The Augusta Museum of History will be open all of Masters Week.
April 4-10, 2016
Hours:
Monday - Saturday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sunday 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
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Monday at the Museum is a monthly program aimed at preschool age children. They must be accompanied by an adult.
Time: 10 am
Cost: $4 per child;
$2 for a member's child
April 4, 2016
April Fools: Surprise Craft
This mini-tour and craft is a surprise!
May 30, 2016
Historic Writing: Quill Pens and Spenserian Script
Children will visit Civil War exhibit, then use quill pens to copy letters in Spenserian script!
June 13, 2016
Southern Summer: Fireflies in Jars
Children will learn about historic games and create glow in the dark fireflies in a jar!
Registration is requested by calling 706-722-8454 or email Amy Schaffman at aschaffman@augustamuseum.org.
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Archaeologists will be on hand to identify and classify prehistoric and historic artifacts and artifact collections. Enjoy free tours of the Ezekiel Harris House.
April 30, 2016, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Ezekiel Harris House grounds
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Member's Night Out, is a quarterly members event offered in conjunction with Augusta's "First Friday." The Museum opens its doors after hours as a special appreciation night for our members. Each Member's Night Out out will have a different theme, which features a lecture, offered at 6 p.m. and 6:45 p.m., and a hands-on activities for the whole family. All museum galleries will be open as well.
Discounted memberships can be purchased at the door for Individuals and Families.
Time: 5:30 - 7:30 pm
Cost: Free for Museum Members. Admission for non-members is $7 for adults and $4 for children.
May 6, 2016
The History of our Train
Board our train and learn from our museum conductor all about the train's history and how we got it inside the museum. Make a train ticket and conductor hat, and join us for other train-related activities!
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Mother's Day Celebrated: Mangelly Accordionaires
The Augusta Museum of History is pleased to to host the Mangelly Accordionaires for their performance in the Museum Rotunda on Mother's Day. The event is free to the public.
The Mangelly Accordionaires travel musically around the world celebrating their versatile accordions on Mother's Day. Accordionists hail from New York, Pennsylvania, Augusta, Evans and have performed in Europe, Asia, South America and on cruise ships.
Sunday, May 8, 2016
Time: 1:00 -2:00 pm
Cost: Free
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Tuscan Villa Raffle
Tickets on sale now!
Drawing Date: October 19, 2016
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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New Exhibit: Tools of the Trade
Exhibit opens to the public, Thursday, June 2, 2016
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From the Executive Director
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Museums around the world must make decisions on which exhibitions to present, what educational programs to create, and determine which items to collect. There are key components to consider: mission of the institution, diversity, and the ability to preserve among many other factors.
When making decisions about which items to collect, there questions that are asked every time: do the artifacts possess interpretive value to local/regional history and have a significant story about the item(s), is the material useful for exhibition, research or scholarship, can the Museum properly store, preserve and care for the material and finally the condition is accessed.
One of the most important factors on accepting or not accepting an artifact is whether there is a "great" story behind it.
An example of this was
found in a
photography
collection of the 1912-13 construction of the Stevens Creek hydroelectric facility on the Savannah River in Columbia County. While documenting the
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Images donated by Joe McGill
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progress of
the construction, the phot
o
grapher, by chance, turned from the men toiling away on the riverbank and captured an image of a Petersburg boat floating down the riv
er. This is the first photograph I have seen of one of these boats actually on the river. Many historical images document the boats on the canal, but not on the river. The Petersburg boats are legendary for their ability to traverse the river carrying supplies and cotton to Augusta and then onto the port of Savannah for distribution around the world.
One more example is illustrated by one of the smallest artifacts in the collection --- a Sergeant's Police Badge.
A very small badge was discovered packed in a box with dozens of other items during a yearly collection inventory in 2006. The badge itself appeared rather ordinary until it was turned over and the inscription etched on the back was researched. The badge belonged to Sergeant Evans Morgan (1835-1901). Evans was born in the Augusta City Jail. His father was the town's Jailer and was provided an apartment within the jail for him and his family. Evans served as an officer both in Summerville and Augusta.
So many items in the Augusta Museum of History collection may appear ordinary...just a photograph or just a badge. However, after being researched, there is a magical transformation when the story behind an artifact is discovered.
