Curator's Choice is a monthly series that highlights a significant or unusual artifact chosen from the MAC Lab collections by our staff. We are archiving previous selections so that you can see what is “behind-the-scenes” at the MAC Lab. We hope you enjoy learning about this month's distinctive artifact, and we welcome any additional insight you can provide us with the objects.

Come back and discover what piece of the past we have to share with you next month!

From the list below, select a year to jump to that year's list of Curator's Choice issues.

​	​	​​2020	​201​9	2018​
​2017	​2016	​2015	​2014	​2013
2012​	​2011	​2010	​2009	​2008

 

2021 Issues

2020 Issues

​​​Date	​Topic	​Author
​January	​A Bank You Can “Bank” On ​	​​​​​​Patricia Samford
​February	​Getting a Handle on a Mystery	​Sara Rivers Cofield​
​March	​Keeping Everything From Going Adrift​​	​Alice Merkel
​April	​Sergeant Jacob Huyett’s Cavalry Helmet​	​Francis Lukezic
​May	​Crimping a Pie’s Style!​​	​Rebecca Morehouse
​June	​Have You Seen the Great German Cask?​	​Patricia Samford​
​July	​​What's the Point​	​Greg Pierce
​August	​Sugar Nippers ​	​Patricia Samford​​
​​September	​The Life Saving Lyle Gun​	Nichole Doub
​October	​The Load I Carry: A Knapsack Hook from Pt. Lookout​	​Heather Rardin Rovardi
​November	​Overturning Every Stone​	​Alice Merkel ​
​December	​A Tale of Two Fossils​	​Nathaniel Salzman

​Date	Topic​	Author​
Jan​uary	​​Culinary Bottle	Patricia Samford​​
​February	Early-17th-century-Trading-Post.html​​​	Rebecca Morehouse
​March	A Tisket, a Tasket, a Beaded Wire Basket	​Sara Rivers Cofield
​April	​Fish in a Barrel	​Monica Kitner
​May	​Blades of Glory	​Edward Chaney
​June	​Driving Through History in Deadwood, South Dakota	​Francis Lukezic
​July	​Button Rings and Other Things	Sara Rivers Cofield​​
​August	​Decade Ring	​Laura Masur
​September	World War II M2 Sea Mine and Anchor​​	​Heather Rardin
​October	An 18th-century French Caribbean Coin in Baltimore​	​Rebecca Morehouse​
​November	​The Accessorized Mariner ​​​	​Patricia Samford
​December	​A Mighty Fine-Toothed Friend   ​ ​	​Alice Merkel

​Date	Topic​	Author​
January​	​Spill Vase	​Patricia Samford
​February	​A Taste for Classicism	​Seth Williams
​March	Stumbling Upon a Storage Chest	​Sara Rivers Cofield
​April	​Toy Soldiers on Parade	​Francis Lukezic
​May	​Clothed in Splendor: Mass-Produced Coffin Hardware of the 19th Century	​Mari Hagemeyer
​June	​A Bone Sewing Stiletto	​Patricia Samford
​July	​Bennington Parian: A Look at Exquisite Craftsmanship	​Sara Franklin
​August	​The Curious Inner Lives of Cannons	​Heather Rardin
​September	​Whale Oil Lamp	​Patricia Samford
​October	​Perpetual Calendar	​Nichole Doub
​November	​The Junior G-Man Badge	​Gareth McNair-Lewis
​December	​You Never Know What You're Going To Find	​Ed Chaney

​Date	Topic​	Author​
Jan​uary	​Taking the discipline at St. Inigoes Plantation-A Cilice from Priest’s Point	​Laura E. Masur
​February	​Under the Microscope: A Nineteenth-Century Flea Glass	​Patricia Samford
​March	​Pop Culture, Nineteenth-Century Style:The Lady of the Lake	​Patricia Samford
​April	​A Fishy Find	​Francis Lukezic
​May	​A "Whale of a Well-Shaped Waist, 19th-Century Style	​Patricia Samford
​June	​Pig Iron Bar with Runners from Antietam Furnace Iron Works	​Gareth McNair-Lewis
​July	​Cock Your Hat - Angles are Attitudes	​Nichole Doub
​August	​Smelling Sweet, Mid-19th-Century Style	​Richie Diguiseppe and Dalton Woody of Huntingtown High School Archaeology Club
​September	​Bald Friar Petroglyphs- Maryland’s Forgotten Rock Art	​Julie Flynn
​October	​Forget Me Not Mustache Cup	​Patricia Samford
​November	​The Carroll “Dynasty” and the Mysterious “Falcon Crest” Fork	​Sara Rivers Cofield
​December	​Not Just Another Marginal Artifact	​Ed Chaney
2017 HUNTINGTOWN HIGH SCHOOL CURATOR'S CHOICE ​

