By Lydia Fair, 2019 Desilets Memorial Intern
For my last blog post I would like to share the steps I’ve been taking to prepare the mini-exhibit, Greetings from Framingham: A History of Postcards in the United States on display at the Village Hall on the Common. At the end of last week, (July 29-August 2) I edited the label panels that will hang above the display case and pulled the chosen ten postcards from the Framingham History Center’s collection. I created an introductory panel and timeline to give the viewer historical context and help them point out key differences between the postcards.
This week, (August 5-9) began the aspect of the exhibit process I was most looking forward to crafting exhibit props and installation. I started by collecting materials that would serve as object props from the Edgell Memorial Library. Due to the fact that the postcards are two dimensional and nearly uniform in size, it was important to brainstorm ways to create visual interest. Laura, Stacen and I decided the best approach was through varying height. Some postcards are propped on blocks of covered ethafoam while others are displayed in and around a chest of wooden drawers. During this stage, I learned how to angle the object identification cards for easy viewing. I also played around with which postcards looked best next to each other. I noticed an unintentional repetition of red and blue on the face of many postcards which lead me to choose a navy-blue fabric to cover the bottom of the case and the prop materials. On Wednesday, August 7 I began installing the exhibit and was relieved to see that, for the most part, everything fit according to plan.
Spending the past ten weeks at the Framingham History Center as the Tom Desilets Memorial Intern has been quite the experience. From week one, I had a hand in organizational projects, assisting at the museum and programming, and exhibit curation on a small scale. These projects have deepened my appreciation for museum work and given street names in Framingham new significance. Thank you to the staff of the Framingham History Center and Michael Desilets for a great summer.
