The Moravian Historical Society in the Morning Call Newspaper, 1984 to today

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CONSULTANT TO HELP IMPROVE COLLECTIONS AT MORAVIAN MUSEUM

Morning Call - Allentown, Pa. Author: LORNA WEIL, The Morning Call

Copyright Morning Call Feb 20, 1984

The Moravian Historical Society has begun long-range improvement of its collections in the Whitefield House Museum of Nazareth.

The program began earlier this month when Beth Pearce of Myrtle Beach, S.C., assumed the post of museum consultant. She will fill the newly created position for one year, according to the museum and library committee.

Miss Pearce, familiar with Moravian antiquities and museum procedures, will be working with the society's holdings both in the museum and the library.

Her primary objective, says Atty. Walter L. Peters of Nazareth, vice president of the society and a member of the museum and library committee, will be registering and cataloging museum and library objects.

She also will be dealing with the problems of proper installation of exhibits, conservation of museum objects in storage, and research and guidelines for acquisitions.

Miss Pearce will be continuing the registration and cataloging begun on a limited basis last year by Karie Diethorn, a researcher from the University of Delaware.

Peters describes the efforts undertaken by Miss Pearce as preliminary steps in the long-range plan. Its ultimate goal is a keener understanding of the Moravian culture as it relates to the Whitefield House and nearby Gray Cottage, both part of the historic Ephrata Tract owned by the society.

Last month, Miss Pearce graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in American studies from Salem College, Winston-Salem, N.C.

While at Salem College, she was assistant archivist, cataloging books in the collection, maintaining a large photograph collection and assisting with research.

Last summer she received a grant from the Wachovia Historical Society to establish and compile an accessions system for Salem College's collection of 18th and 19th century objects. She also accessioned more than 700 pieces of furniture, needlework, china and pottery, did archival research and archaeological exploration in the 1786 Single Sisters House, and compiled final reports, including restoration proposals.

Miss Pearce participated in the 1982 and 1983 archaeological digs with Old Salem, Inc., Winston-Salem, during which she assisted excavating foundations for the John Ackerman House and the 1832 Charles Cooper House.

While serving an internship with the director of restoration for Old Salem, Inc., she prepared exhibits on the Charles Cooper House, conducted a census of Salem inhabitants for 1762-1860 and researched estate records at the North Caroline State Archives.

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