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Yellowstone, America's and the world's first national park is a place of extraordinary natural beauty and wonder, and also a keeper of stories. These stories include the exploration of the American West, the history of American science, the birth of the conservation movement, the national park idea, and the government's role in the stewardship of our public lands.
The Yellowstone archive, the Park's 5.3 million item collection, is the second largest in the National Park System and the only national park collection affiliated with the National Archives. The objects and documents which constitute it are invaluable for understanding Yellowstone's place in American history and culture.
The recently completed Heritage and Research Center now houses the entire Yellowstone Archive. After more than one hundred thirty years, the collection has finally been secured under one roof but there is much work to be done. The collection now must be fully assessed, catalogued, and properly preserved. Funding is also needed to enhance the public's knowledge of and access to this great resource.
The Yellowstone Park Foundation raised $500,000 to establish the Yellowstone Archive Fund. Park curators are using the fund to organize the collection through careful curation, educate the public by mounting periodic exhibits, enhance the museum collection through targeted acquisition, and ensure access for future generations by planning for the digitizing of the collection.
With limited funding available for Park staff needs, the Yellowstone Archive Fund will also support an internship program that will bring talented students to the Heritage and Research Center to assist in organizing and conserving the collection while they learn curation.
The Yellowstone Archive Fund can be drawn upon by Park curators as soon as the money is raised. Your support will make a difference now and for many years to follow. With the establishment of this fund, new stories will be uncovered, new knowledge created. The archive will be brought into the public domain as never before.
The Yellowstone Archive is a unique resource, an American treasure. Together, we can ensure that it continues to inspire future generations of scholars, students, visitors, and-perhaps most importantly-vigilant stewards of Yellowstone and all of our national park treasures.
> Yellowstone's museum collection and Heritage and Research Center
> Yellowstone Archives - index of items
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