​Date	Topic​	Author​
Jan​uary	​Roast Turkey; Seventeenth-Century Style	Patricia Samford
​February	​A Campaign Button of the 18th-Century (Or was it?)	​Sara Rivers Cofield
​March	Carlyle Warehouse	Nichole Doub
​April	​Scripture in Iron: Pennsylvania German Stove Plates from Antietam Furnace	​Rebecca Morehouse
​May	Functional and Stylish: A Cast Iron Franklin Stove from Catoctin Iron Furnace	​Francis Lukezic
​June	Archaeological Evidence of Formal Gardens Found at the Belair Mansion in Bowie, MD	​Alex Glass
​July	​Passion Subdued by Reason	Patricia Samford​
​August	The Acteon Carronade​	Caitlin Shaffer​
​September	A Day at the Beach - Ruby Stained Souvenir Glassware	Erin Wingfield
​October	Ghostly Glass-Uranium Glass	​Annette Cook​
​November	A US 1828 pattern Bayonet Scabbard Belt Plate	​Gareth McNair-Lewis
​December	​Candle In The Wind (Or Actually, In The Ground)	​Edward Chaney and Alexandra Glass

​Date	Topic​	Author​
Jan​uary	​The Buckle Generic	Sara Rivers Cofield
​February	Evidence Of An African Instrument In Colonial Maryland?​	Rebecca Morehouse​
​March	Just Say No To Natty Bo - A Temperance Society Teacup	Patricia Samford and Teresa Piovesan​
​April	​The Badge of a US Cavalry Officer	Nichole Doub
​May	Smoking in Life and in the Hereafter: A Chinese Water Pipe from Deadwood, SD	​Francis Lukezic
​June	Buying Local: 18th-century Chesapeake Stoneware	​Alex Glass
​July	​Remembering the Maine	​Patricia Samford
​August	The Perfect Dose	​Isaiah Johnson
​September	Lessons for Children	Madison Pearson
​October	The Mystery of Stiegel-Type Glassware	​Erin Wingfield
​November	A Pewter Spoon from the Smith St. Leonard Site​	Gareth McNair-Lewis​
​December	Ice Skating Through the Ages​	​Caitlin Shaffer
​2015 HUNTINGTOWN HIGH SCHOOL CURATOR'S CHOICE​

​Date	Topic​	Author​
Jan​uary	A Humans Best - and Oldest - Friend​	Rebecca Morehouse​
​February	The Rise of Balloon Flight​​	Caitlin Shaffer​
​March	Wear For My Sake - A Mourning Ring Fragment from Smiths St. Leonard	Alex Glass​
​April	​Snake Oil and Magic Potions: Fooling the Public with Cure-alls and Quackery	Erin Wingfield​
​May	Bavarian Black Buttons​	Sara Rivers Cofield​
​June	Tool Check Tag	​Patricia Samford
​July	​Maryland's Oil Fields	Nichole Doub​
​August	The Allure of French Perfume​	Patricia Samford​
​September	​The Rise and Fall of the Green Fairy	​Annette Cook
​October	Some Objects Lead an Interesting Life: A Tale of Dr. Samuel Mudd's Tea and Coffee Service	​Francis Lukezic
​November	Iron Draw Knife from the Jackson Homestead (18MO609)	​Gareth McNair-Lewis
​December	​I LOVE Your Hair!	​Edward Chaney
​2014 HUNTINGTOWN HIGH SCHOOL CURATOR'S CHOICE​

​Date	Topic​	Author​
Jan​uary	"Buttons to Trim the Coat in the Manner I Wish It to Be"	​Caitlin Shaffer
​February	​Who Bit the Bullet?: Let Slip the Pigs of War!	​Edward Chaney
​March	Erin Go Bragh! "Home Rule" Tobacco Pipes and Ireland's Struggle for Independence	Rebecca Morehouse​
​April	Peas, Beans, Corn and Wheat	​Alex Glass
​May	Go Figure!​	Nichole Doub​
​June	Mysterious Lead Objects from Smith St. Leonard​	Annette Cook​
​July	​Fourth of July for the Harmonica	Virginie Ternisien​
​August	Use A Bottle, Save a Breast!	Makenli Essert
​September	Take a Closer Look at this 18th-Century Needle Case Telescope​	Sara Rivers Cofield​
​October	Murder in Maryland: "Devills" Masquerading as Colonial Gentlemen	​Erin Wingfield
​November	Punch-Decorated Door Latch Bar from Smith St. Leonard Site	​Gareth McNair-Lewis
​December	​The Line of Sight: A Brief History of Eyeglasses	Christy Nisbet​
​​2013 HUNTINGTOWN HIGH SCHOOL CURATOR'S CHOICE​