Nancy J. Glaser, Executive Director
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When the Veterans Curation Program's exhibit comes down at the end of March, a new exhibit called Tools of the Trade will take its place on the Museum's second floor. As technology changes, some tools that were once heavily depended on become outmoded. If you would like to see some of the tools that once helped society function, the Tools of the Trade exhibit will be open to the public on June 2. You can expect to see tools used by pharmacies, soda shops, offices, telephone companies, candy factories, doctors, and homemakers.
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Donated
by A. Friend |
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If you haven't had a chance to explore the museum's Augusta, 1864 exhibit on the Civil War, then you need to do so now. The exhibit will close this June and a new exhibit will be installed on Augusta during the Victorian Age (1875-1899). Described by famed Augusta historian Dr. Ed Cashin as the "New South" period, this exhibit will feature disasters, national expositions, the winter resort hotels, and the electrification of the south. Look for a grand opening of Augusta, 1875-1899 in late summer.
Lauren Virgo, Registrar
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The Petersburg Boat Captain
April 9, May 7
& June 4
The Other Tubmans
April 16, May 14
& June 11
Brown Bag
History Series
"African Americans: Civil Rights and Race Relations"
- Dr. Mallory Millender
April 13, 2016
"Irish-American in
- Robert A. Cashin
May 11, 2016
"Immigration Ephemera in the Museum Collection"
- Lauren Virgo
June 8, 2016
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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,
To view our Members,
We thank you!
Benefactor Members:
Mrs. Carol Boardman
Mr. and Mrs. Lyle M. Glascock
Dr. Jim Hudson and
Mrs. Pat Knox-Hudson
Dr. & Mrs. Michael Haynes
Mr. and Mrs. James M. Hull
Mr. and Mrs. George Meinhold
Mr. and Mrs. W. Charles Moye
Mr. and Mrs. H. Monty Osteen, Jr.
Patron Members:
Mr. and Mrs. W. Franklin Abbott III
The Honorable and Mrs. H. Scott Allen
Mr. and Mrs. Lowell E. Barnhart
Mrs. Jacquelyn M. Blanchard
Dr. and Mrs. Robert Nesbit
Dr. Lloyd B. Schnuck, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Barry Storey
Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Whitworth
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So Much More to Discover!
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Can you find me?
For over two decades' patrons passed through the doors of Sixth At Watkins restaurant. Operated for 28 years by sisters Helen and Michelle May, Sixth At Watkins was located at 559 Watkins Street in downtown Augusta. The restaurant closed in June of 2015, but it left quite an impression on Augustans. See if you can find the Sixth At Watkins sign that we recently placed on exhibit.
Donated by
Helen and Michelle May
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County Corner:
Richmond County, GA
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Willis Irvin, Sr. was a well-known and award winning architect who lived and worked in the CSRA. He was prolific in his building designs and his creations can be seen throughout Georgia and South Carolina, including the Bon Air Hotel. While he could design on a grand scale, he was also apt at designing homes and downtown buildings, such as the Boardman Building shown here. Built in 1922, this building is still standing at the corner of 8th
and Greene Streets where it is home to the Jessye Norman School of the Arts.
Donated by Robert McCreary
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New Acquisitions
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As things heat up in the South, here is one "cool" artifact - a Kiwanis bell that traveled to the North Pole and back. In the spring of 1984, an Atlanta lawyer and adventurer named Hamilton Lokey addressed the Augusta Kiwanis Club. In gratitude for his talk, Lokey was given a small Kiwanis bell with the suggestion that he leave it at the top of the next mountain he climbed. Lokey's next venture was to the North Pole, but his guide objected to leaving foreign objects at the Pole. So, the bell was returned to Augusta after its long, frigid trip to the top of the world.
Given in memory of Joseph J. Roger by Myrtle M. Rogers
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Numerous artifacts are involved when the museum staff creates a new exhibit, like the upcoming "Tools of the Trade" and the "Augusta, 1875-1899." Before an artifact is selected for display in an exhibit, it must be checked for condition. Artifacts that are susceptible to fraying, tearing, or fading are not exhibited. Instead, these artifacts will remain in collections storage where they can be kept as stable as possible. However, rather than being hidden for all of eternity in our storage, the museum is starting to photograph these fragile artifacts and place their images along with their history on the Museum's website.
