Collectors Day and Artifact Identification Event at Illinois State Museum on Nov. 16

ISM Location: Springfield

For Immediate Release:

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The annual Collectors Day and Artifact Identification Event is an opportunity for members of the community to share and celebrate the stories told by their treasured objects.   

As part of the event on Saturday, November 16 from 1:00-3:00 p.m., local collectors will display their best objects and speak with visitors about the stories they tell. Collections on display will include meteorites, LEGO sets, fishing reels, historic photographs, wood carvings, and more. Individuals interested in displaying their collections are welcome to apply by November 8 online at bit.ly/ismcollector2019 or by calling 217-782-6044.

Visitors to the Museum are also invited to bring an item from home to be identified by Museum staff and other experts. The artifact identification will focus on anthropological artifacts, rocks, minerals, fossils, and bones. Visitors can bring photos of objects or specimens and are encouraged to include a ruler or coin in the photo for size comparison. Visitors are asked not to bring live animals or insects. Organic materials may have to remain outside the Museum.

For those not able to attend the event, the Museum’s curators and experts will accept artifact identification requests through the Museum’s social media platforms. On November 16 from 1:00-3:00 p.m., requests can be sent to the Museum through Facebook direct message or posted publicly to Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #IDDayISM. Photos should include a size reference like a coin or ruler.

The participating experts will do their best to correctly identify objects, however no guarantees are made. Due to time constraints, only one object may be submitted per person. The Museum can’t guarantee that all photos will be able to be identified or that all social media requests will receive a same-day answer. Objects brought for identification will not be appraised and no buying, selling, or trading is allowed at the event. 

For more information please contact events@illinoisstatemuseum.org or 217-782-6044. 

The Illinois State Museum is located at 502 S. Spring Street in Springfield.  It is open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sundays from 12:00 noon to 4:30 p.m.  Admission is $5 for adults ages 19-64.

Contact Person: Elizabeth Bazan

Contact Email: Elizabeth.Bazan@illinios.gov

Contact Phone: 217-558-6696

Release File (pdf): ism-artifactcollectors-nov2019.pdf

Release File (doc): ism-artifactcollectors-nov2019.docx