Tuesday, January 26, 2010

"Laquin - Behind the Photos" Coming to Keystone Theatre, February 20th - TICKETS NOW ON SALE!

The Bradford County Historical Society is coming to the Keystone Theatre in Towanda to present the program, "Laquin: Behind the Photos," on Saturday, February 20, 2010 at 1 p.m. Doors will open at 12:30 p.m.

Tickets are $6 per person in advance plus $2 shipping (for any number of tickets). All advance tickets must be either ordered online by visiting www.bradfordhistory.com and clicking on Ticket Office, or by phone at 570-265-2240. Tickets are not available for pickup and cannot be held at the door. Advance orders must be received at BCHS by February 16th.

Tickets may also be purchased at the door for $10 each. No guarantee is made that tickets will be available at the door.

Please note that this program has consistently sold out each time it has been presented. Plan accordingly to ensure a seat at this event!

Proceeds from the event will be used to cover the cost of bringing the program to Towanda and will also be used to support special projects at the Bradford County Historical Society.

"Laquin: Behind the Photos" is a unique program that takes the audience on a tour of the lumber town of Laquin, located on Barclay Mountain in Bradford County. Using over 100 images which are supplemented by maps, the program makes it possible for the audience to learn about the history of the town by actually seeing its buildings, factories, and people. Each photograph in the program is described during the presentation to allow participants to understand what they are viewing.

Many of the images were made from glass plate negatives in the Historical Society collection. In addition, the program will also feature photographs that have been received by the society since the publication of the book, "Barclay Mountain – A History," in 2007. Many of these photos have never been in a public display.

"If you have an interest in Barclay Mountain, and especially Laquin, don’t miss this event," said Matthew Carl, Managing Curator at the Bradford County Historical Society, who developed the program. Carl is very familiar with the topic, having led walking tours on Barclay Mountain for the past four years. He also designed the Barclay Mountain book, and among other contributions, chose the photographs that would be published.

Copies of the book, "Barclay Mountain – A History," that have been signed by the authors and designer will be on sale in the theatre lobby during the event. This will be an excellent time to pick up a copy for Christmas!

For more information about the program, visit the Bradford County Historical Society Curator’s Blog where there will be commentary about this topic during the last two weeks leading up to the event. The blog can be found online at www.bradfordcurator.blogspot.com. Also check for updates about the event on the Bradford County Historical Society’s Facebook page.

The Bradford County Historical Society is a recipient agency of the Bradford County United Way and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. More information about the society can be found online by visiting www.bradfordhistory.com.

The Value of History

Would you be surprised if I told you I liked the History Channel? Well, most of it anyway.

Some of the newest shows on the History Channel are Pawn Stars and American Pickers.

Pawn Stars is basically a reality show set in an especially nice pawn shop and we get to see the unusual items that people bring in and try to sell or pawn. A value eventually is negotiated and we watch and see whether the shop is willing to pay that kind of money for this object.

American Pickers might be the newest show to appear. It involves a couple of guys who are "pickers" that travel around to homes where there are what looks like extremely huge junk collections. They always manage to find something in the homeowners outbuilding that they just have to buy. They make offers to the owner to try to buy items ranging from a rusty piece of metal to a classic car and everything in between and beyond!

These shows are pretty entertaining, probably because we get to see what kind of "junk" someone has that we might have that might be worth money. What bothers me though is how much importance is placed on the monetary value of these items as opposed to the historic value. It's not such a big deal in American Pickers because generally the "stuff" they find is in a pile in someone's overgrown backyard. It's slightly different in Pawn Stars.

None of this really made any difference to me until I started seeing people walking in and trying to sell family heirlooms. Then it bothered me. One guy appeared saying that he found his grandfathers World War II uniform in a trunk in his grandmothers attic and he figured he could probably get some money for it. Other people have appeared with swords and other various items that belonged to earlier generations of their family and the first thing they say is, "This is collecting dust in my closet and I'd rather have the money in my pocket."

Some things should not leave your family as they tell the story of who you are and where your family came from. If, however, you're concerned that heirlooms will not be appreciated or cared for by later generations, or if you simply don't have room for items, please contact a local museum or historical society before considering a sale. Historical societies exist to collect objects and information that tell the history of an area. That history is usually lost forever when family documents and artifacts enter auctions or antique shops.

The Bradford County Historical Society has been telling this story for well over 100 years using the family heirlooms that have been donated over that time. In an increasingly money driven century, as this one has become, don't trade your longlasting family history for money that can be spent in a matter of minutes. Remember the Bradford County Historical Society when considering the future of your Bradford County related family heirlooms.