Beavering away in a corner on the second floor of the Mattapoisett Historical Society Museum’s church building are two industriously employed women – Elizabeth Hutchison, museum curator, and Lenora Robinson, preservationist.
The sheer volume of work that they have undertaken cannot be overstated. It is massive in scope. Yet together, they are chipping away at inventorying the vast array of archival materials like a two-person army.
It was clear to Hutchison that immediate attention had to be given to cataloging every item in the museum collection, which contains everything from antique articles of clothing to theater programs and personal diaries. Although some cataloging had been done over the years, advances in technology now allow more accurate record keeping and easier sharing of historical information via the Internet.
Robinson has a library science degree and also studied archiving and preservation. A New Bedford native, she lives Westport where she has worked as a museum volunteer for two years, while also volunteering at the New Bedford Whaling Museum.
“I’m making my way up the coast,” said Robinson with a shy chuckle.
For some weeks now, she has worked part-time in Mattapoisett with grant monies secured from the Town’s Community Preservation fund.
“If it was just me doing all this work, it would take ten to fifteen years,” said Hutchison. But thanks to the CPC, she was able to hire Robinson and purchase the right type of storage materials for the sensitive fabrics and papers. She estimates that the entire cataloging project will take anywhere from three to five years with part-time hours.
Acid-free archival storage cartons, acid-free tissue paper, and metal shelving units, along with a modest hourly rate for Robinson, have thus far totaled $7306. Hutchison has recently applied for an additional $20,000 from the CPC to continue the project.
And not to be forgotten are the docents who put their willing shoulders to projects such as these. Primarily utilized in the summer months to free Hutchison to do the numerous management-level tasks the museum requires of her time, the docents were instrumental in helping to catalog and place fabrics and clothing items into museum quality containers. All cloth items are stored in an environmentally-controlled storage unit.
“The museum isn’t the best place for them,” said Hutchison.
Robinson has been busy checking old cataloging records, filling in gaps in record keeping, and whittling away at placing every item in the collection into a computer database. Hutchison said that via the Internet, researchers will be able to view the museum’s collections.
And new materials are arriving all the time. The museum recently received a huge turn-of-the-century map of Route 6 from the Marion town line to Fairhaven. Unrolled, it measures over 20-feet long.
Hutchison said that this whole cataloging process has allowed her to put “hands on” the museum’s pieces. This is a type of inventory taking done in museums that allows the curators to check the condition, wear and tear of items, and keep track of things in a schematic uniform methodology.
She opened an archival container and revealed a Bible that was recently donated to the museum.
“See, it’s falling apart,” she said. As she slowly opened the cover, a small piece of the leather came off in her hand. “Animal products deteriorate fast.”
To that I say, “Ain’t that the truth.”
Mattapoisett’s Historical Society Museum is now officially closed for the season. It will reopen in late June. However, Hutchison is available Monday – Thursday from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm and you may call 508-758-2844 to schedule a visit.
By Marilou Newell
