#Museum Of #FarmingtonNH #History Curator Update

History is a cycle, like most things in the natural and man-made world. I've been the curator for the Farmington Historical Society and the Museum of Farmington History for almost a decade now and I have had a great time working in this position and advocating for the protection of the diverse collection of thousands of documents, photos, and artifacts that span many eras and disciplines in North American history and encompass treasures of local, regional, and national value. 

My husband and I are nearing retirement and we have decided to move the next chapter of our lives to a different area. This means I won't be able to act and advocate in quite the same way for the Society or work in the museum in quite the same way. The Board has decided to allow me to work remotely for them once I'm not longer in Farmington, and continue my digitization efforts in the online museum.
 
As curator of the Farmington Historical Society and the Museum of Farmington History it has always been my mission to not only preserve the stories of the town and artifacts for future generations to enjoy, but to make our history accessible to our citizens for the 21st century. I've always thought it was important to get them excited about our town’s future by learning about our rich past, the determined people of our town, and the many narratives woven into the art, photographs, costumes, tools, and scientific representations in our collection. 
 
When I started, not many people knew much about our collection, but, I think that has changed. For history to be relevant in the 21st century, the people who want to learn about history need to connect to it. I think one of the best ways we have to connect, is to bring history to life by broadening exposure to it in both the physical realm and via various forms of digital recreation. That is one of the reasons I felt it important to develop office hours for the curator, redevelop the Farmington Historical Society website for the social media age, and build an online museum for cataloging and displaying our collections. The number of items you could see in the online in the museum was limited a first, but that number has grown to about six hundred items, as I've had time to add items to the online collection.
 
I've tried to to take care of your submissions in the most meaningful ways and protect donations to the best of my abilities. As a proud community member, I relished hearing and recording your stories. I hope you have found inspiration, solace, and perspective from the offerings and activities of the Farmington Historical Society and the Museum of Farmington History.
 
I would like to thank all all who helped me during my tenure. Having support from the community and direct aid from many local citizens has made my job much easier over the years.
 
I am honored to continue forward as a remote curator for the Museum of Farmington NH History. Until we are able to find a dedicated person to act as a local, on site curator, I will try to fulfill some of the obligations of that position, since I'm familiar with the responsibilities.
 
I would encourage you to donate items as you always have. Email communication may be slower than it has been. Currently, we audit email about once to twice per month. Research, identification, and general history inquiries during this time will be limited, so please adjust your expectations accordingly.  
 
Thank you for a wonderful experience! 

 


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