MOMH remains in holding pattern

Just a quick note to let you all know that the Museum of Missing History is not dead, just dormant. 

Starting a nonprofit organization is hard in the best of times.  In a bad economy it is brutal, particularly if the mission does not involve providing for some of the basic needs that are going unmet.  For this reason the Museum's growth has been frozen for the time being.  Be sure to sign up for our newsletter so when we do start up again you will be among the first to know.

That said, we are still looking for donations, ideas, volunteers, and whever else you may have to offer so be sure contact us. 

The Pen and the Spindle covers MOMH

The Museum of Missing History is featured in the May 2008 issue of Primary Source Agenda, the eZine of The Pen and the Spindle blog. We are very excited as this is some of the first media coverage of the Museum.

MOMH on Verve Earth

The Museum of Missing History is now listed on Verve Earth, a new website now in beta form that plots the Internet geographically using Google Maps. Check them out at http://www.verveearth.com/.

MOMH Announces Early Successes and New Initiatives

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

21 April 2008, Audubon, Pennsylvania – The Museum of Missing History (MOMH) today announced some of its early successes and the launch of a second stage in its growth that included the unveiling of a fundraising campaign.

The number of visitors to the MOMH website (www.museumofmissinghistory.org) has recently been averaging more than 100 per day, up from 62 per day in March. “Our website traffic is modest by most standards,” says Martin Murphy, Executive Director of the museum, “but we’re very pleased to be drawing this much attention as a newly formed organization.”

Another important measure of success is the connections that the Museum makes. The Museum has already connected a leading Degas scholar in California with a woman in England who remembers seeing Degas bronzes in Beirut, Lebanon before the civil war there. A private collector has been able to share some of his most historically significant pieces anonymously with scholars.

“It’s like a rocket,” says Mr. Murphy. “The first stage was building the beta version of the website and proving the concept. This was done with the help of a few dedicated volunteers and built on a shoe-string budget. Now that the concept is proven we’re ready to take it to the next stage.”

The first priority of any fledgling nonprofit is fundraising. The Museum is seeking donations to support its mission. “The bottom line here is that we need everyone’s support, whether it’s $5 or $5,000. Foundations and major donor prospects want to see that an organization has a wide base of support before making a significant commitment themselves.”

MOMH is also reaching out to anyone who has information about which historic objects are missing and their stories. The Museum currently has only 21 entries in its Catalogue of Missing Objects “out of the thousands of stories of missing historic objects,” says Mr. Murphy. “That’s why we need the help of students, scholars, and enthusiasts to pull together the information about what’s missing.”

The Museum of Missing History is an independent 501 (c) (3) organization and is the museum of the mysteriously missing pieces to the puzzle of the past. We tell the stories of missing historic objects and their discoveries. MOMH also offers educational materials based around the quest for and discovery of missing history.

Contact: Martin Murphy
martin@museumofmissinghistory.org.

Missing History in Pop Culture

You can't talk about missing history without talking about stories like Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" or movies like "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark." So we do: Read about Pop Culture and the Museum of Missing History.

Greenland is North America

Did you know that Greenland is a part of North America? Maybe I'm a case for remedial geography class but this was news to me. Actually, I had never really thought about it.

This fact is why Claudius Clavus's original manuscript map of Scandanavia, which is the earliest map known to have shown Greenland, is so important. It is the first European map to show North America. Clavus made the map while he was exploring the area in about 1410, 82 years before Columbus "discovered" America. Learn more here

Announcing the MoMH electronic mailing list

You can now sign up on our website for the Museum of Missing History's electronic mailing list. Joining our elecronic mailing list will allow you to keep up with all of the exciting news and events at MoMH. Once on the list you will automatically be informed of additions to our Catalogue of Missing Objects (COMO), new clues and discoveries, and receive the Museum's newsletter. We will also let you know about our Members Program as soon as it becomes available.

SUBSCRIBE HERE!