Thursday, March 16, 2006

CHS director leaving for New Orleans

The Hartford Courant reports today that David M. Kahn, executive director of the Connecticut Historical Society for the past nine years, will leave in May to become director of the New Orleans-based Louisiana State Museum.

Kahn told the Courant that he could not pass up the opportunity to help a historic institution rebuild in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

The newspaper listed these as some of Kahn's accomplishments at CHS:

  • The museum's decision in 2003 to assume responsibility for managing the Old State House, where a $3.5 million permanent exhibit on the history of Hartford will open in September. A new audio tour of the Old State House was introduced on March 4.

  • An expansion of audience-friendly and interactive exhibitions on topics ranging from 18th-century Connecticut furniture to the history of the comic book.

  • Improvements in cataloging the museum's collections and making them easier for the public to navigate.

By the way, CHS wants visitors to its museum and headquarters on Elizabeth Street to know this: "In order to better protect and preserve our collections, the CHS Museum will be installing new climate control (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems in 2006, thanks to the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. While access to the exhibitions, plus the library and museum collections may be limited (especially between February and June 2006), we’ll strive to accommodate your interests and research needs, but recommend you call ahead. Thanks for your patience! Call for further information (860) 236-5621, or e-mail ask_us@chs.org for further information."

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