Holland Land Office Museum > What's New

Newly Accessioned Artifacts

ar·ti·fact
noun
artifacts, plural;   artifacts, plural
1.     An object made by a human being, typically an item of cultural or historical interest
       *-gold and silver artifacts
2.    Such an object as distinguished from a similar object naturally produced
3.    Something observed in a scientific investigation or experiment that is not
       naturally present but occurs as a result of the preparative or investigative procedure
        *-widespread tissue infection may be a technical artifact

     From the Webster's Dictionary definition of the word artifact above, the Holland Land Office Museum receives many items of definition #1 & #2 every month for consideration into the museum's vast collection.

    Most artifacts are donated to the museum by citizens of Genesee County and Western New York and those donors are mainlyy interested in seeing their item preserved to be shared for all to see. Some items are acquired by the museum as well.

    However, not all artifacts received for consideration make it into the collection. One of the main reasons is that the artifact is just not relevant (after thorough research by the museum's collection committee) to the history of Genesee County and/or Western New York. The item then is simply returned to the donor. If the artifact is donated as a gift to the museum and does not fit into the collection, the item may be considered to be sold to another museum or other party with the funds going to improve the existing collection and/or purchase another artifact.

    The Holland Land Office Museum welcomes all artifact donations large, small, new, old, valuable or not. It is the museum's intention, with this page to share and give you an idea of the wide range of artifacts that come our way. Click on an image below for an enlarged view of an artifact and a brief history. Of course, the best way to view the artifact is see it on display at the museum.

    If you have an item that you would wish to donate, please stop by the museum or call (585)343-4727. Enjoy!