YES IT’S TRUE . NEW THINGS are happening all around us, and we expect that will be the case in the exciting months to come. New affiliations, new canal walks, new mascots, new building buzz, and more!
EXCITING NEWS arrived on the day of our Annual Meeting of the Board of Trustees. ATHM has become an Affiliate of the SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION , and this prestigious accord will allow us to collaborate on a number of different levels in association with the Smithsonian Institution. We are eager to expand our relationship with such an esteemed institution which, like us, holds a great collection of artifacts of great historical significance. America is a great country, and we are pleased to be telling stories of its history in association with the Smithsonian Institution.
At the Board meeting, the leaders of CAMPAIGN for the AMERICAN TEXTILE HISTORY MUSEUM were honored for their outstanding work in guiding the campaign to 97.5% of its goal. We have now raised $3.75 million of the $3.9 million ($4.75 million of $4.9 million when the Maine Community Foundation’s $1 million match is included). Pictured left to right are campaign co-chair Ruth Ward, Marisa Tescione Fagan of the Advancement Department, Linda Carpenter, Advancement Director, Campaign Co-chair and Board of Trustees Chairman Ken McAvoy, and yours truly, ATHM President Jim Coleman. Also recognized were honorary chairs Ed Stevens and Sam Rogers.
THE BIDS ARE IN! Yes, the bids are in from the 3 remaining general contractors who placed bids on the building phase of the construction for the renovated core exhibit, TEXTILE REVOLUTION – AN EXPLORATION THROUGH SPACE AND TIME . Bid due diligence is now underway, which will shortly lead to contractor selection and construction. I’m already practicing heaving my sledge hammer for the demo phase!
ATHM has been interviewing candidates for the position of Museum Mascot . I was so in awe of this happy go lucky sheep’s skills of persuasiveness, she won the job on the spot. The only problem is that since the sheep can only say baaaaaaaaaaaa, we don’t know her name. Consequently the search is underway to name our new best friend. If you’ve got an idea, e-mail me at jcoleman@athm.org.
ANOTHER NEW THING IS the construction taking place directly outside my window
My office overlooks the WESTERN CANAL looking to the South, and looking to the East the confluence of the WESTERN, PAWTUCKET, HAMILTON, and MIDDLESEX canals at the SWAMP LOCKS. The NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK and the CITY of LOWELL are building a new canal walk along the WESTERN CANAL. A few pictures follow, which show the work along the canal that travels into the ACRE neighborhood. The bridge being removed used to be part of WORTHEN St. which ran through what is now the parking lot of ATHM.
I spent 30 years in the textile business and I thought I new a lot about textiles. I do. I did know that recycled plastic soda and water bottles were chopped up, cleaned and born anew as polyester fleece type garments and other textile products. Check it out at this link.
Do you know what dollar bills are made from? 75% cotton and 25% linen. The funny thing is that until just a short while ago the 75% cotton came from the cutting scraps of the process to make denim jeans. The company that makes the paper for US currency (Crane & Co.in Dalton, MA) has to stop using the cuttings because of another miricle of the textile industry, SPANDEX! Now would'nt you think our governement would want a dollar bill that could be stretched in new ways? I guess not. Check it out at the following link. Scroll down to "Currency Production"
One of the most special events of the year at the American Textile History Museum took place Friday evening March 28th at the Museum's Gazebo Cafe, the 2008 President's Dinner.
The evening was a celebration to honor those special supporters of the Museum who give so much because they deeply believe in the importance of textile history and what ATHM represents.
These caring people unselfishly give their time, their money and their spirit to perpetuate what began more than 200 years ago with revolutionary Americans.
They are in many respects the hearts and the souls of textiles.
The Museum would not exist without them.
We thank them and celebrate them.
