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| Hunter Foster, archival assistant for conservation |
“I’ve always wanted to work in a library or archives,” Foster
says. “I’m interested in keeping and maintaining and taking care of a
collective memory of a place.”
Foster started work May 13 as the State Archives’ new
archival assistant for conservation. He works closely with Curator Julienne
Crawford to make sure records, documents and artifacts are preserved for future
generations.
The State Archives has millions of documents, images, books and
artifacts, forming the largest holdings on Arkansas history and culture in the
world.
Foster, who moved from Chicago back home to Arkansas last
year, said he had been looking for something that would use his artistic
talents while also allowing for his professional development and education. The
Archives is a perfect fit, he said.
“I’m excited,” Foster says. “I like it a lot.”
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| Emily Summers |
Foster is among three recent hires at the Archives. Emily
Summers and Wesley Oliver recently started as contracted workers to do much-needed
archival work, Crawford said. On a recent Thursday, Summers finished scanning and
digitizing post-Civil War voting records, while Oliver scanned index cards with
information about Arkansas soldiers who served in the Mexican War. Both said
they are excited to join the State Archives.
The new employees are a great asset to the State Archives,
which has seen an increase in donations of material, said Wendy Richter,
director and state historian. County courthouses, private individuals and other
state agencies have been donating more records, she said. The conservation work
Foster does is vital to maintaining those records so they can be made or kept accessible
to the public, Richter said.
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| Wesley Oliver |
“Our staff members are at the forefront of preserving
Arkansas’s history and heritage,” Richter says. “The archival assistant for
conservation position is extremely important. I feel Hunter is more than capable
and is a great fit for us because of his attention to detail, passion for
history and skill as a working artist.”
With a degree from the Arts Institute of Chicago, Foster comes
with a strong background in arts. He also has an art studio in Little Rock
where he focuses on sculpture, painting and textile works. His artistic skills
fit into a job meant to repair and maintain items, like books, documents and
maps. The key, Foster said, is to preserve the
material for public use while keeping the original appearance.
Foster said his education and work as an artist has helped him
develop focus and patience. The repair process, like the page-by-page repairs
he finished recently, are delicate and tedious. Foster spends hours poring over
100-year-plus materials. On a recent workday, he plugged in a Bonnie Raitt album
while he finished work on the “Official Army Registry for 1865.”
Work at the State Archives is satisfying, but Foster already
has plans to improve himself. He wants to take professional development courses
and do his own research, including checking out Archives’ textile collection. “I
want to learn and expand the skills I already have,” Foster said.
