Tongva Exhbit Opening

Tongva: Our Voice, Our History, Our People

Emerged in cultural history and remarkable ceremonial traditions, the Tongva Tribe gave the Museum and the visitors an insight on the history of the Tongva Tribe, following a stellar performance. There were even tables set up full of things you could purchase—from handmade Dream Catchers to handmade Tongva instruments. Those in attendance heard wonderful stories that filled our hearts with warmth. The Ruth and Charles Gilb Arcadia Historical Museum is proud to display such a wonderful exhibition of the Tongva Tribe. With every single seat filled with visitors, the opening was clearly a triumph!

Old Fashioned Fun & Games !

Our latest Family Fun Day turned out to be a succcess! With ice cream and old - fashioned games, the local children separated from their beloved television and video games and explored some of the old-fashioned games, ranging from Jacks to Simon Says. They got to make ice cream simply by using two ziploc bags, ice, and some simple ingredients! With a quick 5 minute shake -- TA-DA! -- home made ice cream, or shall I say museum made ice cream at your fingertips. After a tedious, but rewarding shaking "workout", the children were led to a table full of various toppings in which they used their imagination to create their one of a kind ice cream.

Museum Blog maintained by Emily Khuu, young adult volunteer

Fearless Fire Fighters!

On July 12, 2008, the Arcadia Historical Museum welcomed some local Arcadia firefighters and their little red engines – or shall I say BIG fire engines to enlighten the public about some amazing firefighter facts. They even brought a paramedic and explained the purpose of the tools and how they were used. Some of the firefighters have to carry a whopping 140 pounds of equipment when they are fighting fires, and it only takes them about a minute to put it on. The kids and adults were able to explore some of the gear both visually and hands-on. The firemen even brought an antique fire truck that is steam powered. The kids got to make some crafts which included firefighter buttons, a firefighter dog and much more. We sure are grateful to have such wonderful firefighters serving our community—acting as both mentors and heroes.

(above) 1926 Antique Fire Engine - still operating

(above) Kids posing with the Antique Fire engine

One of our volunteers getting hands-on and tied up in one of the
many knots the firefighters have to learn

Annual Egg Decorating

What a blast!

On Saturday, the Museum held its 3rd Annual Egg Decorating Event. We painted, we glued, and we ran out of eggs!

Grand Opening, "Arcadia Snapshots" Exhibit

We had a magnificent Grand Opening for our new exhibit “Arcadia Snapshots.” Gary Kovacic, editor of the book "Visions of Arcadia, A Centennial Anthology" and former Mayor of Arcadia was our guest speaker. Visitors listened to his presentation, walked around the new exhibit and enjoyed refreshments and conversation.

Chinese Brush Painting Class

Master Tam's Chinese Brush Painting Class meets twice a week here at the museum. The class will be exhibiting their beautiful works of art in one of our exhibit galleries in September.

January Brown Bag Lunch Talk, Preserving Your Family Photographs

Come and join the fun! We have lunch-time talks once a month.

New Curator

On December 4, 2007 the museum welcomed a new Curator, Dana Dunn.Dana's hometown is San Diego, but has lived in the Los Angeles area for the last thirty years. She says that “southern California is my home, from Santa Barbara to San Diego and from the ocean to the Colorado River, and even beyond.” She has worked in museums and libraries for the last thirteen years with specialties in collections management, exhibits, and historical research. She received two Bachelor Degrees at the University of California, Los Angeles in 2003, one in History and the other in Anthropology. Her Masters Degree, which she received in 2005, is in History with a specialization in Public History and Museum Curation from the University of California, Riverside. She is currently working on her Ph.D. in History, specializing in the Early Modern World, the West and the history of Native America. Her past experiences have been at the Lancaster Museum/Art Gallery and Western Hotel Museum, the Antelope Valley Indian Museum, the Fowler Museum of Cultural History at UCLA, Pechanga Cultural Resources, the Riverside Municipal Museum and the Palmdale City Library.Please stop by and say "hello!" Dana is very interested in the local history of Arcadia and looks forward to talking with people who have lived in Arcadia for a long time. She is working on presenting the public with some wonderful exhibits and programs on the rich history of Arcadia and her people, as well as working diligently to preserve our precious artifacts that tell our story here.Dana wishes to thank all of the people in Arcadia, the Friends of the Museum, Arcadia Historical Society members and the employees of the City Library and the City of Arcadia for their warm welcome and for helping to make her feel at home.

The Arcadia Historical Society Presents...."Courting Penelope"

Come and join us at the Arcadia Community Center on Sunday January 20, 2008 for our general meeting and enjoy a Victorian vignette. Courting Penelope is the story of an 1870s whirlwind courtship - when Miss. Penelope Primrose stole the heart of Mr. W.P. Nichol IV.

....it will tickle your funny bone!

Preserving Your Family Photographs

Brown Bag Talk
January 24, 2008 12:00 – 12:30 pm

Come and join us on your lunch break! Dana Dunn, Curator, will be talking about preserving your family photographs. Do you have an old photograph of your family in Arcadia? Bring it with you and we will discuss how to preserve these precious family memories.

Bring your own lunch or enjoy our pizza (first come, first served!). Please call 574-5440 to make a reservation. Space is limited.