Newseum Announces 2003 Acquisitions; Bomb-Shattered Reporter's Automobile Among 500 New Artifacts 2/2/2004
From: Mike Fetters of the Newseum, 703-284-2895 ARLINGTON, Va., Feb. 2 -- The Newseum, the interactive museum of news being built in Washington, D.C., added more than 500 journalism-related artifacts to the museum's collection in 2003. One powerful and moving new object in the museum's collection is the bomb-shattered automobile that belonged to Don Bolles, an Arizona Republic reporter who covered organized crime. Bolles was killed in 1976 when a bomb exploded in his Datsun. The wreckage will become a key component of the new museum's "Dateline Danger" gallery, which will examine the risks reporters face covering the news. Other acquisitions include original AP and UPI teletype wire copy associated with the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy; models of the space shuttle that were used on-air by CNN correspondent Miles O'Brien during the network's coverage of the Columbia crash in February; and the camera used by Pulitzer Prize- winning photojournalist Harry Trask to capture the July 1956 sinking of the luxury liner Andrea Doria just off Nantucket Island, Mass. With these acquisitions, the Newseum collection now numbers more than 5,500 artifacts, not counting the museum's unique collection of more than 40,000 historic newspaper front pages. "These artifacts will help the Newseum better tell the story behind the news," said Newseum Executive Director and Senior Vice President Joe Urschel. "We'll have much more space in our new building in downtown D.C., and with these artifacts we'll be able to better elucidate international news, the rise of the electronic media, the role of the First Amendment, and how the media covered historic news events such as Sept. 11." In addition to news and journalism artifacts, the Newseum in 2003 acquired two substantial photographic collections. In February the Newseum received 3,300 images from the estate of photojournalist Charles Del Vecchio. Del Vecchio was on the staff of The Washington Post for more than 40 years. In March the museum acquired more than 25,000 images - prints, negatives and slides - taken by photojournalist Ted Polumbaum (1924-2001). Polumbaum worked for publications such as TIME, LIFE, Sports Illustrated, Fortune, People, The New York Times Magazine, The Saturday Evening Post, Look and Esquire. 2003 acquisition highlights: -- 1802 receipt - signed by U.S. Postmaster Gen. Gideon Granger - confirming payment for Thomas Jefferson's newspaper subscription; -- bound volume of The Canadian Illustrated News (1869) featuring the first-known photograph to appear in a newspaper; -- more than 100 vintage television sets, representing the years 1948-1982; -- World War II correspondents' patches, typewriter, Peabody award certificate and other items from the collection of journalist Pauline Frederick; -- "Weekend Update" sign from the first season of the "Saturday Night Live" television series; and -- original Ernie Pyle-typed manuscript for one of the famed journalist's World War II newspaper columns. In addition, the Newseum received a walking stick carved by journalist Pius Njawe of Le Messenger while he was in prison in Cameroon. The stick has the words "Freedom Forum" (the Newseum's parent organization) running down its back from the handle, in recognition of the organization's efforts to support worldwide press freedom. The Newseum also announced long-term artifact loans of the camera used by Charles Porter to capture his 1996 Pulitzer Prize- winning photographs of the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing; clothing worn by photojournalist Thomas E. Franklin of The Record (Bergen County, N.J.) while covering the Sept. 11, 2001, attack in New York; and a chair used by Gen. James M. Lingan. Lingan's name is the first of nearly 1,500 names that appear chronologically on the Journalists Memorial, which honors those who died while reporting the news. Lingan was killed in 1812 by a mob angered by the publisher's public opposition to the War of 1812. The Newseum collections seek to preserve journalism and news history throughout the world, and artifacts are selected for their potential contributions to Newseum exhibitions or for their value as objects that can be used for research and educational outreach by journalists, students and the general public (with a particular emphasis on the residents of the District of Columbia). The recent acquisitions and loan agreements reflect a Newseum artifact collection effort that has intensified as the museum prepares to relocate to a new facility that will have three times the exhibition space of the original Newseum. Individuals and organizations wishing additional information about the Newseum's collection policy should contact the museum's senior manager for collections and registration, Carrie Christoffersen, at 703/284- 3756 or artifacts@freedomforum.org. The Newseum, the interactive museum of news being developed in Washington, D.C., is funded by the Freedom Forum, a nonpartisan foundation dedicated to free press, free speech and free spirit for all people. For more information about the Newseum, visit http://www.newseum.org. ------ Recent Newseum/Freedom Forum releases: -- Freedom Forum Diversity Institute Welcomes Fifth Class of Seven Journalism Fellows (Jan. 23, 2004) -- Freedom Forum Announces 2003 Al Neuharth Free Spirit of the Year (Jan. 22, 2004) -- Freedom Forum Names 23 Chips Quinn Scholars for Spring 2004 Program (Jan. 20, 2004) -- Newseum Unveils Two Web Sites (Nov. 17, 2003) |