The Buffalo History Museum

Museum collections - catalogue and safeguard a vast array of treasures. More than 100,000 physical objects and over 220,000 archival items comprise our collection and shape our understanding of wny's story. Customized artifact storage units and climate controlled storage areas are features of our off-site collections facility. Three full-time staff members, together with specially trained interns and volunteers, care for The collections. They process new donations and conduct inventory work in accordance with our collections management policy and processing manual. Collections staff also prioritize and recommend artifacts for conservation treatment. Annually, we spend at least $20,000 on artifact conservation from a fund restricted for collections care-augmented by special grants and designated gifts. Accepted over nearly 200 three-dimensional items to be accessioned, highlights include: 32 Buffalo bills items as part of The greg d. tranter donation; nearly 100 children's garments; 2 original works by seneca artist marie watt; and contemporary material culture associated with The pandemic.

Library - responsible for all two-dimensional items in The collection: books, pamphlets, letters, diaries, personal papers, organizational & business records, periodicals, newspapers, scrapbooks, photographs, postcards, prints, drawings, posters, maps, atlases, microfilms, and even some dvds.in 2022, nearly 800 patrons used our library's resources for on-site research, many of them on multiple occasions. The director of The library, 1 fulltime and 1 part-time assistant serviced these guests and tours; answered hundreds telephone and email queries, and scanned hundreds of artifacts to fulfill requests. Digital preservation makes collections accessible- today, most of Buffalo's english-language, public domain newspapers from 1811-1923 are searchable online at newspapers.com. This partnership provides access- otherwise cost-prohibitive- for museum/research library users.2022 archival acquisitions include:staffing capacity in The archives remained reduced. From The greg d. tranter collection, hundreds of paper collections were rehoused and numbered. Over 300 donations and nearly 200 purchases were added to The collection, including a large local menu collection.

