Wistariahurst Museum
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Learn with the Curator
Please call the museum (413) 322-5660 for questions or to reserve a spot in the class.

Preserving your Documents and Photographs
TBA
Photographs are wonderful, mysterious things. Yet we have become so accustomed to them that we take them for granted. With every picture you take, you are freezing a moment in time. If we want to be able to enjoy those moments far into the future, we need to take some care in the handling and storage of those images. If we have family photos handed down from earlier generations, we have a responsibility to future generations to pass them on in as good condition as possible. Proper preservation of papers and other documents that make up a family history collection are equally as important as photos. They just tell us different information. These papers could be printouts from your computer, newspaper clippings, birth/death/marriage certificates, old report cards, mom's love letters, etc. A little bit of care is all that is needed and you'll greatly increase a document's longevity. After all, we want them to last so our descendants can enjoy them. Cost is $10.

Preserving your Heirlooms
TBA
There are several types of objects that need to be treated in different ways, depending on what material they are made of, to best preserve them. Though objects may not directly relate to our heritage, they do often have sentimental value that we wish to pass down to future generations. Cost is $10.

Preserving your Textiles
TBA
Textiles can be simple in structure and composition, or they can be composite objects incorporating materials like quills, beads, paints, bones, feathers and leather. Caring for textiles can be equally simple, if you know some basic facts. The deterioration of textiles is largely chemical: light, temperature, humidity, dust and pests have extreme affects on textiles. Cost is $10.