The “1742 Experience” Moving Machine

August 29th, 2011 |

As I’ve mentioned before, we have been inventorying and packing the collections at the Kemerer Museum in anticipation of a construction addition that will provide HBP with a centralized collections storage vault.  It will basically be our treasure chest for our most sensitive and important pieces of Bethlehem’s history.  Visitors will be able to view objects, including our complete dollhouse collection, on display in the storage area.

Boxed collections ready for moving day.

So last week, after spending about a year and a half carefully wrapping and packing all that glass and china…moving day was finally upon us.  This year we were so excited to have the opportunity to work with a pilot initiative at Moravian College, the 1742 Experience.  The week-long program introduced in-coming freshman to the area while promoting leadership skills through public service.

What did that mean for us here at HBP?…12 sets of fresh eyes and ready hands, and a healthy injection of liveliness and laughter in the museums.  Harnessing the youthful energy of the students, we were able to move all of the packed boxes (all 18 months-worth of packing) in about 2 hours along their ‘human chain’ from one side of the museum to the other.  The boxes now reside in an area that will not be affected by the construction.

Boxes in their temporary residence.

Another afternoon was spent wrapping and packaging our framed prints collection.  Half of the group spent several hours sprawled on a gallery floor cutting cardboard sleeves and tying them up like Christmas packages (think cardboard tacos).  These too were moved to the safety zone in the museum.

Prints in their cardboard tacos

Thanks to the students we are now almost ready for construction to begin…and hopefully next year’s Experience students will be able to move the collections into their permanent homes.

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