DONATE

If you believe that you have material that might be of interest to the museum, please contact us. Describe what you have as clearly and specifically as possible. Please do not bring or send any donations of material to the Museum without first contacting our staff.

We’re looking for items that help tell the story of life in the Catskills during the Borscht Belt era. That includes materials from hotels, bungalow colonies, summer camps, and the people who lived, worked, and vacationed there. Some examples:

• Photographs – Family snapshots, publicity photos, camp pictures, postcards, photo albums

• Ephemera – Menus, matchbooks, flyers, brochures, room keys, napkins, stationery, event programs

• Signs and décor – Hotel or bungalow signs, room numbers, dance cards, signage from resort businesses

• Textiles – Uniforms, staff jackets, branded towels, linens, T-shirts from hotels or camps.

• Eveningwear – Costume jewelry, mink stoles, high heels, handbags, hats, gowns and other clothing or accessories worn at hotel nightclubs and cocktail lounges.

• Promotional materials – Ads, posters, travel guides, mailers

• Entertainment memorabilia – Tickets, performance schedules, headshots or autographed photos of performers, recordings, club menus

• Camp artifacts – T-shirts, bunk plaques, badges, letters home, camp newsletters

• Kitchen and dining items – Branded dishes, trays, utensils, cookbooks, recipes from chefs or guests

• Personal stories and letters – Written memories, correspondence, scrapbooks

• Objects from bungalow colonies and hotels – Guest books, signage, furniture (select pieces), room amenities

• Objects that reflect Jewish life in the Catskills – Religious items used during summers, programs from High Holiday services, etc.

If you're not sure whether your item fits, please contact us! We’re happy to talk about what you have and how it might fit into the museum’s collection.

Donations may be tax deductible. Please consult your tax advisor and refer to IRS publications 526 and 561, and form 8283.

Unfortunately we are not able to make appraisals; however, we may be able to provide you with some additional historical information if you require it.

Unfortunately, we don't have the resources to process and house material that does not belong to the museum.

We do not have the funds to purchase items for our collection. Instead, we rely upon the generosity of the public to donate archival material that supports the museum’s mission of chronicling the history of the Borscht Belt.

Shortly after receiving your donation, we will send you two copies of a Deed of Gift for your signature. After you sign, date, and return both copies to us, we will return an executed copy for your records.

Copyright refers to ownership of the contents of a document rather than ownership of the physical item itself. Thus, copyright resides with the creator of the document unless they have legally transferred it to another person or institution. When you sign the Deed of Gift, you will be transferring any copyrights you hold to the Archives. This transfer of copyright is important in terms of making the documents fully available to researchers.

In rare cases, especially if the material is located in the greater New York City area, Hudson Valley or Catskill region, a museum volunteer or staff member may be able to review the items in situ. In most cases, however, we will not be able to review the material in person. A detailed description of the material in your collection will be instrumental in helping us make an assessment.