Historical Societies: News and Highlights

AASLH in Canada

When the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) con­venes for its 43rd annual meeting in Vic­toria, British Columbia, October 4-7 [1983], historians, curators, conservators, pre­servationists, archivists, teachers, ad­ministrators, students and other individuals concerned with preserving and in­terpreting our heritage will be there. As many as 500 individuals will meet at the Empress Victoria hotel to learn about what’s going on in the history field in the U.S. and Canada, to “talk shop” and to visit historic sites in the area.

The AASLH will offer roundtable discussions in addition to traditional workshops, panel discussions and tours. Roundtable topics include raising funds; historical administration; using word processors in small museums; the relationship between the scholar, the museum and the community; developing a functional museum or historical agency building; working with handi­capped children; planning centennial celebrations: and organizing historical tours.

The twenty traditional sessions will include a pair of meetings on multicul­turaLism, with one focusing on exhibits in the Provincial Museum in Victoria and the other discussing the recently de­veloped national policy on collections relating to Canadian heritage. Another pair of sessions will deal with manage­ment issues – long range planning and fund-raising. Special social events in­clude the President’s Reception on the opening evening, a business luncheon and a final dinner. Tours of the Crystal Palace, the Executive Mansion and the Provincial Museum are scheduled as well.

The base fee for meeting registration, after September 1 [1983], is $90 (U.S.) for AASLH members and $110 (U.S.) for non-members. For some special events there will be an additional fee. To re­ceive a copy of the program and regis­tration information, write or call Patsy Clardy. Annual Meeting Coordinator, AASLH, 708 Berry Road, Nashville, TN 37204, (615) 383-5991.

Faces & Places

Faces & Places of Harrisburg is the main exhibit open to the public from September 12 to December 2 [1983], Monday through Friday, 1 to 4 P.M. at the Dau­phin County Historical Society in the Harris Mansion on Front Street in Har­risburg. This exciting exhibit features over seventy photographs that docu­ment the city in its 100 years of transi­tion between 1880 and 1980. Two smaller photographic essays will tour area malls from September onward, helping to present images of Harrisburg as a city of communities, a landscape or significant sites, a government and transportation center and a place of many memories.

For further information concerning the exhibit, the lecture series or other special events sponsored by the society and the Dauphin County Library Sys­tem, contact the Dauphin County His­torical Society, 219 South Front St., Harrisburg 17104, or telephone (717) 233-3462.

The Skin Side Out

The Westmoreland County Historical Society announced the premiere of a new program in its series “From the Skin Side Out.” What people wear or wore, from corsets and crinolines to capes and caps, reflects something about their occupations, ethnic heritage and social status. The new show, emi­tted “The New Republic: Our Feder­alist Heritage, 1790-1840” is the third in a series of five. The program, which re­cently won an award from the Pennsyl­vania Federation of Historical Societies, features authentic costume reproduc­tions copied from the society’s holdings and from museum and private collec­tions throughout the East.

All the shows feature live models and vignettes that illuminate the manners and mores of Pennsylvania society dur­ing a particular period. In addition, the fabric or at least one costume for each show has been handspun and hand­woven.

This new program is available to the public for a moderate donation to the society, with special rates for schools, clubs and senior citizens’ groups. For further information, contact Westmore­land County Historical Society, (412) 836-1800 or Gene Burger at 751-1764.

Genealogy Workshop

The Athens County Historical Society (Ohio) is holding a Genealogical Work­shop on research in southwestern Pennsylvania and southeastern Ohio counties on October 22, 1983.

Activities will run from 10 A.M. to 9 P.M., featuring lectures by Jean S. Morris and Caryn Shoemaker. Subjects to be covered include “The Use of the Published Pennsylvania Archives,” “Research in Southwestern Pennsylva­nia Counties” and “Research in Southeastern Ohio Counties.” There will also be a genealogical tour of Ohio Universi­ty’s Alden Library, the repository for county court records from southeast Ohio, and an informal evening conver­sation hour.

A registration fee of $15, which in­cludes a luncheon, is due by October I, 1983. Write “Workshop,” P.O. Box 423. Athens, OH 145701.

Federation Awards

As part of the annual proceedings of the Pennsylvania Federation of Historical Societies held in April, numerous awards were presented to various mem­bers in recognition of their special achievements.

Awards of merit were presented to the Hanover Area Historical Society for the restoration of the Neas House, c. 1783; the Jefferson County Historical and Genealogical Society for the book Jefferson County, Pennsylvania; the Historical Society of Pennsylvania for “Philadelphia Portrait, 1682-1982,” an exhibition. lecture series and catalog; the Historical Society of Western Penn­sylvania for “Made in Western Pennsyl­vania,” an exhibition. forum and cata­log; the Centre County Historical Socie­ty for “Homestead and Streetscape,” a local history program; and to the Con­nellsville Area Historical Society for renovating and furnishing a Pennsylva­nia Room for public use in the Carnegie Free Library.

Honorable mentions went to the Har­monist Historic and Memorial Associa­tion, the Northampton County Histori­cal Society, the Historical Society of York, the Chester County Historical So­ciety, the Historical Society of Cocalico Valley and the Cumberland County His­torical Society.

Independent Study

Anyone affiliated with a historical agency or similar cultural institution who wants to increase his/her knowledge now has a unique opportunity. The American Association for State and Lo­cal History is offering the correspon­dence courses designed to increase effec­tiveness on the job. The courses are: Education-School Programs and the Museum; Documents-Intepretation and Exhibition; Basic Layout and De­sign of Publications; Administering Historical Photographic Collections; and Interpretation Through Effective Labels.

Each in-depth course contains a study guide, books and articles, slide/tape programs, and supplies needed to com­plete lesson assignments. Instructors at AASLH headquarters review the assign­ments which are done at the student’s own pace and tailored to individual needs. For an enrollment fee of $195 (for the first two courses) or $235 (for the last three), an institution can train up to four people at once.

For details and course applications write to: Independent Study Program, AASLH, 708 Berry Road, Nashville, TN 37204.