Like the old saying goes, “One person’s junk is another person’s treasure.” At least that’s the message Lois D. Conley, founder and CEO of the Griot Museum of Black History, is promoting with an upcoming event.
“It’s not just junk,” Conley said. “It sometimes has stories associated with it that help give us a broader picture of who we are as a people.”
This Sunday (July 27), the Griot Museum of Black History Collectors’ Guild will present “Collecting Artifacts to Preserve African-American History and Culture” from 2-6 p.m. It is the first event of its kind meant to introduce attendees to the art of collecting and the importance of supporting small African-American museums, she said.
“Sometimes we think we have valuable things in our possession and our first thought is to donate them to one of the major museums,” she said.
Attendees will get a sneak peek at two new minority-owned and -operated museums joining The Griot along St. Louis Avenue. They are the Frederick A. Douglass Museum of African-American Vernacular Images, founded by Robert Green, and the George B. Vashon Cultural Research Center, founded by Calvin Riley.
“A lot of folks do not know that he was big on what photographs would do for our race then and now,” Green said of Frederick Douglass, the man who inspired the naming of his museum.
Green’s personal collection extends from the 1850s through the 1890s with 90 percent taken by St. Louis photographers like Frederick R. Parsons and Samuel Smith. The Frederick A. Douglass Museum of African-American Vernacular Images is located inside the historic Henry W. Peters home.
Green began building his personal collection of vintage photos in 1996 after a visit to Riley’s home.
“He had a treasure trove of African-American artifacts,” Green said of Riley. “That day I would become a participant in preserving our culture and history.”
Riley retired from teaching at St. Louis Public Schools to establish the George B. Vashon Cultural Research Center. For the last year, he has been working to rehab the mansion. He expects to open for business sometime next year.
The museum will display artifacts he has collected over the years from prominent St. Louisans, like Homer G. Phillips and Tuskegee Airmen Lt. Col. Charles Lane. People should not be forgotten, Riley said.
“Those people played a vital part in our community,” he said. “That’s why it’s very important that we preserve these artifacts for the young people to come in and see where we’ve come from and where we can go.”
Both the Douglass museum and the Vashon center are within walking distance from the Griot. Conley was initially apprehensive of her new neighbors.
“Anything new that comes on the block that is doing what you’re doing, you immediately worry about competition,” she said. “But if we work collaboratively, then we all benefit.”
At the event, Conley, Green and Riley will present their respective exhibits. They will be joined by James A. Vincent, co-founder of the St. Louis African American History and Genealogy Society.
The event will feature a different twist on the traditional “moveable feast,” Conley said. The event will begin and end at the Griot after attendees have visited each museum. A light reception will immediately follow the program.
Attendees will also have an opportunity to become founding members of the Collectors’ Guild. The Collectors’ Guild is meant to be an ongoing educational component at The Griot that will offer hands-on workshops on how to preserve photographs or keep family documents safe.
Prepaid registration is $15 per person and is required by Thursday, July 24. For additional information, call 314-241-7057
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