Grant to fund conservation of 18 BS Museum broadsides

   In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the best way to communicate information was through print media. The bold face type fonts printed on large sheets of paper were called, broadsides. Big Springs Museum of Caledonia was recently awarded a $5,625 conservation treatment grant for 18 printed broadsides currently in their collection. The funding comes from the Lower Hudson Conference of Historical Agencies and Museums in association with the Museum Program of the NY State council on the Arts.

   Printed on one side of the paper and hung in and outside of buildings such as taverns, churches and town squares, a broadside of the early 1900’s was intended to advertise a current event such as a vaudeville show, an auction, a meeting or a service for hire. Many times they were used to garner support for political activities taking place. They were not intended to survive the elements of time. Still, many of them did and are now housed in historical museums across the country. Jean Guthrie, former BS Museum Historical president and current grant writer for the organization, says preserving broadsides is important because so much history can be learned from them.

   "Broadsides help us to place actual people in specific periods of time," Guthrie commented.

   An historian wrote that "broadsides speak to the concerns and conditions of everyday living experienced by past generations of everyday people." For example, one of the broadsides in the BS Museum collection is an advertisement looking for an elocutionist, not a commonly used word of today.

   "Elocutionist, when is the last time you read that on a resume?" Guthrie laughed.

   An elocutionist is a person who demonstrates the art of public speaking with emphasis on gesture, vocal production and delivery. The person selected as the elocutionist would also become part of an upcoming show that was to take place in Menzie’s Hall, according to the broadside. From this broadside, one can learn what occupations were popular during that time period, how people of that period were entertained and what buildings and places of interest existed within the community, Guthrie pointed out.

   The broadsides are an important part of the educational program offered by BS Museum. Conservation of early 20th century printed broadsides, such as those housed at the BS Museum, positively impacts public interpretive programs, exhibitions and education, but is a very expensive project for small non-profit museums to undertake. Guthrie says the BS Museum would not be able to complete such a project without the funding being provided by the conservation treatment grant. The Lower Hudson Conference strives to fund conservation projects of the highest professional level. Paper conservator Gary E. Albright will perform the conservation work on the BS Museum broadside collection.

   In evaluating the impact of past conservation treatment grants, it was reported that these grants reached far beyond the actual conservation of the museum objects and heightened appreciation and public awareness of the museums, their collections and their role in educating the public about art, history, conservation and museum work. The BS Museum award is one of 22 awards presented to institutions throughout New York State and totaling $111,030. The Genesee Country Village and Museum received a $4,356 grant for conservation treatment of the 1830 oil portrait of Polly Smith. The LeRoy Historical Society received a $2,244 grant for conservation treatment of the 19th century oil painting Dr. John Cleveland in his Carriage and its frame.

 

Former BS Museum and Historical Society President Jean Guthrie says there is much to be learned from reading the words on these broadsides located on the walls leading to the museum’s second floor. The Lower Hudson Conference approved her request for funding to conserve the museum’s collection of 18 broadsides.