A New Exhibit Concept
The museum is beginning 2022 with a flurry of activity! A new concept will guide the rotating exhibits this year as we “walk through time” to explore the changes in cultural and ethnic diversity in Sunnyvale over the past 200 years. Visitors are encouraged to visit the museum several times throughout the year to see additions to the timeline and how each relates to the past and the present. Although Laura Babcock and Janice Havey are heading the design and implementation of this ongoing exhibit, it would not be possible without the many, many hours of work by archive team members Monte Stamper and Sandra Lohman, who diligently search the museum’s records for the artifacts belonging to each immigrant group who has come to Sunnyvale. The year-long exhibit will culminate with a community celebration, described below.
A Walk Through Time
Mark your calendars for September 10, 2022! We will host a delightful community celebration on that date at the museum. The event will showcase hundreds of years of Sunnyvale history, from the Ohlone, the area’s first residents, to our modern day Silicon Valley citizens. Demonstrations and exhibits will highlight the people who have made Sunnyvale their home through the centuries and include the reasons that brought them here. Entertainment and hands-on activities are just a couple of the ways history lovers, tech enthusiasts, and visitors of all ages will enjoy “A Walk Through Time”.
For such a major undertaking, many volunteers with a variety of skills will be needed . . . from contacting tech companies or planning activities for a time period in Sunnyvale’s history . . . to sharing family heritage stories or helping in a booth during the event.
Please contact event organizer Kim Thurgate kim.thurgate@gmail.com to lend your hand and your talents to this major community event. – What a great opportunity to meet new people and work together to celebrate the community we call home! Watch upcoming newsletters and the museum website for updated information.
Archiving New Donations
The museum received two large donations which include materials about Sunnyvale history and Murphy family history. (See article on page 3 of this newsletter.) The hundreds of donated items need to be inventoried and categorized which includes making detailed lists, assigning numbers, and for the books donated, creating standardized records. Each item will initially be handled only once, while carefully placing it into secure housing. Once the items are secure enough for further handling, lists and records will be made accordingly. Each item will be photographed, then marked, housed, and filed in the museum’s photo files. All of this careful work will be done under the direct supervision and assistance of our archive volunteers, Sue-Ellen Johnson and Sally Everett-Beaupre.
The team will also be archiving volumes of old “Sunnyvale Standard” newspapers, as well as City records recently received from the Sunnyvale Public Library.
To assist in the giant task of archiving each individual piece of the recent donations, we are partnering with San José’s Cristo Rey Jesuit High School; a student will come each week to learn how to create an archive entry in the museum’s database, eventually helping Sue-Ellen and Sally with the archival work.
Spring Teas are Coming
Following the wonderful success of the museum’s Holiday Teas, our Spring Teas will be held April 23 and 24. Museum members can reserve tickets beginning March 1.
As you can see, we have many activities planned and projects in process along with the usual running of the museum. We are always happy for more volunteers to join in and share in the many areas of museum activity. Events call for only a limited period of time given to volunteering, but there are also many regular issues that need attention. Volunteers at the museum can give as much time as they want and usually determine their own schedules. Come in and talk to us about the rewarding opportunities available for volunteering in a dedicated community.
Garage Sale Items No Longer Accepted
At this point, the capacity for storage at the museum is extremely limited. Thus, we are asking our members and friends not to drop off any more items meant for future garage sales, because we simply have no space to stash them. We will let everyone know when we will be in a position to accept items again. – Thank you for your understanding.