CURRENT HISTORY
ALBUQUERQUE MUSEUM PHOTO ARCHIVES
ALBUQUERQUE MUSEUM PHOTO ARCHIVES
Debra Haaland and members of her campaign staff celebrate her election to the U.S. House of Representatives, November 6, 2018. Albuquerque Museum, gift of Deb Haaland for Congress. BOTTOM: President John F. Kennedy shakes the hands of supporters during a rally at UNM, 1960. Albuquerque Museum, gift of Zelda and Jerry Danziger.
Collecting Current History Museum archives include Haaland material. The accession of Haaland’s photograph
O
sitting back and waiting for pivot points
is part of the Museum’s commitment to
of history to become clear in retrospect,”
collect items that preserve the stories
Connors says. “However, by asking the
of Albuquerque and New Mexico for
campaign staff to collect objects before
NE OF THE Albuquerque
future generations. According to Museum
history was decided, we hoped to ensure
Museum’s recent acquisitions
Director Andrew Connors, once it became
that the Museum could talk about a national
is a photograph from
clear that Haaland was rising to the top of
event from an insider’s perspective.”
election night 2018, when
the slate, Albuquerque Museum curators
The Museum contacted the campaign,
Debra Haaland won New Mexico’s first
knew they needed to capture a moment
and, at that point, campaign organizers
congressional district. As one of the first two
in history when the first Native American
began to save items. “We didn’t just want
Native American women ever to be elected
woman might go to Congress. “Usually
to tell history from the front pages of
to Congress, Haaland is making history.
history museums feel more comfortable
national newspapers and screen shots
8
SPRING 2019
Art. History. People.
