Why Institutions Want Family History Items

My husband and I began our journey of curating our family history collection in 2013. We had hundreds of theater and concert programs to donate, collected by Wood ancestors and our relatives from the 1920s to the 1990s. Our family agreed with the idea of donating because no one wanted to keep these programs any more.NOTE: If you have questions about donating (or selling) items with monetary value, please seek professional advice. I'm no expert!History in a theater programOne of the first institutions we approached was the university where a cousin was studying theater. The theater department told us it was mainly interested in Broadway Playbills. Why? We were a little surprised by the answer: As much as the plays and the actors were of interest, the ads and the fashions of the times were also quite valuable for research purposes.Theater programs carry ads from local stores and restaurants, and often feature contemporary fashions, stylish jewelry, and (in those days) cigarettes, plus…