Mordecai Peter Centennial Brown Event in Rockville
This event will mark the 100th anniversary of the Cubs last World Series win and will take place on Oct. 12 and 13 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day at the Parke County Historical Society Museum, located at 503 W. Ohio St. in Rockville.

Authors Scott Brown and Cindy Thomson will be signing books about the great Cub pitcher, who was also a Parke County native

Mordecai Peter Centennial Brown, also known as "Three Finger", "Miner", and "Brownie", pitched for the Chicago Cubs from 1904 to 1912, and again in 1916. The Cubs enjoyed their best years during Mordecai's tenure. He is a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame with a lifetime ERA of 2.88. He obtained the nickname "Three Finger" because he was missing the index finger of his pitching hand due to a childhood accident with a corn shredder. Some believe his mangled hand caused him to throw a curveball that Ty Cobb once called "the most devastating pitch I ever faced."

Mordecai Brown was born in the coal mining town of Nyesville in Parke County.

For more information contact the Parke County Historical Society at (765) 569-2223.

Antiques Appraisals and Brown Bag Lunch in Scottsburg
This program will take place on Oct. 15 at noon at the Scott County Heritage Center located at 1050 S. Main St. in Scottsburg.

The event is free to the public. Those attending the event supply their own lunch and the museum will provide drinks and desserts.

Ever wondered if that old vase you picked up at an auction last summer is a valuable antique? Or maybe that old necklace that belonged to grandma? Lyman Goben may have your answer. Goben, who has appraised antiques for banks, insurance companies and individuals for the last thirty years, will be on hand to provide guests with appraisals of their own antiques. Due to space and time constraints, please bring only portable items (no large furniture please) and no more than two items per guest.

For more information call (812) 752-1050.

R.I.P. - Victorian Mourning Customs Gallery Talks in South Bend
This is a series of gallery talks related to the exhibit R.I.P. - Victorian Mourning Customs at the Center for History in South Bend.

• “Mourning: It’s a Way of Life” with Donna McCreary
  This lecture will take place on Thursday, Oct. 16 at 7 p.m.
  
  Our Victorian ancestors followed strict traditions as they mourned the loss of loved ones. There were proper ways to dress and conduct oneself in times of grief. Donna McCreary will explore this topic and will also talk about mourning in the Civil War years, when death confronted so many families on a daily basis, as well as why postmortem photographs were so revered by families.
  
  
• “The History of the Coroner” with John Pless, M.D.
  This lecture will take place on Thursday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m.
  
  The practice of securing a "physician’s opinion" with deaths of a suspicious nature is centuries old. In America in the 18th and 19th centuries, coroners conducted inquests much like those done in medieval England, holding nearly as much legal power as sheriffs. By the early 20th century, the legal system mandated that coroners had to be trained physicians in good standing. New laws also gave coroners the power to begin conducting autopsies. Dr. Pless will talk about the role of coroners and changes in their purpose and power through the years.

R.I.P. - Victorian Mourning Customs explores the extravagant funerals and prolonged periods of mourning that were essential elements of Victorian grieving. Memorial photographs, mourning garments, funeral invitations and salesmen’s sample tombstones are shown.

As part of the program, attendees may visit the exhibit before and after the talk. Gallery guides will be present to answer questions.

These lectures are free with the purchase of a museum admission, which is $8 for adults, $6.50 for seniors, $5 for youth ages six to 17 and free for members.

For additional information, call (574) 235-9664 or visit http://www.centerforhistory.org/.

100 Years of Design Gallery Talks in South Bend
This is a series of gallery talks related to the exhibit 100 Years of Design at the Center for History in South Bend.

• “Fashionable First Lady: The Victorian Wardrobe of Mary Todd Lincoln” with Donna McCreary
  This lecture will take place on Sunday, Oct. 19 at 2 p.m.
  
  Donna McCreary, author of Lincoln’s Table: A President’s Culinary Journey from Cabin to Cosmopolitan and Fashionable First Lady: The Victorian Wardrobe of Mary Lincoln, will give the presentation. McCreary has written numerous articles related to the Todd family and is a Mary Todd Lincoln interpreter and frequent lecturer at the Indiana Historical Society. She travels extensively researching the Lincoln and Todd families.
  
  
• “A Survey of Decorative Arts” with J. Scott Keller
  This lecture will take place on Sunday, Nov. 2 at 2 p.m.
  
