Free Hidden Treasure Evaluations at Air Museum

Saturday Aug. 30 at 1 p.m. March Field Air Museum will present a one-hour briefing on “How to Care For Your Hidden Treasurers at Home.” This is the final talk in the museum’s Saturday Summer briefings series for 2014. The workshop will be presented by Michelle Sifuentes, the museum’s collection manager who will advise attendees on methods of preserving old scrapbooks, original photographs and aging textiles and uniforms. “The techniques may be very simple but they can prolong the life of one’s family treasurers for future generations to enjoy,” says museum director Patricia Korzec. ”We often have members of our community bring in boxes of items from deceased family members that have been stored in their garages for years. When they are opened the treasured items often are infested with bugs, may have suffered water damage or simply have disintegrated because of chemical reactions with materials they are stored in.” This talk is free with paid museum admission. Prior to the 1 p.m. talk, Museum Curator Jeff Houlihan and the collections manager will conduct a free three-hour drop in session where members of the community can bring in items for identification. The public may bring in two items between the hours of 9 a.m. and noon for evaluation. No monetary value will be given but staff will provide more information about these items. Access to this session is free and will be held in the museum’s Yeager Family Library. Follow separate entry signs in the parking lot to gain access to this special morning session. The museum is continuously trying to create an awareness of what treasures might be hidden in storage areas and attics in local neighborhoods. With aging veterans, their families might not be aware that their personal records, scrapbooks and letters may have priceless value to museums. Three years ago a cardboard box of letters was dropped off at the museum’s admission desk which contained ninety personal letters from a soldier written during WWII. For the museum’s curator, Jeff Houlihan, this was a tremendous “find”. “The letters cover SSgt Rogers experiences as a young airman in the Second World War. Intimate and uncensored, the letters give a candid view of army life, training, flying and the gradually increasing awareness of the terrors of war. By preventing the letters from destruction the museum has been afforded an opportunity to preserve the legacy of the common Army Air Force service members of World War II, all through the first person voice of SSgt Rogers,” says Houlihan. This exhibit will open Fall of 2014. The museum encourages everyone to be on the lookout for some of these “hidden treasures” and save them from destruction. Anyone with items may contact jeff@marchfield.org, michelle@marchfield.org or call 951-902-5599. Museum admission is $10 for adults ages 12 and up and $5 for children 5 to 12. March Field Air Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday and is located at 22550 Van Buren Blvd., Riverside CA 92518.