Day 12: D is for Donation

I'm very proud.

Last weekend was Andersonville's annual Sidewalk Sale, when shops up and down Clark Street dust off their old wares and sell them for a fraction of the price. I happily agreed to assist with the costume jewelry table. The Swedish American Museum had a large quantity of donated costume jewelry that weren't sold last year, which I marked down and placed in what I hoped was an aesthetically pleasing manner. Some were even packaged in old Marshall Field's boxes, to which a volunteer at the museum joked were heirlooms on their own. All fine jewelry (silver, gold, any precious stones) were reserved for the Tantalizing Treasure Sale, an annual benefit that where precious donated items were sold. The Treasure Sale included donated works of art, fine antiques, etc. I learned that in order to maintain a non-profit organization, the museum held certain events such as these. I'm not complaining. I had a lot fun setting up and getting to know the patrons. The sale drew in a lot of traffic; many of the visitors had never been to the Swedish American Museum before. After purchasing their items, many of them took a tour of the exhibits.

When I was done setting up, I headed back to the office to continue working on my Swedish Sites Project. As I was, I passed by Veronica, our curator. She was inspecting late 19th century dresses that an elderly member had donated to the museum. They were his great-aunt's, and he had generously contributed them, along with several photos. Veronica explained that when someone decides to make a donation, they have two options: 1) donate the items and leave them completely at the museum's disposal or 2) donate the items and have the museum return any they might not place in an exhibit. If a museum does not need certain items, it is plausible to transfer them to other museums. The second option, therefore is for individuals who would prefer to know the location of their heirlooms. The man who donated his great-aunt's items chose this option. I could understand this. If I have a special connection to the Swedish American Museum, or if I live near it, I could visit my relative's personal items and take pride that they are on display. Others, however, are happy to share their ancestors' legacy wherever they may end up. Or they just want to clean their crawlspace.