Pandemic collection
Collection of artifacts will include masks, signs, art, journals, newspaper sections
Museum collecting masks, signs, art, journals, newspaper sections./
People usually aren’t thinking about how history will look back at the lives they’re living now, but the Hart Cluett Museum in its “Chronicling Covid-19” program is having some success in convincing Rensselaer County residents to consider the future.
Masks, both commercial and handmade, signs, artwork, pictures of improvised at-home offices, poems, journal entries and special newspaper sections have slowly flowed into the museum’s collections as it builds the
artifacts to tell the story of the coronavirus pandemic’s local impact.
“It’s really relevant when you see
how people are embracing or resisting the time and place they are living in,” said Samantha Mahoski, curatorial assistant for the museum who is in charge of the program.
It’s not just the story of the pandemic to be documented. Artifacts from the peaceful June 7, 2020 Troy Rally for Black Lives that grew out of the national response to the May 2020 death by Minneapolis police of George Floyd also are integral to the museum’s collections for the effect of social movements.
“Rarely do people living through intense events think to collect things that help document these events,” said Karin Krasevac-lenz, museum executive director.
The museum launched its “Chronicling Covid-19” effort almost immediately after New York state locked down in midMarch in response to the first
wave of the coronavirus. This was followed just a few months later by demonstrations growing from the Black Lives Movement locally.
Holding up signs from the demonstrations, Mahoski said, “We’re still seeing them across Troy and around Rensselaer County.”
The two historical events have spurred some people to donate to what will become a complex story to recount, Mahoski said.
Putting together the story also means adding items such as Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s “New York Tough” poster that came out in the spring.
There also are special Times Union sections: March 29’s “Coronavirus: A Community Responds” and April 5’s “Everyday Heroes.”
Newspapers provide insights into how the community is impacted by events as they happen and give insights into how people respond, Mahoski said.
The Hart Cluett Museum continues to seek contributions from local residents and businesses. Each day brings new developments, such as the introduction of vaccines to battle the pandemic, opening up new stories to add. People who want to contribute to “Chronicling Covid-19” can visit the Hart Cluett Museum website at www.hartcluett.org/chroniclingcovid-19 or contact the museum at Hart Cluett Museum, 57 Second St., Troy, New York 12180.