Please note that curators cannot appraise the value of objects.
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You Asked the Curator -- and We Answered!
Rachel from Waterloo,SC asked:
Do you have an exhibit on Doolittle's Raiders?
We have a small section on the third floor that includes a model of the carrier with the 16 B-25. There is also a small case of artifacts that were loaned by Lieut. Horace Crouch, navigator of Plane 10. They have been exhibited there now for more than eight years and will be there for several more years to come.
Fritz Hamer
Chief Curator of History
jennifer from colorado asked:
Does your museum have any Dave the Slave pottery?
We have several pots made by and attributed to the 19th century, Edgefield potter named Dave. There are about 10 currently on exhibition (from our collection and on loan) including the oldest, dated verse pot from 1834, which is part of the collection. The Charleston Museum also has a great collection of his pottery.
Paul Matheny
Chief Curator of Art
Chris from COLUMBIA SC asked:
Hi i recently purchased a confederate $20 note how can i tell if it is real or a reproduction?
It’s rather difficult to tell you for certain. But if you look at the signature on the bill and it is original then it should be authentic. However, the paper is also a good way to tell if you know what to look for. Generally the quality is not great. Nonetheless, one can never be sure without showing it to a currency expert in this field.
Fritz Hamer
Chief Curator of History
Mark from Ballentine, SC asked:
You have a Model A or Model T antique car on display. It was formerly owned by my great uncle. His last name was Hall, but I forget his first name. Would you please tell me the original owner's name? I'm arguing with one of my cousins. I think it was Hillary, he thinks it was Elija. Thank you.
Our records show that the first owner of this car was Elijah Hall of Lexington County when it was purchased from the dealer new in 1914. His son Lindsay received it after his father’s death years later.
Fritz Hamer
Chief Curator of History
Troy from York, South Carolina asked:
Pierce Mason Butler, Commander of the Palmetto Regiment during the Mexican War, was killed at the Battle of Churubusco. Is the sword presented by the State of South Carolina to his son in your collection, and if so, is it on display?
Yes, the sword in question is in the SC State Museum collection. It is currently displayed in the Fall Line exhibition in the Lipscomb Art Gallery on the first floor thru March 22, 2010.
Ellen from Greer, SC asked:
For many years we thoroughly enjoyed the Evening of Jazz & Blues hosted by the SC State Museum. We made special trips to Columbia just for that event and looked forward to it every year. I always thought it was a fundraising event for the Museum, but haven't been able to find in on the events calendar for a few years now. What happened to it?
When we started aggressively fundraising for the Capital Campaign 3 years ago, we had to make some tough decisions about where we needed to focus the Foundation's limited staff resources. The Jazz & Blues annual event was very labor intensive and we simply didn't feel we had the resources to focus on that event, the capital campaign, Museum general and corporate membership, and exhibit/special event fundraising for the Museum. So, Jazz & Blues has been temporarily put on hold until we wrap up the capital campaign fundraising. It is my intent to resurrect Jazz & Blues in the next year or two.
Adrienne Huffman
Executive Director Museum Foundation
Beth Thompson from lexington asked:
I just recently received a picture from my grandfather it has Lumen Winter signatrue. I am not sure if it is a print or a painting how can i tell and also it needs to be cleaned how should i go about that? If it needs to be appraised who would you suggest that would not charge and would be local?
You can look at the picture under a magnifying glass and try to see if there is a dot pattern. For example, look at a newspaper photo under a magnifying glass first, then compare the surface of the painting the same way. If it has the same "dot" pattern, then it is surely a print. If not, it could be a different printing process, or an original work of art.
We have a museum road show event on January 16, 2010 where appraisers and a conservator will be on hand to answer questions as well.
Paul Matheny
Chief Curator of Art
Laura Kirk from Lee State Natural Area, Bishopville asked:
Who does the museum's taxidermy? Do you have different taxidermists for mammals and birds?
Many of the taxidermied birds, mammals, and snakes that are in the State Museum collection are relatively old, dating back to the beginnings of the Museum collection in the mid-1970's. We have had little taxidermied since that time, although several taxidermied specimens have been donated to us.
It would depend on the source of the specimen as to who would do the work. If I were to get a call about a specimen from the upstate I would ask the potential donor if there is someone in their area who might be able to do the work for a tax deduction.
Mammals are not a problem to have done, but birds are. Nearly all birds that occur in South Carolina, less the game species, are covered under one or several national laws as to possession. Most taxidermy specialists do not have the necessary permits to possess a particular bird species. For this reason we have not had many done over the last few years.
I hope this answers your question.
Jim Knight
Robert Weaver from Shaw AFB asked:
I have a blue green bottle with SC Dispensary with a palmetto tree on it. I have only been able to obtain limited info online about. Could you help me? I can e-mail pix if you can tell me where to send it.
You might be served to find Harvey
Teal’s recent study of the dispensary that has a lot about bottles in it. You
should be able to get it through your local library. I don’t have the exact
title of this book but it came out in 2006, as I recall.
Fritz
Hamer
Chief Curator of
History
*Books about the South Carolina Dispensary are available in the Cotton Mill Exchange. Call (803) 898-4967 for more information.
Chip from Thomasville, GA asked:
I'm writing a biography of William Moultrie. Do you have the headgear of either the 1st or 2nd Regiment of the S.C. Continental Line?
In reply to your question we have a reproduction of the 2nd regiment cover. We do not have anything original from the regiment except for the blue color presented to the 2nd regiment a few days after the Battle of Sullivan’s Island.
Fritz Hamer
Chief Curator of History
Elizabeth from Cayce asked:
I'm doing a project for a museum studies class at USC. I was wondering when the two 1907 "boxhead" model Fales & Jenks spinning frames were acquired, and if that was through gift or purchase.
In answer to your "ask a curator" question, the two spinning frames were added to the museum's collection in 1986 as a gift.
Michelle Baker
Chief Registrar
Kim from Bennettsville, SC asked:
Will the dinosaur exhibit ever come back to the SC State Museum? I was able to see it a few years back and would love to take my children to see the exhibit.
We have done 3 different dinosaur exhibits since we started displaying special “blockbuster” type exhibits in 1996.
They have all been very popular, so I am sure we’ll probably do another one sometime in the future, but our exhibit development team hasn’t decided on any dinosaurs for at least a year.
Rosemary from Columbia, Maryland asked:
I am conducting research on African-American cemeteries in suburban Washington, DC, dating from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. I am interested in reviewing a publication on a South CArolina State Museum exhibition, The Last Miles of the Way: African-American Homegoing Traditions, 1890-Present, that is referenced in many bibliographies related to African-American burial ground preservation. How many I obtain a copy? Thank you.
Dear Rosemary,
Thank you for your request for a copy of the catalogue, The Last Miles of the Way. It was published in conjunction with an exhibit of the same title and can be purchased in our store, for $10 plus ($5) shipping and handling.
The Cotton Mill Exchange,
SCSM
P.O. Box 100107
Columbia, SC 29202-3107.
* SC residents must add 7% sales tax
Thanks.
Elaine Nichols
Curator of History