April 2023: Atherton Furniture Antique Plate

April’s object of the month is this 7-inch white plate with a green imprint of the great falls in Lewiston from the Atherton Furniture company. The plate was manufactured by Homer Laughlin China and was from the American Beauty line. The Atherton Furniture...

March 2023: Women in the mills

In recognition of women’s history month, we are highlighting two photographs from our collection of women working in the mills. Women played a crucial role in the manufacturing history of Lewiston-Auburn.  The textile mills provided women an opportunity for work...

February 2023: Bates Bedspread, Valentine’s Day Edition

This is a Bates bedspread with hearts and flowers on it. The bedspread is reversible: one side has flowers and hearts that are pink and white on a green background, the other side has flowers and hearts that are green and white on a pink background. This is one of the...

January 2023: Murphy’s Fur Coat

This month the museum is highlighting a Murphy’s fur coat. Murphy’s was a fur business started by T.J. Murphy in 1873 that had two locations in Lewiston: one on Ash street and one on Lisbon street. They became nationally known for their high quality and their direct...

December 2022: Bates Bedspread Snowman

To celebrate the holiday season, our December object of the month is this festive bedspread disguised as a snowman. Almost all of the bedspreads in our collection remain in their original condition, but this one was given new life, dressed up for the holidays, and...

November 2022: War Ration Booklet

With Veteran’s Day approaching later this month, our object of the month is a ration booklet held in our collection. As with many areas of life, the textile, brick, and shoemaking industries of the Androscoggin region felt the effects of WWII. For example, many mills...