PALM BEACH, Fla. (June 7, 2005)—To ensure that the area’s first countywide history museum accurately represents the people, places and events that have shaped local history, the Historical Society of Palm Beach County is asking members of the community to donate specific items of local historical relevance that will extend its existing collections. These donated items, which are needed this summer, will play an integral role in building the museum’s exhibits and history experiences, providing visitors with a comprehensive depiction of Palm Beach County’s past.
The Historical Society is seeking a wide spectrum of items, but has categorized their specific, immediate needs into four main categories: Agriculture; Business and Civic Life

; Pioneer Life; and Tourism and Sporting Life. The “wish list” includes everything from mule bug covers and mosquito bars used by early pioneers, to railroad memorabilia and vintage travel advertisements.

“Our goal is to have museum visitors leave with a complete understanding of the rich and diverse history of Palm Beach County, from its earliest pioneer days to the thriving communities we know today,” said Loren Mintz, Historical Society President and CEO. “We’re encouraging businesses and residents to search their attics, garages and homes for items that represent a unique chapter of our history. The artifacts can be from the fields of education, medicine, law, hotels, business, transportation and politics. The public shouldn’t eliminate an item because it doesn’t fit into one of the categories, however. If it has a connection to our history, it should be examined for its potential value.”
The Historical Society is currently in the design phase for the history museum, which will be located inside the to-be-restored 1916 Courthouse in downtown West Palm Beach. The

museum will be free to all Palm Beach County residents and will feature state-of-tshe art, interactive exhibits, plus photographs and artifacts that portray Palm Beach County’s history. The Historical Society hopes to receive the majority of the items from its wish list over the course of the summer so it can begin designing and building its exhibits and gallery spaces.

                                                          (more)

The Historical Society Wish List
Agriculture
Shipping crates, packing and crate labels
Mule muck shoes
Mule/horse bug covers
Feedbags
Machete for cutting cane
Gloves
Cut-a-way model of a sugar plant
Empty sugar bags
Photographs that would help explain the sugar refining process
Other farm tools and smaller items such as vintage hoes, shovels, rakes, plow blades.
Corporate and oral histories
Brochures, advertisements, ephemera, postcards, stationery, invoices, correspondence

Business and Civic Life
Dental equipment
Drawings or models of the waterway system of Palm Beach County
Materials related to newspaper printing such as type and ink blotters
Items related to the marine industry and military installations
Items related to the growth or incorporation of the cities within our county
Satellite images of the county
Judicial robes and gavels

Pioneer Life
Mosquito bars
Cooking utensils and household items
Smudge pots that were used inside the home
School materials such as slates, bells, and old textbooks
Violin/other hand-held musical instruments
Taxidermy mounts of an alligator, birds, and fish
Skeletons of native animals and birds of south Florida
Close up images of wildlife in south Florida

Tourism and Sporting Life
Items related to fishing, the marine industry and recreational boating
Life saving equipment (marine)
Tennis racquets, photographs and memorabilia
Golf clubs, photographs, and memorabilia
Baseball equipment, photographs, and memorabilia
Polo mallets and equipment, photographs, and memorabilia
Croquet equipment, photographs, and memorabilia
Railroad and travel memorabilia
Driving gloves, goggles, and a duster
Items related to air travel both private and commercial
Items related to hotels and hotel life
Brochures, advertisements, signage, postcards, correspondence, and other ephemera

To donate an artifact or memorabilia from Florida and Palm Beach County history, contact (561) 832-4164. Visit www.historicalsocietypbc.org for more information.

                                                          ###

Return to News Room