You can do the same for your fragile artifacts at home. Do you have an extremely faded photograph or document hanging on your wall? Preserve it by either photographing or scanning the document and then store it in an archival sleeve in a box or binder to remove it from light exposure. Not only will you be saving your artifact for future generations, but now you have a digital image to show family and friends.
For tips on how to preserve your collections at home, check out our
Collections Care Articles tab online.
Lauren Virgo, Registrar
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Education Update
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Document Detective: An Update on the New Education Primary Source Program
An earlier ARCHIVE article announced the creation of the Primary Source Initiative, a new education program, that uses the collections of the Augusta Museum of History. An update of the progress of the program follows:
Museum staff has successfully created the first of its five planned primary source programs. The first, the Industrial Revolution in the Central Savannah River Area, contains a wide array of maps, photographs, newspapers and other two-dimensional materials. The program had its inaugural run in the fall as a three day event for the Columbia County Gifted and Talented Program. Over 150 students from Columbia County participated and the reviews were positive. This program has since been offered to other school as one of the educational options the Museum provides.
The education department is currently developing a second theme, which will be on World War I in honor of the 2017 centennial celebration. The Museum is collaborating with a volunteer from Fort Gordon. Other future CSRA topics will concentrate on immigration, World War II, the 1950s, and Civil Right movement.
Many of the primary source programs should be available by this September, at which point, the Museum hopes to open up the program to the general public, as well as to school groups. Keep an eye on the calendar! Anticipate the thrill of poring over historical documents, magnifying glass in hand, and solving historical mysteries.
Amy Schaffman, Education Manager
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Appreciating our Volunteers
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April is the official Docent Appreciation Month, but at the Augusta Museum of History, we do not need a specific reason to celebrate our fantastic docents. Currently, the Museum works with thirteen dedicated volunteers who are passionate about the Museum and effectively communicating the history found within these walls.
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Among the docent ranks are those who have volunteered for over thirty years, those who are retired history teachers, and those who have deep roots in Augusta's history. This year our docents have been more involved than ever before. They have expanded their repertoire to include walk-in visits and special events. Our docents are often the first people our visitors see and the last memory made as they exit the building. Their importance to this institution knows no bounds, and April's theme gives us a good excuse to further recognize their achievements.
This year, the Augusta Museum of History's Docent Appreciation Celebration will be held April 25th from 10:30 to 11:30 AM in the Museum's Activity Center. I would like to invite all to stop by and meet these important men and women and convey thanks. The education department as well as the rest of the Augusta Museum of History is enriched immeasurably by their participation.
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Museum Insights
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Wilkinson Photography Collection
Donated by Linda and Charles Askey
The Wilkinson Photography Studio collection has approximately 250,000 negatives documenting the CSRA's past. To preserve and protect these negatives, the Museum hires interns like me to digitize and care for them. I work with the Robert Wilkinson, Jr., collection, which was donated by family members Ms. Linda Askey and Mr. Charles M. Askey, Jr. Wilkinson was a prominent photographer in the Augusta area from the 1940s-1980s. He worked a number of years for the
Augusta Chronicle
and captured thousands of pictures for community organizations, school yearbooks and passport images as well as pictures of special events in the CSRA. Below, I've highlighted a few of my favorites.
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In this picture from the Daniel Field tower, one can see the control tower equipment of from the 1940s. Outside the window, a Delta Air Lines DC 3 is meeting a fuel truck.
The image was taken on May 18, 1948. one week before a flight contest, hosted by Augusta School of Aviation at Daniel Field. Over $1,000.00 in prizes were to be awarded to the best pilots.
Through the 1950s and into the
early 1960s, city of Augusta proudly held an annual Masters parade to celebrate the upcoming tournament week. In this photo from April 5, 1960, thousands of people lined Broad Street in 60 degree temperatures in order to witness the extravaganza of bands, floats, and beauty queens.
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A Georgia & Florida railroad locomotive derail four miles south of Augusta on an October morning in 1948. Railroad officials believed the cause was sabotage. A block of wood driven into a switch was what sent the locomotive and nine loaded freight cars into the ground. Fortunately, there were no injuries.
