2010 NAAM & SAH Conference
March 24-27, 2010
Hosted by:
Tupelo Automobile Museum, Tupelo, Mississippi
Valuable and Affordable
$225 - Members Early Bird Registration Fee through 2/15/2010
A program packed with helpful seminars, networking opportunities and sightseeing.
NAAM Focus:
Nuts and Bolts to Strengthen Your Museum
From managing to marketing your collection, get the tools you need to make your journey to success a smooth
ride.
SAH Focus:
The Automobile in a Time of Crisis - Lessons of History
A symposium exploring the response of the automobile industry and of public policy when confronted by changing
economic conditions, political imperatives and cultural preferences.
Program
The 2010 NAAM/SAH Conference promises to be an excellent networking and professional development opportunity.
Two days of seminars cover a variety of topics for both NAAM and SAH members. Enjoy a day of sightseeing with a
visit to the Birthplace of Elvis Presley, the Natchez Trace Parkway and Brice's Crossroads. Finish the day with
a tour of the Tupelo Automobile Museum and some surprise guests. The conference will conclude with the annual
banquet featuring keynote speaker David Rumbarger of the Tupelo Community Development Foundation. We are ready
to show you our Southern Hospitality in Tupelo!
See the Conference Brochure and Registration Form
Three $500 Scholarships are available. Scholarship criteria and application form can be found under Conferences.
NAAM News Featured Museum - Winter 2010
Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum
By Nancy DeWitt, Project Director
The Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum opened June 1, 2009 at Wedgewood Resort in Fairbanks, Alaska. The museum
is the brainchild of Timothy Cerny, owner of several hotels and a commercial construction company in Fairbanks.
Cerny built the 30,000 square-foot museum in part to create a "must-see" attraction that would entice
customers to one of his hotels. More importantly, it fulfilled his dream of establishing a historically
significant automobile collection that he could share with the public.
Cerny began acquiring cars for the collection in early 2007. His focus has been to find pre-1936 American cars that represent a significant or interesting development in automotive technology or design, or are very rare examples of their marques. Presently there are 72 vehicles in the collection, of which 50 to 55 are on display at a time. These include rare makes such as Hertel, Rochester, Whiting, Everitt, Henderson, McFarlan, Wills Ste. Claire and Heine-Velox. The museum's 1898 Hay & Hotchkiss, 1903 Toledo gasoline car, 1906 Compound, and 1920 Argonne are the only surviving examples known.
All but the museum's most fragile automobiles are maintained in operating condition, and on summer evenings at least one car is driven around the resort by a docent or Willy Vinton, the museum's manager. "Folks flock to a car and whip out their cameras each time one pulls up in front of the hotel," says Vinton. "Some remember riding in a vintage car when they were young, and they really get a kick out of seeing us drive up in an old brass car or big Packard."
During the museum's design phase, Cerny and his staff had the great fortune to visit a number of other car museums around the country and talk to their staff. "A lot of folks gave us wonderful advice, and we really learned what works well and not so well in a car museum," he says. "Those visits greatly influenced the lighting and flooring we chose, how we laid out the cars and what information we put on our exhibit signs." Based on the flattering compliments penned in the visitor log this summer, their efforts have paid off admirably.
Being located at a hotel whose primary customers are cruise travelers presented an interesting challenge - and opportunity - for Cerny and his crew. "Most of our guests never intended to visit a car museum during their Alaska trip, so we had to make it interesting for a wide audience," he says. One way they broadened the museum's appeal was through period clothing displays. Barb Cerny, Tim's wife, assembled an impressive collection of more than 100 antique dresses, cloaks, hats, shoes, corsets and related items. About 25 outfits are on display at a time, with the exhibits rotated several times throughout the year.
The museum also emphasizes Alaska's extremely rich and entertaining motoring history. Nancy DeWitt, the museum's historian, spent hundreds of hours researching old newspapers and photo archives from around Alaska to piece together the stories behind Alaska's first cars and pioneering motorists. More than 70 historic photographs, blown up to enormous size, adorn the museum walls. Many of the photos depict hardships, such as horrendous road conditions, horses pulling cars through glacial streams and below-freezing travel. "To see the challenges that Alaska's first motorists overcame is humbling," notes DeWitt. "It's also amazing to think that makes such as Thomas Flyer, Pope-Toledo, White and Pierce Great Arrow were bouncing around here well before the first Model T arrived."
Two original Fairbanks vehicles are on loan to the museum, including the first Dodge to be shipped to Fairbanks, and a 1910 Chalmers-Detroit that still participates in the annual Golden Days parade. A replica of an old roadhouse that served travelers on the old Valdez-Fairbanks Trail sits along one wall. Here visitors can don period clothing and have their photo taken in an old car parked in front of the roadhouse. Several vehicles are parked outside the museum, including a bizarre Fordson Snow Motor, Advance steam tractor and Fairbanks-Morse engine.
>The Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum at 1501 Queens Way, Fairbanks, Alaska 99701 is a member of NAAM and Museums Alaska. It is located at Wedgewood Resort, which includes a hotel and suites, restaurant and wildlife sanctuary. All hotel guests receive half-price admission to the car museum. The museum is now on Facebook and also has a Twitter account (@AKcarmuseum). Nancy stressed the value of using social media like Facebook and Twitter. It appears only a few car museums have jumped on this bandwagon and others need to get on the ball (as long as it's done right). For more information, including hours of operation, a list of vehicles, blog updates and hotel details, visit www.fountainheadhotels.com or call 907-450-2100.
