LYNN — It has been a year since Wendy Joseph was appointed as curator of the Grand Army of the Republic Hall and Museum (GAR), and over the past year, she’s brought the more-than-a-century-old museum back to life.
The GAR in Lynn is one of the last buildings in the United States that is still being used for its original purpose — to honor the men who fought to save the Union in the Civil War. Along with its history of honoring veterans from the Civil War, it now serves as a memorial site for all veterans.
The “Grand Army” was how President Abraham Lincoln referred to the Union soldiers, and for them, the word “republic” meant the bond of trust between the people and the government. This is how the museum got its name.
One of the primary aims of the establishment since its foundation in 1885 has always been charity. Joseph said there was no administration fee to the charity.
“It was charity in its purest form,” she said. “(Soldiers) came home as heroes, but at home they saw that many of their friends were left behind.”
Joseph imagined the dialogue of a returned soldier back in the day.
“This guy, who used to live next door in Lynn, died right next to me on the battlefield, and he has a wife and a child back home — what was going to happen to them? Or my friend on the other side of the street — he made it home, but he lost his leg,” she said.
The returned soldiers held fairs and lotteries to raise money for their less fortunate comrades. She also said that the returned soldiers had a lot of influence in Lynn and they used their position to do good.
Six members of the post became mayors of Lynn — Roland G. Usher, Samuel Bubier, George Sanderson, Henry B. Lovering, George D. Hart and George C. Higgins — and they governed the city for almost a quarter of a century from 1865-89.
Besides its high membership numbers, political weight, and high charity revenues, GAR had something else to be proud about.
Joseph said the GAR building was one of the largest GAR halls in the country, “and it was thought to be the most beautiful of all of the GAR buildings.”
The building was closed for three years after its last curator, Bob Matthias, retired. For Joseph, embarking on a journey as ambitious as this one wasn’t an easy endeavor.
“With the help of many volunteers, we did a thorough cleanup of the place,” said Joseph.
She pointed to an old photograph hanging high on the wall in the museum’s basement, which serves as Joseph’s office.
“Can you read the label?” she asked. “This is an original label showing the date of 1899, but it has faded terribly.”
The curator said she used color correction to bring out the words and created text transcriptions for clarity. The same thing happened to old photographs and old letters that are on display in the museum.
“With colorization we are able to make these guys come alive for the first time in about 100 years,” said Joseph.
For Joseph, taking on this position meant not only rejuvenating the museum and telling stories about the artifacts, but bringing the artifacts back to life.
“The process of updating the exhibits was quite slow; you know the old guys don’t like change,” said the curator. “They told me so.”
Also serving as secretary of the North Shore Juneteenth Association, Joseph tries to highlight the African-American heritage of the post.
“This was one of the first fraternal organizations who invited African Americans to become members,” said Joseph, as she pointed to a photo. “And you can see from these memorial photos in the grand hall that (African Americans) were not separated from the other members. They are in the same areas on the same walls.”
Lots of tasks remain to be accomplished in the museum. Joseph said the staff recently managed to get light into the attic, where she used to give tours with a flashlight in her hands.
Another great task Joseph has worked on is creating a digital catalog of the museum. The existing catalogs date back to the late 1980s.
“If an object described there was displaced, it would cost hours and hours to find it,” said Joseph.
She said now it is a lot easier to find because it is digitized.
GAR is also using technology in the form of historical video clips, which are broadcasted throughout the museum rooms. One of the videos discusses the number of American soldiers who died throughout major military campaigns in U.S. history.
“This museum began as a memorial to the Civil War veterans, but by the time the ownership was transferred to the city, it had become a memorial for all the veterans of wars,” said Joseph.
After all, for the founders themselves “it has always been about remembrance.”
