Tales from the museum’s ‘vault’: Secrets hidden in history museum’s collections will be disclosed at lecture
By DAILY CHRONICLE
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| Pictured here is one of the mystery items from the Sycamore History Museum’s collections to be featured during the Nov. 5 Brown Bag lunch lecture, which will be held at the Sycamore Center, 308 W. State St.
(Provided photo.) |
Many people enjoy visiting museums. However, most do not realize that usually only a quarter of a museum’s collection is on display. During its November Brown Bag Lunch, the Sycamore History Museum will show selected items in its collection, share stories connected to these items and explain the proper ways to store these types of treasures.
“This is a great opportunity to show some gems in our collection,” Michelle Donahoe, Executive Director at the Sycamore History Museum, said in a recent news release. “Every week we accept a wide variety of interesting items related to our community’s history.
“I am looking forward to talking about these artifacts and helping people understand that we collect items connected to businesses, schools, events, but also things that reflect everyday life,” she said.
During “Inside the Collections at the Sycamore History Museum,” the audience will be encouraged to ask questions about protecting family heirlooms. The program will address how the Museum’s mission is not only to collecting Sycamore history, but also preserving it for future generations.
Brown Bag Lunches are held at noon the first Thursday on the month
On Nov. 5, the lunchtime lecture will be held at the Sycamore Center, 308 W. State St. in the basement, not at the Sycamore History Museum. The program is free and open to the public; donations are welcome. Coffee and cookies will be provided.
Museum to host no-walking, indoor, ‘encore performance’ of Cemetery Walk
Sycamore History Museum’s Annual Cemetery Walk was held in early October.
People who didn’t visit Elmwood Cemetery have another opportunity to discover interesting stories about Sycamore’s history. Unlike the original program, the presentation on Nov. 3 will be conducted inside, at the American National Bank.
“Last year it rained during the Cemetery Walk. Although we had over 50 people attend, we thought the rain scared away many others,” Michelle Donahoe, the museum’s excutive director, said in a recent news release. “So, we offered an encore performance. It was a great evening program. Since the audience was sitting down and enjoying a cup of coffee and some cookies, there were more questions and more of a dialogue with the presenters. This year, we decided to follow the same format – the first program at the cemetery and the second one inside.”
This year’s Cemetery Walk program features several people: Marshall Stark, the John William Salter family, John N.O. Briggs, the John Chatfield Sr. family, John Lindahl, along with the Elmwood Cemetery Mourning House and the Veteran’s Memorial Brick Project.
The program will begin at 7 p.m. in the lower level at the American National Bank, 1985 Bethany Road, Sycamore. Coffee and cookies will be provided.
The charge is $5 per person.
For additional information about either program, call 815-895-5762 or visit sycamorehistory.org.
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