Bill Gannett, Karl Spilhaus and Les Regenbogen
Sue Bunker, Fred Ward and Jane Dumais
Chris Rogers and Mary Stevens
Peggy Regenbogen and Connie Spilhaus
David Kroneberg, Bill Gannett and Craig Huff
John and Catherine Goodwin
Patrick & Kathleen Connerty
Nancy & Mike Oldershaw with Ruth Ward
Barbara Thun and Larry Ardito
Kim and Ted Anderson
Marisa Fagan Tescione, Linda Carpenter and Karen Herbaugh
Peg Coleman, Sue Bunker and Franki Kelly
Jim Coleman and Leonard Smith share a story
Michael & Anne Putziger
Win and Pauline Duke
Ed and Andy Stevens
Richard and Jane Dumais
Ann Huff and Nancy Gannett
David and Barbara Thun
Jim Coleman a lighter moment
Sam Rogers receives the Presidents Award for his long and unwavering support to the Museum
Nina Rogers, Sam Rogers, Chris Rogers and Jim Coleman celebrate Sam's award
THANK YOU SAM FOR YOUR MORE THAN 39 YEARS OF ENTHUSIASM, LEADERSHIP AND GENEROSITY.
Thank you for letting us see what our boys are working at on the Lowell end of your project. It all makes it easier for us to understand the work they are doing for you. Hopefully, next year we can visit the Carolina spot. Good luck!! Hass & bette Ramsey
HARRIE SCHOOTS Monday, March 24, 2008, 03:54 PM
Great Jim! This blog is the missing link, just what we need to follow along in the Museum's progress to the future. I'll be sure to share it with my contact list...Good Luck!
Best Regards,
Harrie
JOHN S Friday, March 21, 2008, 11:20 AM
I was glad to read that you guys are not closing down but will open up renewed this summer. I was there for a couple of shows and though they were great, especially Dianas dresses. I went through the main exhibit a couple of times and while it was nice I didn't feel any need to go back as it was the same. It sounds llike things will be different when you open again. What's going to happen with the Gazebo?I liked that too.
Ah spring, now fully one week into spring and as we look out our window here in Lowell at the Swamp Locks
we see that Old Man Winter isn't quite ready to give up yet. That's not really a problem as we move from our wonderfully heated houses into our warm cars to our comfortable offices but to try to imagine what it was like back in the days when the canal system was built. A very different story. A remarkable achievement!
The canal system evolved from its beginnings in 1821, when the Boston Associates purchased the old Pawtucket transportation canal in what was then East Chelmsford. They initially used the Pawtucket as a feeder canal to channel water into new power canals. Just above Swamp Locks, the Merrimack, Western, and Hamilton canals branched off, taking water to the Merrimack, Lowell, Tremont, Suffolk, Lawrence, Hamilton, and Appleton mills. That's exactly where our Museum sits just above the Swamp Locks looking at the merging of those 3 canals.
While their achievements were remarkable we believe our will be too. The core of our design team (the germs) marches on to our design finish line and soon it will be hammers, nails, lights, cameras and action. Here we are (top to bottom right side first) Director of Interpretation Diane Fagan Affleck, Textile Curator Karen Herbaugh, Director of Education Sue Bunker, Museum teacher Kathy Hirbour, yours truly Museum Director/President Jim Coleman, Museum Design Architect Doug Mund and Development Director Linda Carpenter. The discussion taking place at this time centered on special sections around the Museum with interactives geared for 3 to 8 year olds.
Just after the meeting we all checked out the conservation work being carried out by conservator Deborah Bede
While Doug Mund and Karen Herbaugh took a close up look at one of the garments under preparation for the renovated exhibit
While the garments are being prepared for the exhibit they will be specially displayed this evening during our Presidents Dinner which honors our most steadfast supporters. A close up look at some of these garments shows a very dapper waistcoat/vest from the early 19th century
A green & black ribbed silk dress from about 1910
and a snappy looking exercise suit from about 1920. I bet you can just picture yourself working out in it. Remember there was no Lycra/Spandex back then!
To show that it's not all work and no play the gang had a surprise shower for Stephanie Hebert who will leave us in not so long a time to have her first child. Stephanie has been working on a variety of textile projects in her time here and plans to rejoin us in a few months as our part time registrar.
Finally to show that while we do have fun we do work very hard for this Museum and the things it represents, Diane Fagan Affleck collapses after another long day working to see that the Museum does reach its goals.
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