Wednesday, October 23, 2024

Curator's Choice Podcast - The Seashore Trolley Museum, Kennebunkport, Maine - October 22, 2024

Image from the official YouTube channel for Curator's Choice Podcast.

Like History?        Love Museums?

    Curator's Choice is an interview-style podcast with each episode featuring a new museum and the history of two extraordinary artifacts/exhibits housed there. From ancient relics to modern marvels, each episode of this show features a new museum. These guardians of history will share insights, anecdotes, and the often untold stories that breathe life into the artifacts they protect.

    During this past summer, the Executive Director of the Seashore Trolley Museum, Katie Orlando, contacted me and asked if I would like to represent the Seashore Trolley Museum in a podcast interview. Ayla Anderson-Sparks, from the Curator's Choice Podcast, had contacted Katie and asked if the Museum would provide a staff member or volunteer to be interviewed. The podcast topic would have the Museum representative's talk feature stories about two of the Museum's major artifacts and or exhibits. 

    Katie and I agreed that the two featured artifacts should be two in the Maine Collection that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. One, the Museum's first trolley car acquired; Biddeford & Saco Railroad Company, No. 31. The 124-year-old, Car 31, is considered the "Mother" trolley of all trolley museums in the World, and, 2024 is the 85th Anniversary of the saving of Car 31, which began what we now know as the Seashore Tolley Museum. The second featured artifact would be the Portland-Lewiston Interurban, No. 14, Narcissus. The only surviving interurban from what was considered the "Finest Electric Interurban Railway" in Maine and perhaps in all of New England. Former POTUS, Theodore Roosevelt, was a passenger on the Narcissus on August 18, 1914. The Narcissus is currently undergoing restoration at the Seashore Trolley Museum.

    Katie shared Ayla's contact information with me. Ayla and I corresponded and set up a date for the podcast interview. Scroll down to learn more about Ayla and her Curator's Choice Podcast.

And now, I'm sharing the link with you to the newly released podcast...Enjoy!

When you click on the live link below, you will be able to listen to the podcast and access related information about the two featured topics in the Seashore Trolley Museum podcast. In addition, all the other episodes that were previously released by Curator's Choice are also listed.

    Episode 63: Seashore Trolley Museum was released on October 22, 2024

https://www.curatorschoicepodcast.com/1285394/episodes/15973482-episode-63-seashore-trolley-museum

Ayla Anderson-Sparks - Founder - Curator's Choice Podcast

Ayla provided some background about herself for doing the podcast:

    I've always had a deep love for museums, history, and storytelling, which stems from my background in wildlife ecology and conservation, as well as my time working as an interpreter at the Calvert Marine Museum. I also spent several years in the Peace Corps, where I developed educational programs, so combining education with storytelling became a real passion for me.

    The idea for my podcast, Curator's Choice, came to life after I was evacuated from my Peace Corps post in Malawi due to COVID-19. I found myself with a lot of time to reflect and wanted to create something meaningful. I always believed that museums are vibrant, relevant spaces filled with incredible stories that deserve to be shared with a wider audience, and that's how the podcast began. The goal was simple: showcase the fascinating artifacts and exhibits found in museums across the globe and make them accessible to everyone, especially during a time when many museums were closed to the public.

    One of the key early moments that confirmed I was on the right path happened during my episode with the Idaho Potato Museum (Episode 12). Not only was it such a fun and quirky topic, but the museum staff were so enthusiastic and appreciative. Their passion mirrored my own, and hearing their excitement about how much they enjoyed being featured on the podcast made me realize that this project was creating a positive impact.

    Another pivotal moment was when I secured an interview with the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum (Episode 56). This felt like such an important piece of history to cover, and the opportunity to share that with listeners was incredibly fulfilling. It made me smile knowing that I was not only amplifying stories from smaller, lesser-known museums but also highlighting significant historical institutions.

    Ultimately, my goal with Curator's Choice is to foster a love for museums and history through audio storytelling, allowing people to discover new museums, big or small, and feel inspired to visit or learn more. Every episode reminds me why I started this journey, and I'm excited to see where it will go next!
   
Ayla Anderson-Sparks
    
Here is the link to the list of all the Curator's Choice podcasts  - you can also Click Here

To subscribe to Curator's Choice Podcast, copy/paste the URL below into the podcast app of your choice

https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1285394.rss


Several Episodes of the Curator's Choice Podcast are also available on YouTube
Click Here for Episode 56: Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum

The "Mother Car" of all trolley museums in the world,
 Biddeford & Saco Railroad Company No. 31. was built in 1900
by the J. G. Brill Company in Philadelphia, PA, Car 31
is a double-truck open car that carries 60 passengers and has
been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since
1980. Nine other historic Maine railway vehicles join
Car 31 is on the NRHP list and is all held in public trust at
Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, Maine.
In addition, Car 31 became a Save America's Treasures
Project in 2000. Photo courtesy of Dan Vardaro.

The Car 31 "Parade of Chained Vehicles" diorama at
the Seashore Trolley Museum on August 31, 2024. 
Thank you, Tom Tello and Anthony Tieuli.
Photo by Phil Morse

Portland-Lewiston Interurban No. 14, Narcissus had been 
operating on the new electric railroad for less than two
months, when former President Theodore Roosevelt
was a passenger on a trip between Lewiston and Portland
on August 18, 1914. TR is seen here waving from the
number two end train door of the Narcissus to the gathered
spectators at the Gray, Maine stop. Photo courtesy of
the Gray Historical Society.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We continue the restoration work on the 1912 Narcissus, the only surviving high-speed, luxury interurban coach of the Portland-Lewiston Interurban. 

Click Here: Narcissus Restoration-Related Posts

Being more than a century old, the stately, "Elegant Ride," Narcissus, is a gem.  This shimmering precious stone of Maine transportation history is brilliantly resplendent as it emanates so many elements of history, including; time, places, people, and events, that it was coupled to, that when just a smattering of its seemingly innumerable stories are shared, the contents captivates, fascinates, then generates, interest to learn more 🙋. The majestic Narcissus is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Please consider joining the epic journey to complete the Narcissus Project by making a donation today!

Click Here: Donation Options

The restoration of this majestic icon of Maine's electric railway history is but one in a series of captivating stories containing an abundance of incredible coalition of narratives.

Click Here: History-Related Posts - Narcissus and Portland-Lewiston Interurban

     The Narcissus is featured in the national Gold Award-winning novel, Teddy Roosevelt, Millie, and the Elegant Ride. The "Elegant Ride" is the Narcissus. Theodore Roosevelt was a passenger on the Narcissus on August 18, 1914, between Lewiston and Portland, Maine, while campaigning for the Progressive Party candidates.

Click Here: Bookstores and Businesses promoting the Narcissus Project

Independent book publisher, Phil Morse, holding
the Gold Book Award Winner plaque for
 the Middle Reader category for The Eric
Hoffer Book Award. Congratulations to
award-winning Maine author,
Jean M. Flahive

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.