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Enlighten Me: Delaware Historical Society’s 'Collecting Wilmington: Place, Perspective & Memory’

The Delaware Historical Society launched a new exhibit this week - one that’s so big it will be rolled out in 5 parts between now and May 2020.

It’s called “Collecting Wilmington: Place, Perspective & Memory” – and features the Historical Society’s recently acquired Paul Preston Davis Collection of Delawareana. Davis is a retired Delmarva Power executive who spent over four decades amassing a vast collection of rare business trade cards, photography, African Americana, rare print materials, and commemorative objects. He donated it to the Historical Society last year.

In this week’s Enlighten Me, Delaware Historical Society’s Chief Curator Leigh Rifenburg joins us to learn more about the collection, the man behind it,  and getting ready to show it to the public.

Historical Society unveiled the first piece of this exhibition, featuring Business Ephemera, October 1st.

The roll-out continues over the next 8 months in this order:

  • Rare Books and Print Materials, November 14, 2019
  • Sheet Music, January 14, 2020
  • Watches and Commemorative Objects, March 3, 2020
  • Wilmington Photography,  May 6, 2020

More information about the “Collecting Wilmington: Place, Perspective & Memory” and how it will be rolled out is available at the Delaware Historical Society’s website.

Tom Byrne has been a fixture covering news in Delaware for three decades. He joined Delaware Public Media in 2010 as our first news director and has guided the news team ever since. When he's not covering the news, he can be found reading history or pursuing his love of all things athletic.
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