may 2017 Museletter IGNITE y our curiosity . DISC OVER y our st ory . From the CSPM Collection
may 2017 Museletter IGNITE your curiosity. DISCOVER your story. Annual Luncheon The Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum (CSPM) held its Annual Luncheon at the historic Cheyenne Mountain Country Club last Saturday. More than 70 museum supporters gathered and were afforded a behind the scenes look at the community-curated Promoting Patriotism: World War I in Colorado Springs exhibit, which opened at the beginning of April. Promoting Patriotism: WWI in Colorado Springs commemorates the 100th anniversary of America’s entry into “The Great War” and explores how Colorado Springs supported the war efforts. As is tradition, the 36th Lucky Herzberger Award for outstanding service to the museum was presented to Dr. John Harner, University of Colorado Colorado Springs Professor of Geography, and Kevin Knapp, President & Founder of Tierra Plan, for their tireless efforts in bringing The Story of Us exhibit to reality. While on sabbatical five years ago, Dr. Harner was performing research in CSPM’s archives for a book he was planning to write. During this time, the CSPM staff was constructing the Any Place North and West: African Americans in Colorado Springs exhibit, and the CSPM staff collaborated with Dr. Harner to develop a Colorado Springs map showing historic African American residences in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This small, joint project paved the way for a new mode of thinking about the museum’s role in presenting the community’s history and geography to inform civic engagement and provide context for deeper cultural connections. It is this line of thinking Matt Mayberry with Dr. John Harner and Kevin Knapp, 2016 Lucky Herzberger Award Winners that led to The Story of Us concept of marrying history with geography and technology. Out of that project, Dr. Harner connected the museum with Kevin Knapp of Tierra Plan to create the technology platform which powers The Story of Us. CSPM is indebted to Dr. Harner and Kevin Knapp for their dedicated service to CSPM. pg. 2
In an ongoing effort to tell new stories in different ways, the CSPM exhibits team partners with individuals and organizations to create community-curated exhibits in our Museum Experience Gallery. Utilizing an innovative and collaborative approach, we invite community members to help examine and interpret Pikes Peak regional history. Leah Davis Witherow, CSPM Curator of History, described how CSPM developed Promoting Patriotism: WWI in Colorado Springs around the communitycurated model and involved Fountain Valley School (FVS) faculty and students in shaping of the exhibit. After orientation and a background lecture on WWI, students considered the “Forgotten War’s” impact by examining WWI posters from CSPM’s collection. They spent the next week consulting primary and secondary sources about wartime propaganda in order to conduct analysis and From the CSPM Collection interpretation. As a result, each student “adopted” a poster and was solely responsible for an object label of approximately 300 words. Then, Jake Emery, FVS Dean of Students, and Vinay Merchant and Julia Strickler, FVS students, shared their experiences working with CSPM staff to curate the exhibit. The students explained their “behind the scenes” opportunities to learn about museum work and how CSPM preserves and shares our community’s history. In addition, the students remarked how the connections to messages communicated in the posters from 100 years ago remain relevant today. In the future, CSPM looks forward to providing this opportunity to other age groups and schools. Next, Jennifer McGlinchey Sexton detailed the conservation work she performed on the WWI posters from CSPM’s collection to prepare them to be displayed in the gallery. The four original posters currently being displayed have been stabilized, but many of the posters need considerable amounts of professional conservation treatments to preserve them for future generations. For more information on the conservation efforts, please see the article on pages 5-6. To wrap up the program, Darryl Thatcher and Matt Mayberry unveiled CSPM’s Clock Tower Society to recognize those museum donors who give most generously. Clock Tower Society members give annually at or above $1,000 for three consecutive years. These sustaining gifts will allow CSPM to achieve Vision 2023’s ambitious goals, which are increasing the museum’s financial strength, providing a quality client experience and raising the museum’s brand awareness. pg. 3
