ENTERTAINMENT

Morristown National Historic Park opens archives

BILL NUTT
CORRESPONDENT

Jude M. Pfister wants to spread the word that the Morristown National Historical Park’s archival collection includes more than 350,000 items, dating back to the 15th century.

This is not exactly a news flash, considering that the vast majority of the pieces in the archives were acquired 60 years ago.

But Pfister, the park’s chief of cultural resources, realizes that most members of the general public – even longtime Morris County residents interested in history – are unaware of the extent of the park’s archives.

“I would say that 95 to 99 percent of the people who visit the park have no idea what’s in the collection, or even that there is a collection,” says Pfister. “I hear it all the time: ‘Oh, you mean there’s more than what’s on display?’ ”

To shed light on the archives, the National Historical Park and the Morristown Tourism Bureau are sponsoring a curator’s tour this Saturday, Aug. 15. Admission to the tour includes a day’s admission to the park itself.

“A lot of museums have been conducting these behind-the-scenes tours,” says Pfister. “But this is the first time we’ve ever done something like this, and we’re quite excited about it.” He adds the hope that similar tours will be offered in the future.

Pfister, who will lead the tour, stresses that this event will be more than just a talk. “We want to create a personal experience for our visitors, so if something has a particular interest in a certain era in history, we can see what we have.”

Most people, when they think of Morristown and history, automatically focus on the American Revolution.

But Pfister points out that the archives includes some items that predate the founding colony of New Jersey and some from as recent as the 1920s.

“I like to say that we have items from Ferdinand and Isabella to Calvin Coolidge, and all points in between,” Pfister says.

Pfister credits the late Lloyd W. Smith of Florham Park as the father of the archives. Smith was president of the Forbes Investment Bank and also was an antiquarian collector of rare books and manuscripts.

“He wasn’t on the level of J. P. Morgan, but he was wealthy,” Pfister says. “He had quite a good idea.” Smith frequented auction houses in New York City and kept meticulous records on where and when he acquired the various pieces.

On his death in 1955, Smith bequeathed his collection to the National Historical Park, with the stipulation that a library be built to house it. That structure was completed in 1957.

“In the mid- to late 1960s, the park (officials) made the decision to de-emphasize the library,” Pfister says. “That was unfortunate, because it meant that for a time we lost out on the advances that have been made in library sciences.”

However, Pfister says that steps are being taken to raise awareness of the archives. The curator’s tour is one such step. “There’s more to the park’s story than George Washington and the soldiers of the American Revolution,” he says.

“Our biggest concern is making people aware that we have this wonderful collection and that we make it available to researchers,” Pfister says.

Pfister understands the powerful impact that viewing archival material can have, particularly on young people with any curiosity. “I still remember the first time I saw a letter written by Thomas Edison,” he says.

Because space on the tour is limited, pre-registration is recommended. Pfister also urges visitors to consider notifying him in advance of specific interests.

“We have items about the Civil War,” he says. “We have (pieces) about authors or about European royalty. We have one book on King George III and his family.”

Even if visitors do not give him notice, Pfister will try to accommodate last-minute requests. “I hope no one will play ‘Stump the Curator,’ ” he says with a laugh. “But we have a good retrieval system. If I can put my hands on something, I will.”

MORRISTOWN NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK: THE CURATOR’S TOUR

WHAT: Jude M. Pfister, chief of cultural resources for Morristown National Historical Park, leads a tour of the park’s archival collection, which includes more than 350,000 items that date from the 15th to the early 20th Centuries.

WHEN: 10 a.m. Saturday

WHERE: Washington’s Headquarters Museum, 30 Washington Place, Morristown

ADMISSION: $20, including admission to the park for the day. Space is limited, so registration is recommended.

INFORMATION: 973-539-2016, ext. 210, or www.nps.org/morr or http://morristourism.org/history/tours