You can have your antiques appraised and state or family historical documents in your possession scanned into the Texas Public History archives at the Old Blanco County Court House on November 22nd.

Sponsored by Friends of the Library, this event is two-fold. A licensed antiques appraiser will lead a team in evaluating antiques and collectibles submitted and in suggesting an estimated value. Portable items (no furniture) will be accepted.

Also, Texas State University students will scan documents into the Texas Public History archives at the site. A project of the Texas Public History classes of the University’s Department of History, working with the Library’s Oral History Committee, the document “harvest” is aimed at preserving families’ personal historical documents as well as documents that reveal the history of Blanco and the State of Texas.

“This is a rare opportunity to preserve the story of your Texas ancestors or interesting documents that tell the story of Texas as well as to have your antiques or collectibles appraised,” said Jan Redmond, Library Director.

An appraisal fee of $10.00 for one antique or $25.00 for three items will raise money to purchase new books and equipment for the Library. The appraisers have agreed to donate their time.

Historical documents will be scanned between the hours of 10:00a.m. and 4:00p.m. There will be no charge to enter the items in the archives. Although books or publications cannot be scanned, old photographs, sections of diaries, family Bible records, old letters of historical interest, legal instruments of significance, etc. will be accepted. The documents will be scanned on the spot and returned to the owner.

Antiques and collectibles for appraisal will be accepted at the Court House between the hours of 1:00 to 2:00p.m. Items will be displayed and the appraiser will talk about each one and announce the probable value from 1:00 to 4:00p.m.

Those who bring antiques will not be charged for the program. Others who attend will be asked to make a donation to the Library’s book fund.

Carolyn H. Rankin, G.C.A. of San Antonio, who specializes in art, will be accompanied by her husband who will evaluate books and Lula Hatch, who will assess glassware. All categories of antiques and collectibles may be submitted for appraisal.

Dr. Lynn Denton of the TSU Department of History and her students are working with the Oral History Committee to record Blanco County’s history for Texas. Her students will bring the equipment and do the archival work as a class project.