  Keller will examine decorative arts in America during the Aesthetic Movement, as well as the Art Noveau, Art and Crafts and Art Deco periods. Keller, a commissioner of the Department of Metropolitan Development for the City of Indianapolis, taught at the Herron School of Art and Design for 14 years and is senior appraiser and lecturer at Blackard and Geiger, Ltd., in Indianapolis.
  
  
• “100 Years of Fashions and Furnishings” with Pat Potts and Norma Lu Meehan
  This lecture will take place on Sunday, Nov. 16 at 2 p.m.
  
  Pat Potts and Norma Lu Meehan, two of the guest curators of 100 Years of Design, will discuss the exhibit's costumes, furniture and decorative arts, which are all from the Center for History's collections.

The exhibit 100 Years of Design features upscale fashions dating from the 1830s to the 1930s from the Center for History’s heralded costume collection. Set against backdrops of period furnishings, also from the museum’s collections, it offers a look at a century of history in South Bend and surrounding communities. Visitors can learn about "polite society," a culture in which fashions of the day were found in homes designed by leading American architects. They will find themselves transported to an era where the elite donned top hats and tails and designer gowns and furs to attend gala events at places like South Bend’s Oliver Opera House. The exhibit also explores the economics that drove the area’s success as a Midwestern manufacturing complex in America’s Industrial Revolution, thereby providing many local families the buying power to be active in international society.

As part of the program, attendees may visit the exhibit before and after the talk. Gallery guides will be present to answer questions.

These lectures are free with the purchase of a museum admission, which is $8 for adults, $6.50 for seniors, $5 for youth ages six to 17 and free for members.

For additional information, call (574) 235-9664 or visit http://www.centerforhistory.org/.

Scott County Heritage Center and Museum to Reveal Second Floor
The Scott County Heritage Center and Museum in Scottsburg will celebrate the completion of the museum’s rehabilitation project with two events to show off the newly opened second floor. 

• Members-Only Sneak Peek
  This event will take place on Thursday, Oct. 23, from 5 to 7 p.m. The sneak peek is an informal reception offering guests a chance to tour the second floor and to learn about the future use for each room.
  
  
• County Home Grand Reopening
  This event will take place on Saturday Oct., 25, from 3 to 5 p.m. The County Home Grand Reopening will celebrate the building’s past, present and future. Volunteers will be on hand to share stories of past county home residents and caretakers and to discuss how the museum was created. This event is free to the public.

Construction to complete the rehabilitation of the second floor of the museum began earlier this year. Kovert-Hawkins Architects of Jeffersonville served as the architects and Temple Construction of Salem was the general contractor. PAI secured a loan through the US Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development program to fund the project.

For more information call (812) 752-1050.

Mary Lincoln, the Quintessential Hostess with Author Donna McCreary in Scottsburg
This luncheon and lecture will take place on Oct. 30 at noon at the Scott County Heritage Center and Museum in Scottsburg.

McCreary has authored two books, Lincoln’s Table: A President’s Culinary Journey from Cabin to Cosmopolitan and Fashionable First Lady: The Victorian Wardrobe of Mary Lincoln.  McCreary’s presentation, Mary Lincoln, the Quintessential Hostess, will examine the styles, customs and practices employed by Mrs. Lincoln when hosting an event as well as stories about social events involving the Lincoln family. 

Tickets for the luncheon are $12 per person and include lunch with a dessert. Tickets are available at the museum. 

Seating is limited. Please call the museum at (812) 752-1050 for availability.

SAFE AND SOUND. LETTER TO FOLLOW: Stories of Hoosiers at Home and War during WWII
This presentation is a part of the "Sharing Hoosier History through Stories" series sponsored by the Indiana Historical Society and Storytelling Arts of Indiana Inc.

The presentation is free to the public and will take place at the following venues:

• Anderson Public Library
  Saturday, Nov. 1 at 1 p.m.
  Call (765) 641-2442 for details.
  
  
• Harold W. Richardson Memorial Chapel at Franklin College
  Thursday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m.
  Call (317) 738-8214 for details.
  
  
• Allen County Public Library
  Sunday, Nov. 9 at 2 p.m.
  Call (260) 421-1235 for details.
  
  
• Monroe County Public Library
  Sunday, Dec. 7 at 2 p.m.
  Call (812) 349-3228 for details.

Stephanie Holman came upon the two-line telegraph, "SAFE AND SOUND. LETTER TO FOLLOW", while researching at the Indiana Historical Society's library. This wireless “radiogram” was sent home to Indiana nearly 70 years ago, just after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Holman's storytelling performance presents a fascinating mix of humor and fear as revealed in the war letters of World War II. The letters by soldiers and their families describe both the realities of war on the battlefront and the effects of war on the home front. Stories of military life dominate the narrative, from the trials of basic training to close calls in battle. Yet, through their inquires about family crops, sweethearts and the romantic notions of younger siblings, these letters also reveal a yearning to stay connected with home and loved ones.

