Kentucky Historical Society
KHS Presents Churchill Weavers Preservation Exhibition Opening May 10
Frankfort, KY - The Churchill Weavers collection, including products, patterns, and tools from the largest handweaving operation in the country, is the focus of a new preservation exhibition at the Kentucky Historical Society (KHS). Magic in the Weaving: The Churchill Weavers Collection Revealed opens on Saturday, May 10, and will remain on exhibit until September 6, 2008. This preservation exhibition shows how curators and archivists are saving the collection for future generations and is featured in several KHS programs in the coming months (see list below).
"There are multiple steps in the preservation process from careful cataloging to rehousing materials using archival products such as acid-free tissue paper and boxes," says Julienne Foster, exhibition curator. "Once the collection is processed, multiple avenues of study and inquiry will be available to the public for further research."
The exhibition introduces the history of the company, the story of its founders, D. Carroll and Eleanor Churchill, the Churchill Weavers employees, and the products created by the company. Some artifacts on display include a warp mill, creel, images, product advertisements, and product samples, including baby blankets and ready-to-wear clothing. An interesting piece is a dress designed and worn by Eleanor Churchill made from material fabric invented by D. Carroll Churchill. A cherry loom is featured; this loom was designed to be portable and taken across the country to promote and grow the business of Churchill Weavers. Pieces of D. Carroll Churchill's workshop, including his parts cabinet and work table, are presented, along with Mr. Churchill's story.
Visitors to the exhibition will also be treated to an intimate, interactive view of KHS professionals at their daily work of processing and preserving the Churchill Weavers collection. Supplies used to process the artifacts collection include mylar, folder(s), measuring tape, twill tape and pigma pens, powdered-coated shelving units, and cameras. Museum collections staff will use catalog worksheets to capture important information about artifacts and other three- dimensional objects. They will enter this information into specialized KHS databases so future researchers can know the contents of the collection.
"As archivists and curators delve into the materials KHS collected from Churchill Weavers, we gain insights into this signature Kentucky company and its far-reaching contributions with every box opened," says Marilyn Zoidis, director of museum collections and exhibitions for KHS. "Churchill Weavers products were woven into the fabric of 20th-century American history. Only with time and growing expertise can we, along with the researchers who come to study this collection, understand the many 'threads of history' the collection holds. This company was an innovator in many ways, and through publications, Web sites, exhibitions, and public presentations, KHS will continue to share those innovations with Kentuckians and the nation."
KHS special collections staff will also be preserving, organizing, and cataloging documents, photographs, rare books and pamphlets, and audiovisual materials in the Churchill Weavers collection. Archivists physically organize archival materials and place them in acid-free and archivally sound boxes and folders. Photographs within the collection are itemized and described in detail. Audiovisual materials, such as films, audio reel-to-reel, VHS tapes, and cassette tapes, are digitized and put onto current, easily accessible formats such as DVDs and CDs. A finding aid, or detailed description of the collection, is created and includes an historical sketch of the institution, search terms, and an organized listing of the materials in the collection. Archivists create a brief record of the collection for the KHS online library catalog, where researchers can search for available archival collections. Selected items from the collection will be digitized, described, and put up on the KHS digital collections where researchers can search for and view individual items from the collection.
In addition to seeing KHS collections staff examine items piece-by-piece, visitors can learn how to care for their own textiles and documents by speaking with museum professionals working within the exhibition. Finally, an online Web blog will be available at the KHS Web site with updates on significant discoveries made by KHS collections staff.
"We are thrilled to play a part in preserving another Kentucky icon in the Churchill Weavers collection," says KHS Executive Director Kent Whitworth. "The story of Churchill Weavers is a unique Kentucky story that makes connections to the past, provides perspective on the present, and inspiration for the future."
KHS purchased the Churchill Weavers collection from Lila Bellando in May 2007. Shortly before the KHS acquisition, Walcot Weaver, a company based in Lafayette, Indiana, had purchased the Churchill Weavers name, intellectual property, domain name and Web site, yarn inventory, looms, and other weaving, sewing, and laundry equipment from Crown Crafts, the business's previous owner. Bellando had managed Churchill Weavers for Crown Crafts and owned the business with her husband, Richard Bellando, from 1973 to 1996.
"We are especially indebted to two heroines who made this KHS acquisition a reality-- Mrs. Bellando, who chose the Society as the right place to cherish this collection for posterity, and Joan Cralle Day of Louisville, who provided a significant gift through the KHS Foundation to make the acquisition possible and to keep the collection in Kentucky."
KHS presents this preservation exhibition in its Keeneland Changing Exhibits Gallery at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History located at 100 West Broadway, Frankfort, KY. Hours of admission are 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is $4 for adults and $2 for children ages 6-18. For more information, visit the KHS Web site.
Exhibition-related events and programs scheduled for the upcoming quarter include:
June
History Zone: "Wonderful Weaving"
Thursdays and Saturdays, 1-4 p.m.
Try your hand at weaving on a table loom, and then use a homemade loom to weave a piece of your own to take home. For children ages 5 to 10 and their families. Free.
July
Brown Bag History: "Magic in the Weaving"
Wednesday, July 2, noon.
Hear Julienne Foster, exhibition curator for the Kentucky Historical Society, speak on KHS's current Churchill Weavers exhibition. For adults. Free.
History Zone: "Wonderful Weaving"
Thursdays and Fridays, 1-4 p.m.
Try your hand at weaving on a table loom, and then use a homemade loom to weave a piece of your own to take home. For children ages 5 to 10 and their families. Free.
August
Tea Time Tours: "Magic in the Weaving"
Wednesday, August 20, noon.
Hear Julienne Foster, exhibition curator for the Kentucky Historical Society, speak on KHS's current Churchill Weavers exhibition. Tickets must be purchased in advance by August 15. Cost is $18 for KHS members/$23 for nonmembers. For reservations, contact Julia Curry, 502-564-1792, ext. 4414.
MEDIA INTERVIEW CONTACTS
Kent Whitworth, Executive Director
502-564-1792, ext. 4448
Marilyn Zoidis, Assistant Director of KHS and Director of Museum Collections
502-564-1792, ext. 4494
Julienne Foster, Exhibition Curator
502-564-1792, ext. 4441
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An agency of the Kentucky Commerce Cabinet, the Kentucky Historical Society, since 1836, has provided connections to the past, perspective on the present, and inspiration for the future. KHS operates the Old State Capitol, the Kentucky Military History Museum, and its headquarters, the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History. Since 1999, the thirty-million- dollar Center has welcomed more than one million visitors. For more information about the Kentucky Historical Society and its programs, visit the Web site.