Be on the lookout: Artifacts stolen from museum in Northwest Ohio

OAHSM received word recently that artifacts were stolen from the MacDonell House of the Allen Co. Historical Society during the last full week of June. See below for details. Please be on the lookout for these items.

From: Allen County Museum & Historical Society
620 W. Market St., Lima, OH 45801
PH: 419-222-9426
FAX: 419-222-0649

Report of Stolen items - Please be on the look out

Two vintage beaded purses were stolen from the Victorian “MacDonell House”, owned and operated by the Allen County Historical Society, during the week of June 22, 2009.

Description of Purses:
1. Rectangular, (approximately 5 to 7 inches in width) hand-beaded purse with a large colorful peacock on the front and back. The beads were of normal size in colors of shimmering green, dark blue and gold with a touch of black. The latch and strap were tarnished gold or brass plated. The fringe was made to look like peacock tail feathers, in a “v” pattern. (ca. 1920s).

2. Rectangular beaded purse with a tarnished gold or brass plated latch and strap. The beads were very small gold with olive green patina design in an art deco pattern. A few strands of the bottom fringe were missing. (ca. 1930).

If you have any information about these items, please contact Patricia Smith, Museum Director, Allen County Museum at 419-222-9426.

Be extra careful in securing the collections of your organizations, too. Here’s a link to the Local History Notebook “Security for the Small Historical Organization,” published July / August 1996. It has good suggestions that organizations of any size can implement immediately.

http://www.ohiohistory.org/resource/oahsm/notebook/julaug1996.html

Thanks for your help!