In addition, the donations will support CSPM’s efforts to develop and offer dynamic, relevant exhibits and programs for visitors to gain a better understanding of their community through gaining a better understanding of the region’s history and culture. Clock Tower Society members will be part of a distinguished group designed to ensure a bright future for CSPM. The Clock Tower Society entitles people to receive a number of exclusive benefits and privileges, including invitations to special events, receptions, personal tours and insider updates. The museum is hosting an inaugural Clock Tower Society reception on Thursday, May 18th at 5:30 PM. Please contact Lance James, Development Director, at 385.5633 or ljames@springsgov.com to sign a commitment form or with any questions. Finally, a big thank you to Terry and Darryl Thatcher for hosting the luncheon again this year at the Cheyenne Mountain Country Club! Vinay Merchant and Julia Strickler share their findings Jennifer McGlinchey Sexton describes the conservation efforts Inasmuch Foundation Partner Spotlight pg. 4
Mark Your Calendar..... PIKES PEAK REGIONAL HISTORY LECTURE SERIES “BOOZERS, BROTHELS AND BARE KNUCKLE BRAWLERS: THE TALE OF BUFFALO BILL’S LITTLE KNOWN BUSINESS PARTNER” Presented by Kellen Cutsforth Saturday, May 13th (2:00pm – 3:00pm) Take a journey back in time with wealthy young Englishman, Evelyn Booth, and his scoundrel companions as they trek through the States during the halcyon days of America’s infamous Gilded Age. Follow these cohorts on various adventures and rub elbows with famous scout and entertainer, Buffalo Bill Cody, as they become business partners in one of the west’s greatest enterprises, Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show. YOUNG CHAUTAUQUA EXPERIENCE Saturday, May 13th (10:00am - 12:00pm) Young Chautauqua brings history to life for students and their audiences. Join students from Eagleview and Manitou Middle Schools as they educate and entertain with authentic, first-person portrayls of their chosen character. This presentation is free and open to the public! CHILDREN’S HISTORY HOUR - THE WISHING TREE Wednesday, May 17th & Saturday, May 27th (10:30am - 11:30am) Colorado Springs is home to Fort Carson, Peterson Air Force Base, the Air Force Academy and more. The military is part of our community’s story. We will read “The Wishing Tree,” a story about a young girl whose dad is deployed. We’ll also learn the stories of William Jackson Palmer and Zebulon Pike, two military figures from local history. Finally, let’s make our own wishing tree to share our wishes for our families and friends! Please RSVP for these events at: http://www.cspm.org/rsvp-for-an-event/ pg. 5
Did You Know? Preserving History, One Piece or Poster at a Time By: Leah Witherow CSPM Curator of Hitsory May is National Historic Preservation Month. A time when museums, libraries and cultural institutions around the country highlight the importance of preserving historic buildings, spaces and objects that are meaningful to their communities. CSPM is proud to collect, preserve and share a vast archive that documents Pikes Peak regional history. The museum cares for more than 80,000 historic photographs and 6,500 cubic feet of manuscripts, cartographic materials, ephemera and papers. The primary goal is to preserve these materials into perpetuity so that future generations will continue to find relevance in them. To preserve collections long term, museum staffers rehouse items in archival sleeves and boxes as appropriate and monitor the temperature and humidity of storage areas to ensure stable climatic conditions. From the CSPM Collection CSPM exercises best practices for collections care and wears gloves while handling objects. Preservation is an ongoing practice and is a central consideration during all of the museum’s work. pg. 6
Occasionally, collection objects need the specialized care and attention only a trained conservator can provide. Conservators clean, stabilize and repair objects using chemical and physical tests to determine the age and make up of specific artifacts. When paper objects in our collection need conservation, CSPM contacts local experts like Jennifer McGlinchey Sexton, who recently stabilized four WWI posters for our exhibit: Promoting Patriotism: WWI in Colorado Springs. The ephemeral nature of posters dictates that they are often discarded or heavily damaged after use. Posters and broadsides are typically soiled, ripped or marred with adhesives. The WWI posters’ in the collection are no exception. McGlinchey Sexton cleaned the posters, removed tape, aligned folded areas and tears and lined the posters with Japanese paper to stabilize them. Finally, she delicately in-painted the posters to reduce the appearance of any missing pieces. This