New Bedford's Ash Street Jail records chronicle 100 years of criminal history. Now what.
NEW BEDFORD — Jail records dating back more than 100 years, including charge lists and glass plate negatives of inmate photos, are currently collecting dust in the Ash Street Jail's attic.
The New Bedford Whaling Museum is working with the Bristol County Sheriff's Office to take possession of these vintage items and make them a collection unto themselves, providing insights into Bristol County's criminal history over multiple past generations.
The Ash Street Jail opened in 1888, and there are plans currently being considered to close the building within the next several years and relocate the jail to the House of Correction's main campus in Dartmouth.
Museum officials responded to a BCSO invitation to take stock of the items on Feb. 1.
Amanda McMullen, Whaling Museum CEO, said, "These highly sensitive objects are a significant regional treasure, and deserve long-term preservation and care."
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Making the trip over to Ash Street were Robert Rocha Jr., associate curator of science and research; D. Jordan Berson, director of collections; Marina Wells, photography collection curatorial fellow, and Naomi Slipp, chief curator.
Slipp said they were grateful for the invitation to view the historic collection of charge cards and glass plate and celluloid negatives, "all dating from circa 1900-1960."
She added, "Initial assessments mark this as a valuable research collection for scholars interested in the criminal history of the county over an approximate 60-year period."
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Slipp said, "Such artifacts vividly document the social history of the county and patterns of criminalization over time."
Due to the sensitive nature of the collection, however, if it were transferred to the Museum it would likely be maintained as a closed research collection with certain restrictions around usage, circulation, and replication.Slipp added Museum officials look forward to continued talks with the Bristol County Sheriff's Office, which are in the early stages.
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Jonathan Darling, Bristol County Sheriff’s Office public information officer, said, "I saw intake photos for people whose crimes were failing to report to work and adultery. Way back in the day."
Unfortunately," he said, these records are currently just collecting dust in the attic without any measures being taken to preserve them.
"It gets pretty hot up there in the attic in the summertime. And it gets plenty cold in the wintertime," he said.
The Whaling Museum would be able to preserve these items for further research and study, he said. "That's what they do. They have a great reputation for preserving history. We're just happy it's the Whaling Museum."
He added that talks were proceeding well, and he believed an agreement would be made official within a matter of time.
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