Photos Archives - Gardiner Public Library

New Year’s Resolutions – Archivally Inspired!

February 14, 2022December 31, 2016 by Dawn Thistle, Special Collections Librarian

Whether or not you’re committing to New Year’s Resolutions (or Intentions) this year, here are some great photos from our Community Archives Room that might help inspire us all to stick to our ideals in 2017…. Lose Weight Gardiner’s 1911 Police Force collectively weighed 2,800 pounds, winning a nationwide contest! Save Money Now Camden Savings Bank, Gardiner Savings Institution built their ultra-modern facility in the 1950s. Eat Healthier MacDonald’s Bakery opened in 1921 and operated for over 70 years where the Craft Beer Cellar is now. Spend More Time Outdoors Shown here in the 1920s, Spring Cove on …

Children’s Programs

February 14, 2022August 13, 2016 by Ginni Nichols, Children's Librarian

On Thursday, Aug. 4th, we hosted an Outreach Program from the L.C. Bates Museum at Good Will-Hinckley in Hinckley, Maine, titled “Life in the 1900s” at the library. They had clothing to try on, games to play and crafts to do. It was a very hands-on program and they showed what items were used in schools in the 1900s. Here are some of the pictures from that day: Our next event for children is an Ice Cream Social on Tuesday, Aug. 16th, at 11:30 bringing our Summer Reading to a close. In September we will have Ms. Jenn the Nutrition …

Do you recognize any of these faces?

February 14, 2022October 24, 2015 by Dawn Thistle, Special Collections Librarian

Woman, unknown year, Gardiner, Maine. October is American Archives Month, so it couldn’t be more exciting or appropriate that we finally completed renovations of our Community Archives Room and moved back in last week! We’re still shuffling some things around, settling into the space, and waiting for some furnishings – so, stay tuned for more! In the meantime, some things never change. As thorough as we try to be with documenting and recording information about historic items and photographs, mysteries will always exist. We have many unidentified portrait photographs in our collection and most offer very few clues as to …

Autumn in Gardiner

February 14, 2022October 3, 2015 by Ginni Nichols, Children's Librarian

Walk Ripples Orange Sharing Dew Cozy Sit Splendid

Historic Photo Mystery – Solved in the Archives!

February 14, 2022September 19, 2015 by Dawn Thistle, Special Collections Librarian

Of all the wonderful reference questions we field in the Community Archives Room, some of the most engaging involve identifying photographs and their subjects, relative to Gardiner history. Often people bring in photos of family members or local buildings and want to know just where or when or why a photo may have been taken. We have wonderful historic maps and directories, as well as many already-identified photos that help with picking out clues to solve the mystery. And, inevitably, every “solve” brings out new and enlightening details of our richly historic town. Recently, a mystery came our way electronically. …

Things are Shaping up in the Archives…

February 14, 2022August 7, 2015 by Dawn Thistle, Special Collections Librarian

Slowly, but steadily, progress has been made on the renovations of the Community Archives Room! We are still a few weeks away from moving out of the reading room and back downstairs, but here are a few hints at what the big picture will look like — and soon! From top to bottom… New Sprinkler Heads Fresh Ceiling Tiles & Efficient, Non-Damaging LED Lights Dimmer Controls for the LEDs An HVAC System to Control Temperature, Humidity, and Dust Our Beautiful 1881 Gardiner Bricks – Cleaned and Ready for Another Century! Freshly Painted (and Water-Resistant) Walls – with Clean …