:
Monday - Saturday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sunday 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
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Augusta Bel Canto
July 4, 1:30-3:30pm
Free event
Augusta's newest choral ensemble will perform American Stories in Song at the Augusta Museum of History on July 4th at 1:30 pm. The performance will be in the Museum's Rotunda and is free to the public!
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Dollar Dog Days in August
During the month of August, admission to the Museum will be only $1. We will be open during our regularly scheduled hours.
Hours:
Thursday - Saturday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sunday 1 p.m.-5 p.m.
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A special look behind-the-scenes as Lauren Virgo, the Museum's Registrar, demonstrates how artifacts are collected, cataloged, preserved, cared for and displayed.
Each session will end with a review of how to preserve objects that relate to that day's theme. Most of the program will have guests seated in the collections area while the Registrar explores the history behind the objects.
September 5, 12, 19 & 26
Free for members or with paid admission.
Tours at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Sign-up at the front desk 15-30 minutes before each tour time.
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TR Comes to Augusta
September 29, 5 - 6:30 pm
Joe Wiegand, historic reprisor, brings Teddy Roosevelt to life in this exciting performance. Learn about the life and times of our 26th President, as well as a special salute to his military aide and favorite Augustan, Major Archibald Butt.
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A Week in Tuscany Raffle
Tickets on sale now!
Drawing Date: October 21, 2015
Tickets: $100
Only 100 tickets will be sold!
Enter to win 7 nights of accommodations for 4 people in Manciano, Italy, located just 1 1/2 hours north of Rome in beautiful Tuscany. Stay in a casa featuring a full living room, dining room, kitchen, two bathrooms and two bedrooms with views of the rolling countryside. For more information about the casas, contact: Margie Lynch at 770-794-9938. Raffle tickets can be purchased in the Museum Administrative Offices, Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
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From the Executive Director
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Partnerships and Collaborations
Today it is virtually impossible for a museum to make its way without establishing partnerships that work to strengthen its ability to fulfill its mission. The Augusta Museum of History mission is to collect, preserve, and interpret history in relation to the past of Augusta and the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA) (Burke, Columbia, McDuffie, Richmond counties, GA; Aiken, Edgefield counties, SC) for education and enrichment of present and future generations.
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The Museum has established short or long-term relationships with individuals, organizations, governments and businesses that benefit the community. The details of these relationships vary, from direct financial or in-kind contributions in return for advertising or promotional opportunities, to cooperative ventures with other museums or community organizations. In all of these partnerships, there is recognition that this Museum is not alone and requires partners in order to better accomplish its mission.
A few examples of these partnerships and collaborations: 1) a significant number of area community groups partnered to present a symposium in recognition of the 150 anniversary of the Civil War; and 2) working with city-county government to present exhibits and displays on topics such as Mr. James Brown and the life of past elections Executive Director, Linda Beazley. Other collaborations: after receiving a grant from the Augusta Exchange Club, the Museum was able to offer free admission passes for families staying at the Ronald McDonald House, the two area Fisher Houses, and the Still Burn Center's Chavis House.
Establishing partnerships and collaborations with the for-profit and non-profit sectors are strategic in the true sense of being a means for the Museum to achieve its mission, goals and objectives in keeping with its core values:
COMMUNITY
We value and respect our varied communities and seek to involve them in the preservation and interpretation of the region's heritage through inclusive, collaborative program and resource development.
DIVERSITY
We believe our organization should reflect the communities it serves. We are committed to making the Museum's staff, board, programs, and collections representative of regions' diverse people and heritage.
EDUCATION
We believe an understanding of history can make a difference in people's lives and that the past can be used to examine contemporary issues. We promote lifelong learning of the region's history that empowers our audiences to interpret their heritage.
PROFESSIONALISM
We strive for excellence through dedication to scholarship, professional development, and the standards that guide our respective fields.
SERVICE
We are committed to providing quality service to our audiences. We treat them with courtesy and respect and maximize their access to our programs, collections, and services through outreach and technology.
UNITY
We believe a unified staff is key to achieving excellence. We are committed to creating a workplace characterized by effective communication, mutual respect, teamwork, and implementation of common goals.
STEWARDSHIP
We value all expressions of the region's heritage and seek to instill this belief in all of the area's citizens. We have a responsibility to preserve artifacts, memories, records, and traditions that comprise the collective history of the region's individuals, their families and communities.
