Summer Interns 2011

The Museum Division has five new interns working on various collections projects during the summer of 2011. Sara Schneider and Amanda Strobel began their first day yesterday, working on various collections.

Sara has been assigned to work on W.P.A. theatre costumes that were made during the 1930's for various Milwaukee schools and theatre groups.

Amanda will be tackling the daunting task of cataloging over 500 World War II posters. Topics such as espionage, rationing, and bond drives are just a few of the programs that were promoted by the government during the war.

Welcome Sara and Amanda!!

New Intern!

As Curator of Collections, newsletter editor and much more, it is difficult to find time to update this blog, but much has gone on at MCHS since my last post.

MCHS is pleased to have Will Tchakirides, a graduate student from American University in Washington D.C. as a collections intern for the summer.

Will is assisting with cataloging our Brewery collection as a whole, in preparation for a potential exhibition on the topic sometime in 2010.

The Deaccessioning process has begun in the collections department as well. As a whole, the Society has collected items outside its collecting policy since its formation in 1935 and the time has come to remove objects that no longer fit the mission of the Historical Society. As summer progresses, I will keep you update on both projects.

Behind-the-Scenes Tours!!!!

Hi all,

Tonight, MCHS is serving as a "warming station" for those in Pere Marquette Park and citizens gather to witness the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony.

When people come in to get warm, I am offering $5 Behind-the-Scenes tours to anyone who is interested, with parties up to ten people. Steve Daily, our Curator of the Research Library will be promoting his trivia game, Miliwaukee: All About Town, by testing your knowledge of Milwaukee triva by reading off questions and demonstrating how the game is played.

We'll be here from 5:30 to 7! Come on down!!!

Care of Textiles I at the Campbell Center

Last week, I ventured to Mt. Carroll, Illinois to attend a conservation workshop, Care of Textiles I at the Campbell Center for Historic Preservation.

Earlier this summer, I had attended Care of Furniture and Wooden Objects, so this was my second visit.

Situated on the grounds of a former woman's college, the Campbell Center has been devoted to historic preservation since 1980, which brings conservators and museum professionals from all over the conuntry to rural Mt. Carroll.

Becuase of the class' size (there were only five of us), there was the opportunity to much hands-on learning and instruction from our instructor, Harold Mailand who is a textile conservator from Indianapolis.

So, what did I learn?

1. Fiber Identification: By using a microscope, we studied different fiber structures to differentiate between the four main fiber types: wool, flax, silk and cotton.

2. Fabric patterns: By looking at the weave structure of fibers under a microscope, I can now identify between satin, plain and twill weaves. We also learned about more complex fabrics and differing manufacturing methods.

3. Textile Care/Storage: Most of this was a refresher for me, since I had already learned most of the information in graduate school. But I found out about the amazing properties of Abaca, a soft fabric that can be used to pad textiles that are fragile, or prone to tearing, like metallic silk.

4. Stitching: This was the most eye-opening for me. Sewing was a foreign concept to me, but after this class, I feel like a master! I master the running, back, blind and button-hole stitches.

For our final project, we were given a textile from the center's collection and tasked with identifying its fibers, agents of deterioration and to make recommendations in terms of storage and exhibition. All in all, it was a worthwhile class and journey and I'm looking forward to setting up a textile/furniture lab in our new warehouse space!

This is a photo of our class. Our instructor, Harold is to the right of me.

Welcome!!

Welcome to the first blog of the Milwaukee County Historical Society.

Its purpose is to bring MCHS into the 21st century by reaching out to its membership and visitors by utilizing relatively new technology, like a blog to inform the public of our misson, programs, exhibitions and the like.

Enjoy the treasures that we uncover and the activities that keep MCHS vibrant!

Comments are welcome.