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OTISFIELD — Members of the Otisfield Historical Society will be treated to an “extended show and tell” when the group meets at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 22, in the Old Town House, 53 Bell Hill Road. At the evening’s program, “What’s In Those Boxes?”, those attending will rotate among several tables, each of which will display the contents of one or more of the many gray boxes usually kept in the archives in the basement of the building.
According to the two archivists, Jean Hankins and Ethel Turner, the idea is to give maximum exposure to the society’s rich and varied collections that usually remain hidden away. Society volunteers will serve as explainers-in-chief at each of the seven stations.
For example, at Station 1, featuring the Pottle Papers, Callie Zilinsky will display and interpret some of the 11 boxes of letters exchanged between Pottle family members, including her mother and grandmother, in the decades from 1910 to 1930. Alan Douglass and Derek Dorr at Station 2 will show off the contents of a large box of old Otisfield maps.
At the remaining stations, exhibits will include small items such as toys and school bells; diaries, papers, and photos from the Cape; quilts and textiles; the Hankins photo collections and publications; and Otisfield school pictures and reports.
Visitors will rotate from one station to the next at seven-minute intervals. This unusual format has prompted some cautions. White cotton gloves will be available for those who wish closer looks at the materials displayed.
Refreshments will not be served because the room will be crowded and full of precious documents and artifacts.
Photo caption: Derek Dorr scrutinizes the box of maps he’ll discuss at the June 22 Otisfield Historical Society meeting, “What’s In Those Boxes?” (Submitted photo)
