Salem Collection Archives Publicity

Lifelong resident collects everything Salem

by Ben Castleman
Staff Writer

SALEM-- if it says Salem, Paul Plecinoga wants it. Actually, the odds are pretty good he already has it.

Plecinoga already has some 600 pieced of Salem memorabilia, bought at yard sales and eBay auctions and handed down from his parents and grandparents.

His collection, which Plecinoga calls the Salem Collection Archive, ranges from the historic to quirky. He has a copy of Mayor Saltonstall's 1836 inaugural address, a calling card from U.S. ambassador to England -- and Salem native -- Joseph Choate and a 1919 medal given by the city to returning World War I veteran. He also has pass books from Salem Savings Bank, a 1943 Kindergarten report card from St. John the Baptist School and an event stub from the Museum Place Cinema.

One thing you won't find much of is witches.

"There's a lot more to (Salem) than you usually hear about, like the witches." Plecinoga said. "That's the kind of stuff I don't really collect."

Plecinoga, 24 says he's more interested in day-to-day objects, "things that you kind of just accumulate over the years." He figures that his collection gives a sense of how the city has changed over the years.

"Fifty years from now," he said, "people will see what it was like then."

People don't have to wait to see the collection, however, Plecinoga doesn't have a gallery to display his memorabilia, which he stores in his Thorndike Street home, But anyone can visit the collection on the Internet at www.salemarchives.org a site Plecinoga set up two years ago.

Plecinoga's collection stems from a an interest in history. He started the collection with several souvenirs from Salem's 300th anniversary celebration in 1926¹ and his favorite items relate to the Salem Fire of 1914. He has a book about the fire that is inscribed to a firefighter who traveled from Hingham to help with the blaze.

"To Arthur R. Kimball" the inscription reads, "as a reminder of a wild night."

From the Hawthorne Hotel Blog (http://hawthornehotel.blogspot.com):

Tuesday, March 28, 2006
On-line Collection of "Things Salem"

On March 20, 2006, the Salem News ran a story about Paul Plecinoga who collects things that say "Salem" on them, specifically related to Salem, Massachusetts, of course.

I clipped the article so I would remember to check it out, and I did so today. Here is a link to Paul's website, www.salemarchives.org. Paul set this site up over two years ago, and it is very interesting to see, so I thought I should send you there to see for yourself.

A copy of the Salem News article is available on Paul's website.

Have fun learning a little more about the people who love Salem as much as I do!

Juli
 

1. This is edited from 1930 which was incorrect in the article