Does Your Old Stuff Belong in a DC Museum?

A collections curator hosted an event inviting Jewish Washingtonians to bring family histories and photos of items that could fit a museum collection. The curator actively seeks both notable objects and less flashy materials such as handwritten letters, documents, and small artifacts. Donors brought Yiddish letters from relatives in Poland, a scrapbook and a flash drive with organized family information reaching back to the 19th century, and items connected to Jewish community organizations and events. The curator also evaluates items for best institutional fit, including directing some materials toward a Holocaust-focused museum. The process includes short meetings with potential donors and encouragement to present everyday materials as potentially meaningful.

"“People think their ordinary stuff doesn't matter to a museum,” he said during the event. “I tell people, 'Show me everything!'”"

Read at Washingtonian - The website that Washington lives by.