​Date	Topic​	Author​
Jan​uary	Much Ado About Asphalt	Edward Chaney​
​February	The Inkhorn​	​Patricia Samford
​March	The Smith's-St. Leonard Fan	Alex Glass​
​April	Natural Approaches To Pest Management​	Erin Wingfield​
​May	Baltimore Rockingham Hunt Pitcher​	Patricia Samford​
​June	​Camden Yards Piano Baby	Patricia Samford ​
​July	​A Colonial Side Saddle	Sara Rivers Cofield
​August	​The Mystery of Lake George	​Sharon Osofsky
​September	The Personal Touch	​Annette Cook
​October	The Disturbing History of Dentures	Erin Wingfield​
​November	​Anyone for a Game of Ring Taw?	Patricia Samford​
​December	​The Bond Street German Jeton	​Heather Rardin

​Date	Topic​	Author​
Jan​uary	​Native American Gaming Stones	​Rebecca Morehouse
​February	No Curator's Choice​	​
​March	The Real Reason Maryland Fans Hate Duke	​Edward Chaney
​April	​Native American Effigies	​Erin Wingfield
​May	​Ivory and Silver Walking Stick Handle	Patricia Samford​
​June	The Harquebus Barrel	Nancy S. Shippen​
​July	​An Accokeek Pot	​Caitlin Shaffer
​August	An Apothecary Weight​	Alex Glass​
​September	Holey Molar!	​Annette Cook
​October	Signed, Sealed, Delivered	​Nichole Doub
​November	​Dazzling Duds-Metal Thread in the 17th Century	​Sara Rivers Cofield
​December	​Timekeeping in the 18th Century	​Rebecca Morehouse

​Date	Topic​	Author​
Jan​uary	Rachel Was Here	​Annette Cook
​February	Fake Treasure	​Nichole Doub
​March	The Cost of a Pretty Penny	​Kenya Brown Fusciello
​April	​The Easter Egg Cache	​Sara Rivers Cofield
​May	​A Carved Bone Figure	​Dennis C. Curry and Maureen Kavanagh
​June	​It's All in The Details-Regimental Buttons from Valley Forge	​Nancy S. Shippen
​July	​Pierced Silver Coin	​Alex Glass
​August	Flintlock Gun Part	​Annette Cook
​September	​Pattens	Patricia Samford
​October	A "Wellth" of History	​Sami Allen
​November	Flintlock Pistol's Grotesque Butt Cap	Kelly Cooper
​December	​Sacred Silver: A Cross-Shaped Reliquary Pendant	​Sara Rivers Cofield

​Date	Topic​	Author​
Jan​uary	​A Model 1855 Bayonet	​Gareth McNair-Lewis
​February	​Saint Benedict Medal	​Erin Wingfield
​March	Horne Point Fireback	​Nichole Doub
​April	​Artifact of An Archaeologist	​Erin Wingfield
​May	​Civil War Canteen	​Nancy S. Shippen
​June	​Copper Points from Posey Site	​Sara Rivers Cofield
​July	Smith/St.Leonard Chafing Dish	​Alex Glass
​August	Witch Bottle	​Rebecca Morehouse
​September	Havre de Grace Cannon	​Caitlin Shaffer
​October	Bannerstones	​Edward Chaney
​November	​B & O Railroad Plate	​Patricia Samford
​December	​A Colonial Collection of Native American Artifacts	​Sami Allen

​Date	Topic​	Author​
Jan​uary	​Modified Cowrie Shell	Patrica Samford
​February	Tam O'Shanter Jug	​Patricia Samford
​March	Inscribed "SS" Bodkin	​Sara Rivers Cofield
​April	Columbus Paddle Wheel	​Kathy Concannon
​May	​Triangular Bit Smoking Pipe	​Edward Chaney
​June	​​Decorated Bone Pin	​Rebecca Morehouse
​July	The CSS Alabama Dishes	​Caitlin Shaffer
​August	Rebecca Addison's Silver Thimble	​Sara Rivers Cofield
​September	​Writing Slate	Patricia Samford​
​October	Jamestown Project	​Kenya Brown Fusciello
​November	Friderich Emich Medallion	​Erin Wingfield
​December	​Popes Creek Pottery Vessels	​Edward Chaney