Contact host organizations at the phone numbers listed above or visit http://www.indianahistory.org/ for additional information.

23rd Annual Festival of Gingerbread in Fort Wayne
This event will take place from Nov. 28 through Dec. 14 at the History Center in Fort Wayne.

Patrons can have their holiday photos taken by a professional photographer on Saturday, Nov. 8, from noon to 5 p.m. These festive photos may be used for your holiday greeting cards or a unique family portrait! And since the History Center will be all decked out for the holidays, visitors may take their own personal photos at any time for those wonderful holiday memories! Please call the Fort Wayne History Center for pricing and further information.

Special holiday exhibits during the Festival of Gingerbread include A Wolf and Dessauer display featuring the original Phil Steigerwald Santa-suit, The Night Before Christmas watercolors and a display of holiday photos from years past. Visit the museum shop for many unique holiday gift ideas, and purchase your special Festival of Gingerbread 2008 Limited Edition artwork created by local artist Julia Meek. This artwork will be available on resin ornaments, posters and note cards.

Admission is $5 for adults; $3 for seniors and students and free to children under age 5. Admission for school groups is $2 per student.

For hours, weekend entertainment schedules and additional events, visit the History Center’s website at http://www.fwhistorycenter.com/. For more information, call the History Center at (260) 426-2882.

Conservation Clinic: Help Me, I'm Fading: Safely Displaying Your Family Treasures
This clinic will be held on Friday, Oct. 17, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center.

Clinics are free and open to the public, but seating is limited to the first 15 participants.

Join the IHS Conservation team on the third Friday of each month this fall as they conduct 30-minute lessons on how to preserve family treasures in the History Lab.

Entries for 2008 Honeywell Center Photography Show
Photograph entries for the show can be submitted on Oct. 22 or 23 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Center.

Amateur and professional photographers may enter up to three photographs in the show in any category: color, black and white, and computer enhanced. 

The Photography Show exhibit will be displayed in the Clark Gallery at the Center from Oct. 25 through Nov. 17. The exhibit is presented by Borders and Beyond Gallery.

A public reception will be held on Sunday, Nov. 17 at 5 p.m. to recognize all participants and award monetary prizes to the Best of Show and First, Second and Third Place winners in the three categories. The Best of Show winner will be awarded $250, courtesy of Wabash County Arts Council; First Place $75; Second Place $50; and Third Place $25.

A complete list of rules and guidelines is available at http://www.honeywellcenter.org/, or by calling (260) 563-1102.

National:

Exhibit Historian at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History in Jackson, Miss.
The Museum Division of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History seeks an Exhibit Historian.

The starting annual salary is $30,195.41 plus benefits.

The position involves work that is highly professional in nature and held to high standards. Duties include the design and fabrication of exhibit components and artifact mounts, as well as researching, writing, and editing museum text. Incumbents work under the general supervision of the Director of Exhibits; however, incumbents may have supervisory responsibilities within their section.

The Historian must be creative, have a working knowledge of power tool operation and construction techniques, be able to work as part of a team with the ability to multi-task and be willing to learn new techniques. The position requires a degree in graphic design, history, or a related field. Experience in exhibit design and production is preferred. Knowledge of computer programs such as Microsoft Word, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop is a plus.

Education and experience must meet one of the following criteria:

• Master's Degree from an accredited four-year college or university in an academic field acceptable to the employing authority.
• Bachelor's Degree from an accredited four-year college or university and two years of experience in work related to the above-described duties.
• Graduation from a standard four-year high school or equivalent (GED) and four years of experience in work related to the above-described duties.
• Substitution Statement: Experience in a field acceptable to the employing authority and education acceptable to the employing authority may be submitted on an equal basis.

Send resume to:
John Gardner, Director of Exhibits
Mississippi Department of Archives and History
Museum Division
P.O. Box 571
Jackson, MS 39205
(601) 576-6928
jgardner@mdah.state.ms.us

The deadline for receiving applications is Oct. 26.

Federal Agencies Digitization Guidelines Initiative
The Library of Congress announced that a dozen federal agencies are launching an initiative to establish a common set of guidelines for digitizing historical materials.

The Federal Agencies Digitization Guidelines Initiative will address issues related to the complex activities involved in the digitization of cultural heritage items.

For more information visit http://www.digitizationguidelines.gov/.