The Collection Committee, headed by Dan Tipton, has been working through the year with Maggie Beals on a variety of tasks which include care of objects and cataloging the new donations. Frank Brooks, as one of the committee, got to work on a collection which he helped the museum to acquire. As a member of the one of the oldest social clubs in America, the Venerable Cunner Association and Propeller Club formed in 1845, Frank had persuaded the club to give their collection into the museum's care. They also have given $700 for conservation of the wonderful photos and scrap books. We were able to show some of the items in this year's exhibit about the summer fun of the 1890s.

Linda McLoon, former Director, wrote a grant from the Maine State Archives to help care for some of the early photos which had developed mold while in storage. In addition to archival framing of photos the committee completed a plan to care for the remaining objects as money becomes available including archival boxing of the scrapbooks recording 19th century gatherings at Portland Head Light. Some of the photos will be recopied to preserve them.

Bill Tolman has completed the data entries for the objects in our collection on the computer using Microsoft Access. This means we have two hard copies of the paper work and a computer record as well as a back-up disk (kept off the premises). As our collection grows our system should enable us to care for it in a professional manner and make it more accessible to researchers.

Collections Committee: Dan Tipton: Chair, Roger Allen, Ed Legere, Bill Tolman, Frank Brooks, Maggie Beals, Curator

Please help us pilot our way through Portland Harbor's unique maritime history. Your donations are greatly appreciated here at Portland Harbor Museum as these items enable us to tell the incredible history of our local port. We would love for you to be a part of that story! Much of our collections has come from donors like you. Please consider donating Portland Harbor-related items, or supporting a particular aspect of the Museum with a Þnancial contribution. For more information, please call Martina Morrow, Director or Maggie Beals, Curator. Thank you!