Museum program and exhibits-the Museum plays a critical role in both preserving The legacy of our region and understanding The unique character and cultural identities of its people. We are distinctively located at The crossroads of past and future a vibrant, historic destination set at The heart of a re-energized cultural corridor. Since 1862, we have served as The community's Historical ambassador, The dedicated safekeeper and storyteller of our collective memory. Through a collection of nearly hundreds of thousands objects and an ever-changing array of exhibits and programs, we share The stories of our region's triumphs and struggles. Our 2020-2030 master plan builds on our generations-long commitment to western new york (wny) by establishing a new vision and by refocusing on how we engage with communities to share their histories from their perspectives. Our goal is to foster an atmosphere of storytelling, conversation, and engagement that is built on input from our whole community. We aim to create content and connect with people of diverse backgrounds, sharing different perspectives on History and how it connects with contemporary issues. We believe sharing in local History builds and fosters community-creating a stronger sense of place and improving quality of life. In a recent survey, almost 60% of our visitors said that The Museum contributes to their quality of life.creating access for all to experience history:-complete collections studies and plan for centralizing collections at The resource center. -offer virtual and in-person educational experiences providing local students The chance to discover their History, supporting and reinforcing The work of local educators.-award-winning podcast reaching audiences far beyond our walls with nearly 40,000 downloads to date and listeners in every state and over 30 countries.collect and preserve our community's stories:-continue developing our new contemporary collecting initiatives, including: covid pandemic and blizzards of 1977/2022.-deepen partnerships with The Buffalo and Erie County public library and families of those affected by The 5/14 tragedy to collect stories for future generations.-continue to build pastperfect online artifact database, providing remote access to collections by adding more records and video/audio content wherever possible.-create access to resources digitally preserved in-kind by w.s. Hein, including: The Buffalo orphan asylum index, The mabel barnes' pan-american exposition scrapbooks, issues of Museum's old 'niagara frontier and town History publications-continue digital preservation inititiative with newpapers.com creating access to our vast newspaper collection.-continue to foster relationships with university of Buffalo, Buffalo state university and other higher education programs, creating internship opportunities for their students to develop research and collections management skills.-steward The only standing structure from The 1901 pan american exposition-a national historic landmark building overlooking mirror lake and olmsted's Delaware park. Exhibits, programs attract diverse audiences:-resurgence: seneca tradition and The art of marie watt, indigenous art gives voice to indigenous insights at The Museum. The exhibition focused on The artwork of marie watt, an american artist and citizen of The seneca nation of indians, one of The six tribes of The haudenosaunee confederacy. The exhibition furthered a tradition in indigenous art in which indigenous insights are established at The exhibition venue. In this case, watt and a curatorial/co-creative team are testing The possibilities of indigenous "resurgence," The action of reestablishing indigenous power and presence, at The Museum. Specifically, centering watt's art and other works from seneca History, this exhibition fostered a renovation/renewal and deepening of The Museum's longstanding relationship with indigenous peoples. -creative journeys: celebrating The textile art of refugee women in wny in may 2022, The Museum partnered with stitch Buffalo on an exhibit featuring handcrafted goods from stitch Buffalo's community of immigrant and refugee women. Stitch Buffalo is an inclusive space for refugee and immigrant women to create handcrafted goods and find economic empowerment; a textile art center for community members to gain and share skills in The textile arts; and an organization committed to stewarding The environment through The re-use of textile supplies. The textile media that will be represented in The exhibit includes: back strap loom weaving, hand embroidery and beading, traditional garments as well as macrame and block printing. These will be created by artists from bhutan, burma, nepal, thailand, egypt, afghanistan, pakistan, bangladesh, somalia, and beyond who now reside in The Buffalo area.- "continuum: The History of Erie County," a 3,400 sq. Ft. anchor experience shares The stories of our region during The County's bicentennial and beyond. The exhibit is foundational to local History education and extends our interpretation beginning with our earliest geological History and inhabitants up to The current-day evolution of Erie County. -wednesday evening History happy hour series brings local experts to engage in The History of our region.-the annual cherry blossom festival- a week-long celebration of The japanese gardens and multiculturalism in Buffalo in partnership with olmsted parks conservancy, music is art, friends of The japanese garden and cherry blossom festival volunteers. -m&t free third fridays offer free general admission each month-exhibits in development include: Erie canal 2025 at canalside, The spirit of The city, The trial of red jacket and on The shoulders of giants: innovation in american stained glass curated by The stained glass association of america (sgaa) in collaboration with judson studios. This exhibit pays homage to generations of stained-glass artists who have pushed The boundaries of The medium. The exhibit is in celebration of The sgaa's 120th anniversary and will feature works by amir fallah, james jean, narcissus quagliata, judith schaechter, and more.doubling our capacity for youth education and enrichment:the "continuum" exhibit is foundational to local History education. The exhibit extends our interpretations of local indigenous peoples, settlement, immigration, industrialization, pan american exposition, architecture, Erie canal, and The continuing evolution of Erie County. Exhibit content aligns with social studies curriculum and creates access for all students to have engaging, personal moments with History. The restoration of our lower level directly feeds into our educational programming. The space-which served as The original entryway to our building during The 1901 pan american exposition gives youth an authentic experience unique to our Museum. One-of-a-kind experiences outside The classroom increases learning retention. Prior to The pandemic, we were The only cultural organization offering a full day field trip. The flexible use space on our lower level more than doubles our capacity to serve more students during each field trip, providing an area for participants to enjoy lunch and hands-on activities.deai initiatives form a practice taking action:-co-create experiences to amplify diverse voices from The community about issues that affect Buffalo's future. -support The missions of partner community organizations by sharing our resources to deliver collaborative programs. -offer new ways for guests and partners to participate through virtual and on-site free programming.-sustain relationships with established community partners. Seeking 1-2 additional community partners to create collaborative exhibits and programs.-continue to foster The dynamic of The Museum's deai committee at both The board and staff levels, realizing key goals and new opportunities.-act on multi-year deai plan completed in 2022 as part of inclusive culturals initiative grant. Local History feeds development and placemaking work in wny:local History shapes and contributes to The revitalization of wny. Many recent development projects are distinctive because they celebrate our local story-i.e., canalside, larkinville, richardson olmsted complex, and Buffalo riverworks. Tbhm is The trusted source for authentic, unique resources. Potential audiences include The growing community of preservationists, genealogists and casual researchers.removing barriers to access and participation:in 2022, The Museum served a total of over 32,000 individuals. The Museum tracked 11,000 general admission guests to The Museum for a visit. In addition, The Museum saw over 8,300 attendees to our programs, 5,000 attendees to educational programming and 8,000 attendees to our special events. Our pay-what-you-wish admission model has proven to be both profitable and equitable.