In preparation for the long winter, September was a flurry of activity at McFarland. In addition to normal duties, activities included the removal of fragile concessionaire items, returns and extensions of loaned artifacts, attendance at Lloyd Harkin's Steam Engine dedication and the Montana History Conference. Janna Hermanson began identification and cataloging on the extensive collection of artwork that is in the VC/NC collection including a number of beautiful paintings and also a few damaged works. A small assortment of the works are excellent candidates for conservation.

September also saw the beginning of the enormous task of maintenance on the NC Music Hall machine collection. With the assistance of John Ellingsen, Dave Calendine will return to town in late April and begin work on the first machines in need of repair. His work will include transporting individual machines to McFarland for cleaning and maintenance and will continue throughout the summer in the Music Hall for visitors to view. Janna has begun work on a color brochure to introduce visitors to twelve of the machines in the collection.

The 32nd Annual History Conference was held September 29 through October 1 in Helena, Janna attended and returned with great information and a few new historic costume conservation techniques.

The annual cleaning of collections housed in the display buildings continued. Marge has begun to compile information on each of those buildings exhibiting artifacts, listing possible small changes that could help reduce environmental impacts on those objects. The IMLS Conservation Assessment, completed in 2004, lists many recommendations for improvements within our buildings, and those suggestions along with current observations should guide us toward creating more desirable conditions.

Pictured above, the Wah Chong Tai Nameplate has recently arrived back at McFarland for the winter season. The nameplate is the original that hung in the Butte mercantile at the turn of the century and it returned there in May for the summer season.

The Society has taken great pains to acquire this nameplate and it was mentioned and displayed on their website, www.maiwah.org . "Another notable artifact will also be on display this summer. Last winter, board members of the Mai Wah Society on a visit to Nevada City recognized a nameplate that once hung over the Wah Chong Tai Mercantile. The Mai Wah applied to borrow the artifact from the Montana Heritage Commission and it will be on display in its original location this summer inside the area of the museum that was once the Wah Chong Tai.'"

We hope that this loan is the first of many and is the beginning of a long and beneficial association for the Commission and the Mai Wah Society. In May 2006, the nameplate will be returning to the Mai Wah Society in Butte.