Mississippi Sound Collection Security HURRICANE KATRINA EMERGENCY GRANT

FAIN: PC-50015-06

Mississippi Sound Historical Museum (Gulfport, MS 39507-2807)
Stacy K. Pair (Project Director: November 2005 to July 2007)

The Mississippi Sound Historical Museum holds collections that document and interpret the role of the Mississippi Sound and its tributaries in the history and culture of southern Mississippi. The museum's focus is the period from 1880 to 1950, during which the Sound was an important transportation route for coastline Mississippi. Photographs, maps, books, artifacts, tools, sailing vessels and models, and archival materials on the railroad and shipping industries were used in educational and public programs at the museum. Much of the collection and the catalog records were destroyed by Katrina, but attempts are being made to recover artifacts from the debris. The most urgent task has been to safeguard the remaining collections from the elements by replacing doors and windows blown out by flood waters and by restoring electricity for climate control. The surviving artifacts are threatened by mold and rust, and the museum staff has been engaged in mold abatement efforts.