Post by Marc LeVine on Dec 6, 2006 10:50:22 GMT -5
Wethersfield Post, Connecticut
Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum hires a new director, with a diverse background
By: G. C. Gould, Staff Writer 12/05/2006
The Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum will have a new executive director, Charles T. Lyle, who will begin work on Dec. 4. The Colonial Dames Board of Managers, which oversees operations at the museum, announced the decision in October.
Anne Kuckro, Colonial Dames president announced in a press release, "We are excited to have Mr. Lyle as our new executive director. He has the training and experience we need as we develop a fresh interpretation of the Webb House..."
Don Peterson, the interim executive director for the past year, said the search team "was looking for an experienced museum professional with a record of accomplishment with historic structures, experience in fundraising and with educational programs."
Lyle said recently that he "will take tours of the buildings with the staff to get on top of the situation."
"They are doing a good job curatorially," Lyle further said. "It is a good collection and an enthusiastic staff. Whatever changes take place over time, I want everybody to be comfortable with them," he added.
Lyle said he was looking for a place with a rich history. He said that he has worked with the Colonial Dames, a national organization, in the past. The Connecticut chapter of the Colonial Dames took over the Webb Deane Stevens Museum in the early 20th century.
Lyle has been in the field of curatorial and museum oversight for the past 30 years. "My interest is in historic houses and gardens," he said. Lyle said Wethersfield's historic district, which is the largest in the state, is one of the top historic districts in the country.
"This provides an opportunity to work together with other museums and organizations in town," he said.
"The board has emphasized for me to look forward to know my counterparts up there. It's a beautiful place," Lyle added in a telephone interview.
According to a press release, Lyle was most recently a consultant and administrative assistant at the Mount Gulian Historic Site in Fishkill, N.Y., where he produced exhibits on the Verplanck family homestead and on the history of the Society of Cincinnati, a fraternal organization formed by officers of the Continental Army at Mount Gulian in 1783.
Prior to that, he served as executive director of Boscobel, a museum house located in Garrison, N.Y. He has also been director of the Maryland Historical Society in Baltimore; director of the Historical Society in Wilmington, Dela.; director of historical properties, The National Trust for Historic Preservation in Washington D.C.; and director of the Monmouth County Historical Association in Freehold, N.J; according to a press release.
Lyle received his B.A. degree in history from the University of Minnesota, and his M.A. degree in history from the University of Delaware.
His work experience includes being a curatorial consultant, a freelance photographer, an instructor of public programs, a faculty member of historic preservation programs and a guest lecturer in historical settings in New York, Maryland, Delaware and Virginia. He's also served as a consultant for the St. Croix (U.S. Virgin Islands) development of the Whim Plantation, an 18th century sugar plantation, according to a press release.
Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum hires a new director, with a diverse background
By: G. C. Gould, Staff Writer 12/05/2006
The Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum will have a new executive director, Charles T. Lyle, who will begin work on Dec. 4. The Colonial Dames Board of Managers, which oversees operations at the museum, announced the decision in October.
Anne Kuckro, Colonial Dames president announced in a press release, "We are excited to have Mr. Lyle as our new executive director. He has the training and experience we need as we develop a fresh interpretation of the Webb House..."
Don Peterson, the interim executive director for the past year, said the search team "was looking for an experienced museum professional with a record of accomplishment with historic structures, experience in fundraising and with educational programs."
Lyle said recently that he "will take tours of the buildings with the staff to get on top of the situation."
"They are doing a good job curatorially," Lyle further said. "It is a good collection and an enthusiastic staff. Whatever changes take place over time, I want everybody to be comfortable with them," he added.
Lyle said he was looking for a place with a rich history. He said that he has worked with the Colonial Dames, a national organization, in the past. The Connecticut chapter of the Colonial Dames took over the Webb Deane Stevens Museum in the early 20th century.
Lyle has been in the field of curatorial and museum oversight for the past 30 years. "My interest is in historic houses and gardens," he said. Lyle said Wethersfield's historic district, which is the largest in the state, is one of the top historic districts in the country.
"This provides an opportunity to work together with other museums and organizations in town," he said.
"The board has emphasized for me to look forward to know my counterparts up there. It's a beautiful place," Lyle added in a telephone interview.
According to a press release, Lyle was most recently a consultant and administrative assistant at the Mount Gulian Historic Site in Fishkill, N.Y., where he produced exhibits on the Verplanck family homestead and on the history of the Society of Cincinnati, a fraternal organization formed by officers of the Continental Army at Mount Gulian in 1783.
Prior to that, he served as executive director of Boscobel, a museum house located in Garrison, N.Y. He has also been director of the Maryland Historical Society in Baltimore; director of the Historical Society in Wilmington, Dela.; director of historical properties, The National Trust for Historic Preservation in Washington D.C.; and director of the Monmouth County Historical Association in Freehold, N.J; according to a press release.
Lyle received his B.A. degree in history from the University of Minnesota, and his M.A. degree in history from the University of Delaware.
His work experience includes being a curatorial consultant, a freelance photographer, an instructor of public programs, a faculty member of historic preservation programs and a guest lecturer in historical settings in New York, Maryland, Delaware and Virginia. He's also served as a consultant for the St. Croix (U.S. Virgin Islands) development of the Whim Plantation, an 18th century sugar plantation, according to a press release.