Nancy J. Glaser, Executive Director
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The Museum is happy to have many new exhibits for visitors to enjoy. Already on display is a temporary exhibit on the second floor that highlights the photography collections of Robert Wilkinson and the Fitz-Symms Studio. This exhibit is on display until the end of August. So stop by and see if you see yourself in these photographs that range from the 1940s to the 1980s
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A new edition to the Museum's permanent exhibit is a case about the history of Clarks Hill Lake and Dam (aka J. Strom Thurmond Lake and Dam). This case features Army Corps of Engineeers' drawings, swimwear and fishing gear from the 1950s and 1960s.
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Beginning in July, the Museum's Wells Fargo Textile case will feature "Glamourous Gowns of Centuries Past." There will be a total of six dresses displayed over the course of a year. Three dresses will be displayed from July to December and then three new dresses will be rotated into the case from January to June. For each display, the Museum has chosen three dresses from historical eras - one from the Victorian era, one from the Flapper era, and one from the Post-WW II era. This exhibit is made possible by the Wells Fargo Foundation. This 1950s/60s dress donated by Wendy Merrill
Lauren Virgo, Registrar
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Collections Care
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"Partnerships" is the theme for this Summer Archive issue. On that note, the Augusta Museum of History has many preservation partnerships in our community. For instance, the Museum receives phone calls from civic clubs, community organizations, individuals and government agencies seeking advice on best practices of preservation. Often these groups and individuals have an archive of old meeting minutes, historic charter/membership documents, and a cache of photographs. Our mission is to educate others on the long-term care for their archives. If your organization or your family have documents that are important to your history, then contact the Augusta Museum of History. We would be happy to advise you on ways to save your treasures.
For tips on how to preserve your collections at home, check out our
Collections Care Articles tab online
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Lauren Virgo, Registrar
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Augusta Bel Canto
Performing a selection of patriotic music
July 4, 2015
Voices of the Past
The Petersburg Boat Captain
July 11, 2015
The Other Tubmans
Brown Bag
History Series
"Infrastructure
Under the City"
- Allen Saxon
July 8, 2015
No Brown Bag History Lecture
scheduled in August
"Hello! Can You Hear Me Now? Working the Phones"
- Stan Shepard
September 9, 2015
Dollar Dog Days
$1 Admission
for the month of August
Smithsonian
Museum Day
September 26, 2015
Free Admission to the Museum with Smithsonian Coupon
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For more event information, please visit the following link:
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As always, we appreciate your generous contributions and our wonderful Museum members. To see our current list of Donors,
click here. To view our Members,
click here.
We thank you!
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So Much More to Discover!
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Can you find me?
Before smartphones and smartwatches, there was the flip-phone. This cellular phone by Motorola was popular in the late 1980s. A phone like this would often cost hundreds of dollars and was a status symbol for those wealthy enough to afford it.
Donated by Lyle and Shirley Glascock
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County Corner:
Edgefield County, SC
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| Prior to the Reconstruction period, the county of Edgefield was much larger and was known as the Edgefield District. It was a politcally powerful and agriculturally wealthy segment of South Carolina. One of the towns located within the Edgefield District was Hamburg. The town of Hamburg, SC, was built in 1821 by Henry Shultz directly across from downtown Augusta. The town grew for many years until the economic downturn of the Civil War. After the Civil War, it became a freedmen's town for the recently emancipated nearby slaves. In fact, it was a committee of former slaves (including some from Hamburg) that named the new county of Aiken. This medical kit dates from the 1850s. It was purchased in Hamburg and used by an Edgefield District doctor to blend medications. It is currently on display in the Museum's A Community that Heals exhibit. Donated by Mr. Jacob H. Lowrey
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New Acquisitions
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The Wilhenford Childrens' Hospital opened its doors in Augusta on October 26, 1910. The hospital was created for specialized care of children in Augusta. It was given the name "Wilhenford" by the hospital's primary donor, Mrs. Grace Shaw Duff. She named it in honor of her husband,
William, her father,
Henry, and her son, Brad
ford. The Children's Hospital Association (CHA) operated the finances of the hospital for many years until it closed in December 1941. Even after the hospital closed, the CHA has maintained their focus in children's healthcare.
Donated by the Children's Hospital Association
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Staff Introductions
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We are pleased to introduce our new Education Manager, Amy Schaffman. Amy is joining the Museum following a year of graduate study in history at Cambridge University in England. Prior to that, she completed her undergraduate degree (also in history) from The College of William and Mary with certification in museum studies and education. She has previously worked at The Smithsonian Institution's American History Museum, The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, The National Cryptologic Museum and The Library of Congress. Amy is excited about the opportunity to join our team and looks forward to meeting everyone.
