SAUGUS — The Saugus Historical Society is striking the right note with its latest exhibit.
The exhibit, which opened Wednesday, showcases the history of the Saugus High School band from its inception in 1936 to its glory days under former director Jerome Mitchell. The Historical Society is open by appointment only and President Laura Eisener said the exhibit will run through at least mid-September, or until the society settles on its next exhibit.
Eisener said the society decided on the high school band for its latest exhibit in part because of its long history and how many people passed through its ranks over the decades.
“One of the things that’s fun about the band exhibit is that there’s so many people who were in band and they’ll come and they’ll tell about their favorite thing as a band member,” she said in an interview Sunday evening. “Sometimes it was [a] trip, sometimes it’s just the excitement of being out on the football field and every game, sometimes it’s a parade or some other little event that they remember.”
The exhibit is located in a relatively small room inside the society’s 30 Main St. space. Inside are old letterman jackets, red and white pom-poms belonging to former cheerleaders, Daily Evening Item clippings featuring the band, and a collection of old photographs and yearbooks. One item Eisesner drew special attention to was a snare drum used by Harry Bedell in the band between 1941 and 1945, which features the signatures of every band member.
Eisener explained that the exhibit is the result of donations from anonymous and non-anonymous donors alike, and while the society can not guarantee every item donated will wind up in the exhibit, many do. Donations are still welcome, and the society is working on tracking down copies of old vinyl records featuring recordings of the band performing.
Memorabilia was typically discovered by “somebody cleaning out their mother’s or their aunt’s or uncle’s house,” Eisener explained. Other items were found during the reorganization of the town’s schools. Yearbooks, photos, and old clothes were uncovered in closets.
The Saugus Historical Society is a volunteer organization not officially recognized by the town that hosts a monthly lecture series. But, getting an exhibit up in town is a rewarding experience for its volunteers, Eisener said.
In a town like Saugus, “the stories behind [memorabilia] are the most exciting things.”
