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| Hunter Foster, archival assistant for conservation |
Hunter Foster, archival assistant for conservation, has long
loved art and history. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fiber and Material
Studies from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Foster is
detail-oriented and spends hours repairing and preserving historical materials,
including books and maps. He says he is interested in keeping and maintaining
items that are part of our state’s collective memory and identity. Foster
repairs material for public use, while maintaining the original appearance. He
recently took time from his busy schedule to answer a few questions.
Q: What’s your job title, and how long have you
worked at the Arkansas State Archives?
A: I started as the archival assistant for
conservation at the Arkansas State Archives in May 2019.
Q: What do you do on a typical day at the Arkansas
State Archives?
A: Although my tasks at the Arkansas State Archives
vary somewhat daily, I am primarily responsible for the conservation treatments
and housing of objects in our collections. I typically work with our Curator
Julienne Crawford and Archivist Stephanie Carter to examine items in need for
conservation and determine the most appropriate plan for treatment. Treatments
include, but are not limited to, a combination of surface-cleaning documents,
mending tears, remediating mold, flattening rolled or folded maps and documents
and making custom boxes, mats and enclosures for items. I also am responsible
for our environmental monitoring system, which records data about the indoor environmental conditions at the ASA
so that we can ensure that our collections are kept in the ideal conditions for
long-term storage and preservation.
Q: How did you become interested in Arkansas history
or working at the Arkansas State Archives?
A: My training is in fine art and textiles, but as an
Arkansan, I have long been deeply interested in the stories and traditions of
the place where I am from. I love food history and collect community cookbooks
from around the state. The Arkansas State Archives has many interesting
historical cookbooks, as well as, information and photographs regarding
regional foodways, which has been a treat to uncover. So far, my some of my favorite food-related
discoveries have been pamphlets produced in the early 20th century
that promote Arkansas agriculture, including statistics and figures about the
varieties and quantities of crops grown in the state. The pamphlets were
distributed to encourage people to move to Arkansas, buy land and farm.
A: I have
enjoyed learning a lot about maps during my work at the Arkansas State Archives.
Treating and rehousing a large variety of maps, including topographical maps,
property ownership maps, highway department maps and travelers' maps, has
sparked within me an unexpected curiosity about places and towns in Arkansas.
Previously, I was unfamiliar with much of these places’ histories. I have found historical maps to be an
interesting way to learn about the changes of a specific place over time. I
notice changes while working on a large collection of maps as places evolve
over time. Although I don’t usually study one place in depth, I have had places
to spark my interest, just based on their names. For example, Patmos in
Hempstead County is named after the Greek Island that the Book of Revelations
was written on. The town was created during the construction of the Louisiana
and Arkansas Railway during the early 20th century. The last U.S.
Census reported a population of only 64 for Patmos. I like finding all the
names of towns and cemeteries, etc., with biblical references.
Q: Why do you think the Arkansas State Archives is
important for Arkansans?
A: In addition to the mammoth role the Arkansas State
Archives performs in preserving Arkansas’s cultural heritage, I think we
provide more resources than people might realize. Before starting my work here,
I certainly didn’t know how much historical research material was available to
anyone who is interested. Beyond its deep well of information useful to genealogists
and community historians, the Arkansas State Archives provides support to
academic researchers, educators and legislators. We also preserve a myriad of
newspapers and records through microfilm and digitization, produce lectures,
workshops and events for the public, offer some research services and organize
and create exhibitions that travel across the state.
Q: What is the most rewarding part of your job?
A: Some of the most rewarding moments of working at
the archives have been the opportunities I’ve had to meet with patrons, answer
questions and offer ideas about accessible solutions to preserving and
protecting items in their own personal collections or family artifacts. I love
hearing about personal relationships people have with objects that have been in
their families for generations. I’m also constantly learning about new
materials and historical production methods, which is very gratifying.
Q: How do you see archiving evolving in the future?
A: I think a challenge in the future will be how to
keep up with preservation methods for the continually evolving and changing
ways in which information is digitally created and stored. I think the ways the
public accesses and interacts with the Arkansas State Archives also will change
in exciting ways as more and more information becomes digitized and made
available online.
Q: What do you wish people knew about Archives?
A: I wish people knew how accessible we are, and that
we are here for them. The cultural heritage of the state belongs to the people
of Arkansas. They can come here to see it and use it for free.
