It's Monday, April 20, 2020, and time for a report from the "real" Lucas County Historical Society Museum --- in addition to the "virtual" museum launched a few weeks ago on Facebook to keep us in touch during the COVID-19 lockdown.
This would have been the week under ordinary circumstances that we'd have held our annual membership meeting, but obviously that's not going to happen (although we do hope later this year to reschedule the excellent program planned by the Events Committee).
Meanwhile, let's begin with a brief update from the dining room of the A.J. Stephens House where a new case (top) was installed during the winter that allows us to display parts off our vintage glassware and porcelain collection to better advantage. The case was purchased in memory of the late Esther Belle (Miller) Steinbach, using memorial funds donated by family and friends.
The old waist-high case that formerly stood here has been redeployed to a new toy display in the Crist Gallery, lower level of the Lewis Building. The old case had a few issues --- many of the items it contained were difficult to see and the set of china we use for display settings was stored there. Every time we wanted to use that china, it was necessary to push the case away from the wall and open it from the back, not especially convenient. Those dishes now are housed in the built-in buffet, designed for just that purpose back in 1911.
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Three meetings were on the April museum schedule before the COVID-19 situation developed. We cancelled the regular April board meeting, postponed until May the annual meeting of the board (usually held in conjunction with the regular April board meeting) and have postponed the annual membership meeting, originally scheduled for Tuesday.
We hope to reschedule the membership meeting later this year but timing will depend on COVID-19 and the availability of our speaker, Michael Plummer, historic sites manager for the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs.
Both the regular May board meeting and the postponed annual board meeting will be held --- if not in person then virtually.
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Under ordinary circumstances, the museum would open for the season on May 1, but it seems unlikely that will happen this year. We will open our doors to the public as soon as it is safe to do so and will keep you informed.
We were looking forward to a visit during May from Chariton Community School second-graders, something else that's not going to happen this year. So we're looking ahead to 2021.
We are continuing the plan for the Art at the Museum event on June 21 as scheduled. It's a complicated event and if we drop the organizational threads now we'll not be able to recover them. But --- we'll reassess the situation on May 1 and again on June 1 so nothing is guaranteed.
The remainder of the museum's public events schedule is on hold --- we'll just have to play everything by ear this year.
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We'll continue to maintain off-season business hours at the museum until we're able to open to the public. That means Kathleen will be working in the office or elsewhere on campus from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Behind-the-scenes work continues at other times, too, carried out by individuals taking all of the recommended safety precautions.
We cannot allow public access to museum buildings at this time, but will be glad to respond to telephone calls (641-774-4464) or e-mail messages (lchs@windstream.net).
Stay well, stay in touch and hopefully we'll be able to meet in person before too long.
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