Collection Survey Begins At The Museum Unfolding Fascinating History

By Abby Haney

An artifact found with the Sandy Historical Society which was hair art made by Mr. Voigt. This is one of the many interesting pieces Sandy Historical Society holds in their collection. 

After receiving the Oregon Heritage Grant, Sandy Historical Society used it to improve their collection by working with Relicura. The first step in this process is to survey the collection in order to create a summary of the findings. This step has begun starting Feb. 3 During it, Relicura and the museum have discovered pieces that showcase Sandy history. 

One such piece of history discovered was hair art, an artwork of jewelry that has human hair woven into it by the craftmaker. Back then, it was to show remembrance or act as a token. 

“[Hair art] seems bizarre today but very common back then,” Relicura Founder and Director Rachael Woody said.

The hair art in Sandy Historical Society was made by Mr. Voigt. He used his hair and various flowers to make his girlfriend back then the piece. For Mr. Voigt, the artwork was a romantic gesture for his girlfriend as he was serving in the German army during World War I. 

“[The hair art is] bizarre but clearly the intricacy that he curled [the hair] that clearly took a lot of time,” Woody said. 

In the basement as well was a photo album. What made the album so unique is its cover and contents. The album cover was a soft velvet that had intricate designs. Inside were photos of numerous people, none of which were named. Even though the photo and album have been stored for a long period of time, it was still perfectly intact. 

“All of them [the photos] are in great shape,” Relicura employee Maia Pattern said.

Photos of Sandy citizens within a photo album held in the Sandy Historical Society. The photos remain in great condition but have faded. Relicura is helping Sandy Historical Society preserve artifacts such as this one. 

While the photos' appearances were clear and in great condition, they have begun to fade over time. Relicura and Sandy Historical Society are working to preserve history, using tools to accomplish this. 

“Because they [the photos] are fading we are going to recommend they [the photos] be scanned to be preserved for the future,” Woody said. 

These artifacts tell a story about Sandy citizens but a unique item found was a Smoky the Bear plushie. The plushie was a special limited edition of Smokey the Bear for his 50th anniversary in 1994. Relicura commented not only on the cuteness of the bear, but the intricacy the designers had. They pointed out that abs were drawn on Smokey, highlighting his strength. 

A plushie of Smokey the Bear in this box for his 50th anniversary. The artifact is being assessed and preserved by Relicura and Sandy Historical Society in order to protect history for the future. 

The Sandy Historical Society path to improving their collection has only begun. These unique items are a part of the history of Sandy that tell the story of how it has become what it is today. Inside the museum is a multitude of artifacts for the public to see in order to learn the history and story of Sandy. 

Abby Haney is the Editor-In-Chief at Sandy High School for the Pioneer Press and is a writer at large for The Sandy Historical Society and The Sandy Standard.