painstaking work is important, and CSPM is grateful to have expert conservators in our area to help care for the collections. However, professional conservation is expensive. If you are interested in helping CSPM preserve these priceless pieces of history, please contact Leah Davis Witherow,Museum Curator of History at lwitherow@ springsgov.com or 385-5649 for more information. Thank you! From the CSPM Collection CHECK THIS OUT! Stop by the museum store and see the new custom designed ornament showcasing the beautiful Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum! This keepsake of the “downtown jewel” sells for $20.00 and can only be purchased at the museum store. The store now has lovely handcrafted tea cup silk flower arrangements, perfect for Mother’s Day or any special occasion. * The museum store is now looking for volunteers. Store volunteers receive a 20% discount, free parking and the benefit of visiting with people worldwide. Interested? Contact Meg Poole at 385-5631. pg. 7
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT! Photo of Sherri Haynie On April 5, CSPM celebrated the contributions of 122 volunteers at the Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast. Each year the staff selects the Volunteer of the Year. The 2017 recipient, Sherri Haynie, has served CSPM for more than 12 years. She started as a Museum Store volunteer and quickly led tours as a docent. Her engaging personality and educational background makes it easy for her to connect with museum visitors. Recently, she agreed to serve on the CSPM Programs Committee. While on the committee, she contacted many historic community restaurants and planned a panel discussion. Different restaurant representatives shared stories about their businesses, which created a successful and meaningful program meeting CSPM’s mission. Haynie reflected on her museum experiences: “I began volunteering after I quit teaching because I knew I wanted to help out locally. Being a native, I wanted to learn more about local history. I have volunteered in different capacities because I love the museum. It has changed so dramatically in the last five years, and I love working with both staff and visitors. My favorite volunteer role is touring adult groups. It’s great to educate museum visitors and see them become as interested in our history as I am. I also enjoy hearing stories of their relatives and their experiences here. One of my favorite events was the restaurant panel. It was so terrific to work with the historic restaurants and hear their stories and taste their food! Volunteering is an essential part of the American Way. So many organizations wouldn’t function without volunteers. It’s an important and necessary part of life. In my classrooms, I used to make each parent volunteer somewhere. Volunteering not only is great for the organization in which one is serves but it teaches so much to the individual giving of their time and talents. I am glad that high school graduation requirements include volunteerism. It fosters lifelong learners. Just think of what we could attain if everyone in America volunteered for at least one organization! When I’m not at the museum, I’m either volunteering at church, watching my grandsons or giving tours of the Pikes Peak region. I also like to shop at consignment stores, antique shops and estate sales.” Thank you Sherri for your contributions to the museum. Congratulations on receiving the 2016 Volunteer of the Year! Interested in Volunteering? Visit our website to find out how you can help: http://www.cspm.org/support/volunteers-corp/ pg. 8
Happenings at the Museum Volunteer Breakfast In April, the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum celebrated 7,617 hours of service that volunteers contributed in 2016 at the annual Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast! That’s the equivalent of 3.6 full time staff or a contribution worth $180,000 to the museum. Again, thank you to all our wonderful volunteers! Jim Wahl & John Orsborn Lisa Wheeler & Jeni Henson A group of volunteers enjoying fellowship at the breakfast. Swearing In Ceremony The newly elected members of Colorado Springs City Council were sworn in during a ceremony held in the historic Division I Courtroom on Tuesday, April 18th. CSPM was honored to host the ceremony as a reminder of the building’s original purpose serving as El Paso County’s Courthouse from 1903-1973 (photo credits - bluefoxphotography.com). Mayor John Suthers addresses the crowd before the newly elected City Council members are sworn in CSFD and CSPD Color Guard presents the colors Audience members look on pg. 9
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