June - December, 2005 ~~~ Freeport
The Freeport Historical Society is celebrating 30 years as stewards of Pettengill Farm, a nineteenth-century salt-water farm located on the estuary of the Harraseeket River. The celebration, A Window Through Time: Pettengill Farm & The Soul of New England, includes an exhibit with a catalog, two workshops, and an open house. The exhibit combines contemporary black and white photographs of the farm, taken by fine art photographer John G. Kelley, with historic images and artifacts selected from the Society's collections. It opened on June 15 with a reception and book-signing, and will remain on display through December. Exhibit hours are Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 10-2:30 p.m. and Wednesday 10-7 p.m.
August - December, 2005 ~~~ Farmington
The Remnant Trust is an educational foundation with a growing collection of original and first edition works dealing with the topics of liberty and dignity. True to their guiding mission that "great ideas belong to everyone," the Trust loans the collection on the condition that all materials be available for the public to read and touch. This fall, the University of Maine at Farmington's Mantor Library brings 48 documents from the Remnant Trust to New England for the first time. The exhibition, entitled "Reading Revolutions: Great Minds, Great Thoughts," includes a copy of the Magna Carta, a first edition of Emerson's 1841 Essays (including "Self-Reliance"), and a first English edition of Plato's Republic (1763). A lecture series consisting of 14 presentations by University faculty and administrators will begin at 7 p.m. on August 31 and continue on Wednesday nights throughout the semester. All events are free and open to the public. For more information, please call the Mantor Library at (207) 778-7210 or visit hua.umf.maine.edu/Reading_Revolutions.
December 11, 2005 ~~~ Brunswick
Using period maps, photos, and ephemera, the Pejepscot Historical Society has produced a 30-minute DVD tour of Merrymeeting Park, a trolley amusement park that operated in Brunswick between 1898 and 1908. The visuals are enhanced by a soundtrack of historically accurate music and readings of period newspaper articles. The DVD title, "Sunday in the Park with Nellie," combines references to the Stephen Sondheim musical "Sunday in the Park with George" and to the 1904 Harry Von Tilzer song, "Wait 'Til the Sun Shines, Nellie." The completed DVD is now available at local libraries and for purchase at the Historical Society; please call (207) 729-6606 to obtain a copy. The film will premiere at the Historical Society on December 11, 2005, with a screening at 1 p.m. and a reception to follow. Refreshments will be served. Admission is $5 ($3 for PHS members).
January - May, 2006 ~~~ Hinckley
Between January and May 2006, the Central Kennebec Heritage Council sponsor three hands-on workshops for its member museums along the Kennebec-Chaudière Heritage Corridor. The three programs have been designed to address diverse aspects of exhibit preparation, from label writing to acid-free materials to affordable mounts and displays. Although the workshops are intended mainly for an audience of museum staff and volunteers, they will be open to the public. If you are interested in attending, please contact Deborah Staber at the L.C. Bates Museum in Hinckley, (207) 238-4250 or lcbates@gwh.org.