New “Main Street Group Bundle” set of Hometown Collectibles available in gift shop
With the recent success of our Christmas Bundle, the Dansville Area Historical Society Museum is now offering a “Main Street Group Bundle” of hometown collectibles–choose three from the list below for a total of $25. Collectibles sell at $15 apiece, so this is an extraordinary $20 deal!
- Citizens Bank
- Town Hall
- Hotel Dansville/Hyland House
- Dansville Public Library
- Maxwell Block
- Dansville Post Office
- Star Theatre
The Dansville Area Historical Society Museum and Gift Shop is open the first and third Saturdays of the month from 10 a.m until 2 p.m.
Christmas Bundle now available
Here’s one more way you can support your community and find a special gift for that certain someone: shop at the Dansville Area Historical Society Museum gift shop, open every Saturday during the month of December from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
We now have a special Christmas Bundle for sale–a $55 value for only $30.
In the bundle, you get:
- Choice of ornament
- Choice of hometown collectible
- A cutting board
- A package of four notecards
Stop in, check out our other items for sale, and tour our museum. Hurry, Christmas is just around the corner!
Toy and Game Exhibit
Have you seen our latest exhibit? Open every Saturday during the month of December.
Toy and Game Exhibit
We had such a great time with Christopher Bensch from The National Toy Hall of Fame last Saturday, who presented the program for our annual meeting last Saturday. Now, our museum has a special toy exhibit of its own. Come and see.
Historical Display coming to Library
With the rest of America, came late to the fighting in World War I. Following President Wilson’s message to Congress and the declaration of war on April 6, 1917, New York mobilized.
Eventually, over 500,000 New Yorkers were in military service, the largest contingent from any state. Led by strong government promotion, communities statewide rallied to support the troops and the Allied cause. Citizens signed on to local defense committees, joined the medical corps or the Red Cross, bought Liberty Bonds, worked the farms, knitted socks, conserved food and fuel, and kept an active home vigil.
Approximately 1700 men from Livingston County left their families and work behind to answer the call to duty along with an untold number of women who served as nurses at home and overseas. More than 50 soldiers, sailors, and Marines from this area paid the ultimate sacrifice and hundreds returned home with physical and emotional scars. Men, women, and children who served on the home front also endured tremendous hardship.
The Livingston County Historian’s Office is fortunate to have a large archival collection related to World War I and is grateful to past and present historians, the New York State Archives, and National Archives for preserving these important artifacts that help to tell the story of the war to end all wars. A display commemorating this historical event will be in the Dansville Public Library from October 15 – November 11.
DAHS Annual Dinner Program Oct. 27
CHRISTOPHER BENSCH
Vice President for Collections and Chief Curator
The Strong
In 1989, Christopher Bensch became one of the curators at The Strong museum in Rochester, New York, with responsibility for a wide array of items—furniture and cookware, record albums and televisions, Big Mac boxes and Halloween costumes. Since 2004, Chris has served as Vice President for Collections with oversight of the museum’s curatorial, conservation, and library functions and the more than 480,000 objects make it the largest, most comprehensive collection of toys, games, dolls, and video games in the world.
At The Strong, Chris has acted as curator for numerous exhibits including Reading Adventureland and Field of Play, the major exhibits that opened in 2006 as part of The Strong’s $37-million expansion that almost doubled the size of the museum. Most recently he has overseen production of the museum’s two newest 2nd floor exhibits—the Toy Halls of Fame that opened in September 2015 and America at Play that opened in December 2016.
Chris also serves as the primary spokesperson for the National Toy Hall of Fame which, every November, selects two or three classic toys deserving that special honor. Representing the Hall of Fame, Chris has hula hooped on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, recounted the history of Slinky and Silly Putty on the Travel Channel’s Mysteries at the Museum series, and appeared live on MSNBC and on ABC’s Good Morning America Sunday. He’s also taken part in numerous radio shows, including NPR’s Weekend Edition and All Things Considered.
‘Seeker’ program
On June 7, local historian ‘Seeker’ presented a program on Native American history and storytelling in the North Dansville Town Hall auditorium. Photos by Jeff Miller and Jasmine Willis.
Successful turnout for latest program
We had a great turnout for our latest program on the renovation of the former D&M station, now Battle Street Brewery. Here are a few photos, thanks to Jasmine Willis:
The old ticket booth has been preserved.
Tables made from former depot doors.
Mike Palmesano congratulates Marissa Siciliano on the brewery’s success
An old lantern adorns the ticket booth.
