COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL | WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2019 | 9A
Coat
from A1
Upon arriving in New
York, she quickly married
her fiancé – while still
wearing the coat.
Considered her “lucky
coat,” Woolcott later cut
strips of fabric from it to
make Bible covers for her
three sons as they served
overseas in the military
during World War II.
As a testament to the
coat’s lucky charm, all three
sons returned home safely.
Woolcott lived the rest
of her life in the Cottage
Grove area. After her pass-
ing on July 4, 1965, at age
80, her coat and blanket
were donated to the Cot-
tage Grove Museum by her
oldest son.
Another Journey
Though an item of local
note, the coat has remained
in Cottage Grove for about
four decades in the all-vol-
unteer museum’s care with-
out much attention from
larger historical entities.
In 2017, word of the
coat’s existence made its
way down to California
when museum improve-
ments made press in the
Register-Guard. Venice re-
called someone from the
Ronald Reagan Presiden-
tial Library asking to in-
clude the coat in their own
exhibition.
It was the first time the
little museum had consid-
ered loaning out the coat.
“We
hemmed
and
hawed about it,” Venice
said, “whether we should
let it go and whether it was
going to be safe and wheth-
er they were going to take
proper care of it.”
The museum board fi-
nally decided to give the
coat some well-deserved
publicity. Boxed in an ac-
id-free container and spe-
cial wrapping tissue, Ven-
ice and museum volunteer
Cathy Bellavita took it
upon themselves to drive
the coat down to the Cali-
fornia library.
Venice admitted to some
nervousness on the trip
down.
“I was thinking, ‘Oh my
gosh, I don’t want anything
to happen to this thing —
especially under our care,’”
she said.
As per its “lucky” mon-
iker, the coat made it safe-
ly to the library where the
exhibition, “Titanic,” made
use of a 10,000-square-foot
area to display hundreds
of original artifacts along-
side movie set pieces from
the James Cameron film.
The library estimated more
than 300,000 visitors came
through the exhibit during
its six-month display.
The library returned the
coat by courier early in
2018, including an archi-
vally-appropriate glass dis-
play case, which Venice es-
covery by Robert Ballard.
Amid displayed stories
of heroism and tragedy,
Woolcott’s coat stood in the
middle.
“Our coat was the cen-
ter of that whole area,” said
Venice.
The exhibit ran from
June 2018 through the end
of the year, though Venice
could not guess how many
visitors the coat received
compared to its library ex-
hibition.
“I would think more,”
she said. “It’s a very popular
museum.”
When the coat came
back in February this year,
it came with another man-
nequin as well as a payment
of $1,200.
“In retrospect we were
thinking we should have
asked for more,” laughed
Venice.
With the items the coat
has picked up in its trav-
els, the current display at
the Cottage Grove Muse-
DAMIEN SHERWOOD/COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL
um provides a first-rate
Marion Wright Woolcott’s coat is now displayed with a museum-quality display
improvement from its old
case and information board as a result of its exhibitions.
glass case and bulletin
board.
“It wasn’t museum quali-
timated to be worth $2,000, low, had heard about the laughed Venice.
and a mannequin.
coat and expressed interest
The museum board re- ty,” said Venice of the previ-
Before there was time to in borrowing it for another linquished the coat again ous display. “Now it’s a real
put the coat back on dis- exhibition, going as far as and Hiebert flew back with upgrade.”
The exhibit also includes
play, however, another in- to gift the museum with a the coat in its acid-free box
quiry came in — this time framed photo taken of the to Washington, D.C for dis- a display case with a con-
from National Geographic. Titanic’s bow when it was play in the exhibit “Titanic: temporary Boston Globe
newspaper headline of the
While in Eugene for a found in the 1980s.
The Untold Story.”
conference, Dr. Fredrik
“He was really trying
The exhibit revealed the Titanic’s sinking and infor-
Hiebert, archaeologist and to score points with us to long-classified story be- mation on the coat’s tour
National Geographic Fel- get us to loan it to him,” hind the Titanic’s 1985 dis- through California and
Washington, D.C.
A new case and infor-
mation board for Wool-
cott’s blanket have also
been built to match the
coat’s upgraded display,
telling the story of Wool-
cott’s rescue by the Car-
pathia.
“We decided it needed a
case of its own. And a sto-
ry of its own,” said Venice.
“It wasn’t up to standards
to keep it preserved cor-
rectly. The story has not
really been told in an
adequate way, we didn’t
feel. We thought it really
deserved an exhibit of its
own.”
Funds for the blanket
display came from the
State Historic Preserva-
tion Office and the Faye
and Lucille Stewart Foun-
dation.
The exhibit was also
made possible by support
from an Oregon Heritage
Grant from the Oregon
We have 2x12 Rough Cut Cedar for
Heritage Commission.
Raised Beds in stock!
Museum exhibit con-
sultants Chanin Santi-
ago and Alice Parman
along with Cottage Grove
graphic designer and his-
Open 7 days a week!
torian Alice Christianson
partnered with museum
79149 N. River Road
staff and volunteers to
create the exhibit.
Because the Cottage
Grove Museum’s name
was included with the
coat’s display during its
travels, Venice is optimis-
tic the item’s popularity
will increase.
“People have come here
specifically to see it,” said
Venice. “Hopefully word
will get around that it is
here in our museum.”
Admission to the Aug.
10 opening, which is from
1 to 4 p.m., will be free
FOREST & GARDEN EQUIPMENT
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