January 18 – March 13, 2011
Beginning January 18, the Florence Museum will be presenting the exhibit, Florence Photo Album. This exhibit will give visitors a chance to see snapshots of the city of Florence during its growth years in the first half of the twentieth century. These photographs from the museum’s archives will be presented in large scale and will be accented with maps, memorabilia and related objects.
“One highlight of the show will be a converted movie reel that shows about 40 minutes of footage taken in Florence in the mid 1930′s,” said museum curator, Stephen Motte. “It’s interesting to see the video showing how different things are now compared to then, but it also makes you realize a lot of things haven’t really changed at all.”
Visitors with ties to people and places throughout Florence County are encouraged to call and bring in their stories and family photos to share with museum staff, who have planned to document them for use in the future. “Working at this museum has made us realize that Florence’s history is more dynamic than you might expect, and this project will be an ongoing effort to document, directly, the personal side of our story, something rarely found ‘on the record’.”
These documentaries will also support the planning strategy for a new museum facility, which will be constructed in downtown Florence. Exhibit development and design are the focus of frequent collaborative work sessions between museum staff and project partner firm, Haley Sharpe Design. Motte boasts, “It’s a rewarding experience to be working with Haley Sharpe. Their résumé is incredible; they’ve designed and built exhibits for prestigious institutions all over the world. I think Florence will be well rewarded.”
Exhibits in the museum’s current building will be getting a make over throughout the month of January. In conjunction, permanent gallery spaces are also undergoing renovation. The Florence Photo Album exhibit will continue through March, 13. The Florence Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday 10 – 5 and Sunday 2 – 5. Groups interested in scheduling museum tours are welcome to contact the museum for more information. General admission is $1