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Military Memberships
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The Augusta Museum of History is now offering discounted memberships to active duty and retired military members. Military members will get $5 off of an Individual or Family membership. Military identification will be required to receive discounted memberships.
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Museum Insights
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Wilkinson Photography Collection
Donated by Linda and Charles Askey
Since the early 2000s, the Augusta Museum of History has been home to over a million photo negatives illustrating the history of the CSRA. To preserve and protect these negatives, the Museum employs interns like me to digitize them.
Since the Museum hired me in 2013, I have worked to process a large collection donated by the family of Wilkinson, a prominent photographer in the Augusta area. In the last two years, I have processed over 20,000 of his negatives and shared with you a few of my favorites. Now, as my time at the Museum comes to a close and I soon start graduate school in Wisconsin, Lauren Fleming, another intern, and I have created exhibits to show visitors a little bit about the people who documented Augusta's past. Below, I've highlighted a small sample of that exhibit.
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Robert J. Wilkinson (1923-2002) operated a successful photography studio in Augusta from the early 1940s until the mid-1990s. During his long career he photographed thousands of Augustans and documented important events and stories throughout the CSRA. As a contributor to The Augusta Chronicle, his photographs illustrated news stories for over forty years. After his death in 2002, Wilkinson's children donated his painstakingly organized negative collection to the Museum so that the CSRA might share in his legacy. Mr. Wilkinson ran two photography studios in Augusta, the first in the floors above his parents' restaurant at 871 Broad Street, across from Davison's Department Store. In 1947, he moved his studio to his home at 1535 Stovall Street, with his business partner, Albert C. Evans. His studios specialized in portrait and commercial photography and were among the first in the CSRA to get involved in color photography.
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Wilkinson captured thousands of Augusta wedding days in his broad collection, illustrating economic, social, and fashion changes throughout the decades. These bridesmaids, listed in the Augusta Chronicle as Miss Margaret Brearley, Mrs. Bowman, Miss Gail Abney, Miss Loretta Coleman, and Miss Rebecca Glenn posed at the wedding of Nancy Lorraine Calk and William Conrad Cooke at The Citadel's Summerall Chapel on May 24, 1975.
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Wilkinson traveled to many area schools to take portraits of students, faculty, and group activities. In January of 1965, he captured this photo of Ben Barnard and Cathy Alford all dolled up for The Academy of Richmond County Annual Formal, a school and a dance that Wilkinson himself attended in the 1930s.
As a member of the press, Wilkinson visited and photographed countless Augusta events, including the Titleholder's Professional Women's Golf Championship, the first competition of its kind. He captured this photo of Alice (left) and Marlene Bauer at the 1950 Titleholder's Championship, where neither player could find a caddy! 
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Working with the Wilkinson Collection showed me thousands of fascinating stories from the CSRA. I want to thank the Augusta Museum of History staff so much for the opportunity to work with this collection and learn from it. To learn more about Wilkinson, his collection, or the museum's internship program, please visit the new exhibits or www.augustamuseum.org.
By Sarah Carlson, Intern
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Augusta From Above
Aerial photography was a large part of business at Fitz-Symms Distinctive Photography. Morgan Fitz, owner of the studio, was the primary aerial photographer. He was also responsible for securing press and commercial contracts. The image of a train moving through downtown Augusta, is one example of Fitz's aerial photography that was printed in The Augusta Chronicle. Such images were also commissioned by private businesses for land surveys or advertisement purposes. The second image showing Broad Street was taken for I.M. Pei Architects (known for the Louvre Pyramid) to show the completion of the Broad Street Park which they designed.
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Both of these images are oblique aerials. An oblique aerial is an overhead shot taken at an angle. Fitz achieved such shots by leaning out of the open door of a helicopter or piper cub plane. Another type of aerial not shown here is a vertical. Verticals are parallel shots of the ground below. Fitz would take such a shot by holding the camera through a hole in the floor of the craft in which he was flying. The Fitz-Symms Photography Collection contains hundreds of aerials. Looking at the shots over the decades reveals the transformation of the CSRA landscape as agriculture gave way to industrialization. Within this transformation, we can see the growth of suburbia, and the creation of roadways like Gordon Highway.
Lauren Fleming, Intern
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TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence
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Thanks to all of the great reviews we've received, we have been awarded TripAdvisor 2015 Certificate of Excellence. Here are some of our favorite reviews from people from around the globe! To view our TripAdvisor page, click here.
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