The Find
Posted March 16, 2012 at 7:00 pm
By Douglas Platt, Museum CuratorOne aspect of building and overseeing the collection for the Museum of disABILITY History is what I call “The Find.” It is the moment when you realize that a recent acquisition has expanded the breadth and depth of the collection exponentially. My most recent “Find” arrived in a photograph album.
The Museum recently acquired a dark brown photo album, bound with a brown shoe-lace. Upon opening the album, the first two photos were 7 x10 inch photographs of a concert band. They sat and stood with their instruments, looking proudly into the camera. They are the O.H.E. Band, in two photos taken on July 31, 1940. “O.H.E.” stands for the Ohio Hospital for Epileptics, and two hand-written pages adjacent to the photos identify each of the band members and the conductor, Professor James T. Lewis.
The remainder of the 200 plus photo album are smaller photos of people working at or experiencing life at the Gallipolis Ohio institution during the 1920s, 30s, 40s and into the 1950s. One photo features Ruth, Jennie, Mable, Helen, Ruby and Jean, the Cottage 7 girls’ band.
A 1924 photo shows Miss. Watson, Nye, Brucker, Reynolds & Roush, the “Nurses of O.H.E.,” (Miss Russell and Mrs. Parson were absent).
An undated photo with the hand-written number “3” and stamped “59” on the back is of a young lady in costume as ……..a camera. I guess every picture does tell a story.
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kristin kochsmeier
Posted September 19, 2017 at 12:00 am
Beverly Daley
Posted December 9, 2015 at 12:00 am
I am trying to put together some of our family history in pictures and information for my siblings this Christmas as a surprise. Any help you can give me would be appreciated.
Thanks so much and have a great holiday season!!
Sarah Cooper
Posted December 7, 2015 at 12:00 am
Glenn Perry
Posted December 22, 2012 at 12:00 am