...................................By Bob Lessard, Historian A.L. Post 64
.......Four elected members of Middleboro’s Simeon L. Nickerson Post 64 WW2 poster committee
traveled to Boston on Friday, December 31, 2015 to meet with staff of the Massachusetts State
Archives to discuss methods for protecting the posters. Participating in the trip were Paul
Provencher, Al Edwards, David Singer and Bob Lessard. Fifth member Kevin Mahar was out of town
and unavailable for the meeting.
.......The Archives and Library are located on Morrissey Boulevard directly across from the
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library.
.......Our quartet was met by Massachusetts Archives Curator Martha Clark, who greeted us at
the museum display area. Ms. Clark gave a brief description of the museum’s artifacts and
invited us to tour that facility.
.......The museum houses material relating to the history of the State of Massachusetts
earliest days to the present.
.......A surprise for the Middleboro Legion members was a Revolutionary display, which
highlighted the Oliver family, who were tories with a connection to Middleboro. Peter Oliver,
Jr’s., old 1769 mansion was recently purchased by the Town of Middleboro and his iron mill
site, Oliver Mill Park, on the Nemasket River is a noted tourist attraction.
........Following the museum visit, Ms. Clark met with the visitors in a conference room to
examine the posters.
........Ms. Clark posed many questions about the WW2 collection of posters owned by Post 64.
She then provided very informative methods regarding the proper care and maintenance of the
historical posters. And, she patiently answered our many questions on the subject.
........Later, she asked Archives Executive Director J. Michael Comeau to speak with the group
and also examine the posters. He informed the committee members that the posters were in “very
good shape.” He also provided additional ideas for preserving and displaying the 70 year old
material.
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