Conservationists Worried About Losing PA's Historical Artifacts
By Pat Loeb
PHILADELPHIA (CBS)--Conservationists are worried about losing Pennsylvania's rich trove of historical artifacts.
They've nominated ten artifacts in an online contest to pick the state's "Most Endangered Artifact" and they are trying to raise money to save all of them.
In the movie "Lincoln," Tommy Lee Jones made an indelible impression as Thaddeus Stevens. He wore an authentic Steven's wig, thanks to the Lancaster Historical Society (http://www.lancasterhistory.org/) which has preserved one of his wigs.
Ingrid Bogel of the Center for the Conservation of Art and Historical Artifacts confirms the wig looks just as bad in real life as it is in the movie.
She says, "Yes, in reality, that is what Thaddeus Stevens wore. It's a pretty terrible wig."
The wig is one of the items nominated for 'Most Endangered' in the contest and crowd-funding campaign (https://patop10artifacts.org/).
Visitors to the website can vote for their favorite artifact and make a contribution to save it.
Other artifact items include the country's oldest butterfly specimens, a 16th Century family bible and a bust of Lincoln carved from coal.
