Laurel’s historical society wants to turn the clock back to 1950
If you’ve got dusty, forgotten 50s-era memorabilia just sitting in your basement or attic, the Laurel Historical Society is looking for you.
The museum is in the planning stages of building a local retrospective that conveys the atmosphere, cultural mores and sense of place that pervaded Laurel in the slower-paced 1950s.
Popular toys from the '50s Photo: wherethetoysare.com
While the museum already has some 200 items toward the endeavor, curators want to enlist the help of Laurel’s citizens, urging them to lend or donate their own personal artifacts from the period. Especially those that offer a glimpse into what education, entertainment, social life and work were like during that era.
Lindsey Baker, executive director of the Laurel Historical Society, said the idea for the exhibit grew out of a brainstorming session with her colleagues who wanted to focus on how work and play was reflected during that time in American life, and in Laurel in particular.
Museums by nature are in the forever business, they serve as an institutional memory that can remind us of the path we’ve collectively traveled to arrive at our current standing in life.
Baker said the society wants to add to the number of paper items it has that reflect that journey, such as community programs, post cards and invitations. There are also photographs from local schools and the Laurel Boys Baseball Team.
The museum first put its items on public display in May 1996 and has hosted more than 18,000 visitors. Some of the historical society’s recent highlights include the development of a new walking tour of Laurel. Also, the society has started new children’s programs. Since 2001, the society has held an annual gala that raises critical funds to support the organization’s operations and the museum.
For more information on the museum or to contribute items to the 50s-era exhibit, contact Lindsey Baker at 301-725-7975 or by email at director@laurelhistoricalsociety.org.
--PGS Staff
|
