The Museum's collection and exhibition program reflect the varied interests of a broad constituency. The mission is to offer a rich mix of history and visual arts to people of all backgrounds and age groups. The Museum is charged with collecting the best in local and regional art and collecting and exhibiting local and regional historical artifacts. An estimated 95% of the catalogued permanent collection consists of gifts from the community. Therefore, there is a direct connection between the permanent collection and the social, economic and cultural history of the community.

At this time the collection encompasses over 100,000 artifacts. Among the newest additions to the collection are a Camp Massillon Civil War document and a fur coat worn by Lillian Gish.

The Museum's barnraising photograph, taken by Theodore C. Teeple in the 1880s on the site of present-day Shady Hollow Country Club's clubhouse, has been used all over the world: murals in embassies and art centers, the cover of the national United Way annual report, re-enacted as a float in the Rose Bowl Parade, in textbooks of many languages, and as a poster promoting the U.S. Postal Service voluntarism stamp.

Breathtaking glass objects in the collection are as diverse as signed Tiffany goblets, ancient Egyptian bottles, and Massillon glass paperweights and canes.

Included among the 94 collection categories are paintings and prints, ceramics, glass, photographs, textiles, costumes, military artifacts, city records, agricultural equipment, Native American objects, quilts, books, musical instruments, medical equipment, furniture, toys, household equipment, circus memorabilia, and many other items. The largest collections in the Massillon Museum are photographs, household artifacts, costumes, china, glass, pottery and circus memorabilia.

The Museum is home to 60,000 photographs, 18,000 archival and reference documents, 800 sets of salt and pepper shakers, 700 geological specimens, and fossils, 300 hats, 251 paintings, 210 toys and dolls, 55 weapons, 3 pianos, 2 steam engines, and 1 skeleton named Oscar.

Preservation Honor Roll
 
The following people have contributed archival materials to the Massillon Museum.  Their generous contributions have enabled us to maintain and preserve our collections through the purchase of items such as garment boxes and tissue paper.  We thank them for their thoughtfulness and support of the Massillon Museum, its collections, and most importantly the preservation of our community’s history.  To learn how you can make the honor roll, contact the curator.

Betty A. Edwards
Vivianne Greene
Rudolph and Aileen Tekaucic
Jeanne Cooper
Robert E. Dawson
The Sparks Family
Charles and Wendy Little

Other Valuable Research Links

http://russellcollectors.org/