The Highline Historical Society and Humanities Washington will be presenting a conversation with Harriet Baskas, a member of the 2012-14 Humanities Washington Speakers Bureau on Sunday, Feb. 24.
This free event takes place starting at 2 p.m. at Highline School District ERAC (administration building), located at 15675 Ambaum Blvd. SW in Burien.
Space restrictions allow most museums to display only about 10 percent of their holdings. However, there are also surprising political, philosophical, artistic, environmental and historic reasons why museums keep objects from view.
Baskas will present a fast-paced, photo-filled and, at times, somewhat offbeat tour of Washington history through the stories of museum artifacts that are rarely – or never – shown to the public. Examples include Bing Crosby’s toupees in Spokane, a quilt made of Ku Klux Klan robes in Yakima and Native American spirit boards in Tacoma. We will explore how these objects came to be in the local collections and who makes decisions about what is displayed or kept from view.
Harriet Baskas writes about airports, museums and a wide variety of other topics for msnbc.com, USATODAY.com, AAA Journey and other outlets. She also maintains two blogs: StuckatTheAirport.com and MuseumMysteries.com. She produced a major radio series on hidden museum artifacts that aired on National Public Radio, with Smithsonian-based historians as her advisers. Baskas has a master’s in communication from the University of Washington and served as general manager for three community radio stations in Oregon and Washington. Baskas is the author of a half dozen books, including Washington Curiosities, Washington Icons and Oregon Curiosities, and is finishing a book about hidden treasures in museums. Baskas lives in Seattle.
Here are the details:
WHAT: Hidden Treasures in Washington’s Museums, with Harriet Baskas
WHEN: Sunday, Feb. 24, 2 p.m.
WHERE: Highline ERAC, 15675 Ambaum Boulevard SW, Burien
COST: FREE!
INFO: www.highlinehistory.org or www.humanities.org/calendar-events

CONTACT: Cyndi Upthegrove, 206-246-6354, [email protected]
About Humanities Washington

Humanities Washington sparks conversation and critical thinking using story as a catalyst, nurturing thoughtful and engaged communities across our state. For more about Humanities Washington, visit www.humanities.org/calendar-events

About the Humanities Washington Speakers Bureau
Speakers Bureau is one Humanities Washington’s oldest and most popular programs. A roster of 28 cultural experts and scholars provides low-cost, high-quality public presentations across the state, encouraging audiences to think, learn and engage in conversation. These diverse and engaging speakers cover a variety of topics, including popular culture, photography, architecture, literature, food, film and history. Best of all – these presentations are free and open to the public. For more about Speakers Bureau, visit www.humanities.org/programs/speakers.
About Highline Historical Society
Our mission is to collect, preserve, and tell the stories of the Highline region and its people.]]>

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