As I continue working through the collection, I have found more and more extraordinary stories captured by Wilkinson. His career can teach us so much about the history of the CSRA. I am excited to see what I find next!
Will Dangerfield, Intern for the Robert Wilkinson Photography Studio Collection
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Fitz-Symms Collection: New Sport Discoveries
Collection donated in Memory of Robert Symms by Kirk and Lora Baxley
Morgan Fitz and Robert Symms photography collection contains approximately 23,680 envelopes comprising of about 800,000 negatives of the history in the Augusta area from the 1940's to the 1980's. In order to preserve and process these negatives, they must all be scanned, rehoused, and digitalized. The Fitz-Symms collection was donated in memory of Robert Symms by Kirk and Lora Baxley in 2014 and has been a huge research contribution to regional history. Here are a few new sport discoveries from the archive collection.
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Colonial Golf Club, April 7, 1962
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There have been numerous golf tournaments held in the region over years, one in particular happens the first full week in April every year since 1934. On April 7, 1962, the Colonial Golf Club arrived at the Bush Field Airport, now known as the Augusta Regional Airport, Bush Field, in Augusta on an American Airline flight to attend the Masters Tournament.
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Jennings Stadium Exterior
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Jennings Stadium, also known as
"The Old Jenny" or the Municipal Stadium, was a South Atlantic League baseball stadium that was built in 1928 and was home to many different professional baseball teams. The stadium was formerly located on 15th Street and Walton Way in Allen Park, where the Augusta University Medical College is located today. Morgan Fitz took photographs of Jennings Stadium on March 4, 1954 in order to show its run down conditions for reconstruction. Jennings Stadium was abandoned by professional baseball during the depression until 1936 and also from 1959 to 1962 when the Southern League shut down operations. After the end of the season in 1963, Jennings Stadium was demolished and Augusta was without professional baseball until the Heaton Stadium was built in 1988, which was later remodeled in 1994 as the new Lake Olmstead Stadium that we all know today.
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Masters Bowling Lanes
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The Golden Age of Bowling was from the 1940's to the 1960's and was very popular in Augusta. Morgan Fitz and Robert Symms were involved with all the local bowling leagues and tournaments, especially at the Masters Bowling Lanes, taking photographs during the games and of the winning teams. Many different men, women, and co-ed teams participated in bowling games that were primarily held at this bowling alley.
Cari Warren, Intern
for the Fitz-Symms Photography Collection
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Internships are the new entry level jobs in the museum world. Young professionals looking to start a career in public history find that all full-time and most part-time positions require a Masters in History or a related field, and a minimum of 2-5 years of experience-and summer internships don't count. These positions aren't high level directorships or departmental managers; they are for positions like assistant to the assistant collections manager. Such hurdles make entering the field nearly impossible.
For me, this is where the Augusta Museum of History Internship Program came into play. After I graduated with a Master's Degree in public history in 2014 I thought I would get a museum job in no time. I was wrong. Even with several internships at places like Historic Deerfield and Colonial Williamsburg on my resume I struggled with the job search for a year. During this time I volunteered at the Augusta Museum of History which led to a paid internship opportunity that I excitedly accepted.
Since accepting the position in January 2015 my primary job has been to process the Fitz-Symms Photography Studio Collection. This involves creating finding aids, scanning, rehousing, and creating digital content for approximately 800,000 negatives. However, in the past year I have done more than simply process the Fitz-Symms collection. I have cleaned exhibits, moved artifacts, worked events, written grants, and even curated two small exhibits. I have been trusted to work independently and valued as a member of the team. The flexibility and trust that come with the Museum's internship program make it truly unique. Most internships allow the participant to complete one specific, short-term project under intense supervision. The Fitz-Symms internship, however, is a long-term project that provides other opportunities for growth and leadership.
The experience I gained through my time at the Museum, mirrors that of an "entry-level" museum employee with 2-5 years' professional experience. This opened the door for me to successfully pursue my passion and land a full-time job at another nationally accredited museum. The value of this internship program cannot be overstated. It provides the ladder over the barrier of museum employment and provides participants with a truly unique opportunity to participate in all levels of museum work.
By Lauren Fleming
Previous Collection Assistant/Intern
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