The Clarke has around 10,000 photos in the collections, which is about 17% of the total collection. The photos span from the earliest days of the county to the present and include a wide variety of subjects. They're some of my favorite items to work with because they can tell so many stories and illustrate change in the community- and the sometimes surprising continuity over time.

This month, we'll be taking a closer look at our photo collection-what's in it? What does it look like? We'll also be checking out ongoing work happening with the collections including our scanning project and research being done by members of the community to better understand one of the photographers who appears in our collection. We'll also highlight a new photography exhibit opening at May's Arts Alive in the Victorian Room!

This week, we hear from the Clarke's Education and Interpretation Committee that attended the yearly Basket Weaver's gathering in Happy Camp. The trip was part of a series of trips the committee is making to reach out and connect with tribes and communities that are stakeholders in the work being done at the Clarke.

We were able to meet with members of the Karuk Tribe’s People’s Center Advisory Committee.  The People’s Center is the Tribal museum and Gift shop.  We were able to make inroads on cultural exchange ideas such as exchanging exhibit pieces (as permitted by our policies) and sharing photos and documents from a digital perspective in cases where original pieces cannot travel.  We also discussed their digital library and the possibility of digitizing videos, CDs, etc. through cooperation with the Karuk Tribe.  We look forward to collaborating with our tribal partners.

At registration, we had some time to talk with Denna Dodds whose basketry work is currently on display at the Clarke. The weekend’s festivities then began with an opening prayer before a potluck dinner.  It was sung beautifully by Jamie Peters, a Karuk tribal member.  Dinner was followed by a night of Bingo fun, then everyone headed to their accommodations to rest up for Saturday.  

We had a great learning experience to share with visitors to the Clarke, and we made some new friends along the way.

Thank you to Lynn Sturgis for writing this article, and Shirley Laos and Dina Fernandez for editing. Photos by Lynn Sturgis.

Volunteers play a huge role in day-to day museum operations and are very important to the long term operation of the Museum. In celebration of April as National Volunteer Month, I'd highlight some of our fabulous volunteers and the work they do here.

I began volunteering at the Clarke Historical Museum in July of 2018 and I have been working on a project to catalog and relabel the museum’s rock and mineral collection. I found out about the opportunity during the opening of The Redwoods Provide(d) exhibit and through Katie Buesch, who is the Registrar-Curator for the Main Hall Collections. I also know Katie through the Religious Studies major at HSU—she is a wonderful volunteer supervisor and friend!

This has been my first experience volunteering in a museum setting and I absolutely love it! The staff and other volunteers at the museum are super kind and welcoming and it is really interesting to learn a bit about the museum’s collections and about some of the local area’s history. Also, working with the rocks and minerals provides an experience that is special to me, because I also majored in Geology at HSU and I feel that there is so much we can learn through studying rocks. Rocks carry with them a story that tells of their journey from their formation to how they traveled to the surface of the Earth and into our hands. And through the study of rocks (petrology), I have learned a bit about how to interpret and convey these stories. From my perspective, I would say that stories are inherent to the way that we, as humans, understand and interact with the world. I think it is incredibly valuable to have a place like the Clarke Historical Museum in our area to facilitate the sharing of various stories from the past and I feel lucky to have the opportunity to volunteer there!

The Native American collections at the Clarke are more than a beautiful collection to view while visiting. We have hosted weavers and regalia makers over the years to go through the collections to gain insight on ways of making and inspiration for the creation or repair of newer basketry and regalia items.

Denna Dodds, a Karuk tribal member and 2014 & 2017 recipient of the Victor Thomas Jacoby Award, visited the Clarke Collections in the Fall of 2018 to assist with finishing a large open weave utility basket with handles.