BETHEL — The Bethel Historical Society is collaborating with Gould Academy to help preserve the school’s archives, Randall Bennett, the executive director of the society, said.

The archives include documents, photographs, books and objects significant to the history of the school, he said.

“Over the past few decades, on-site supervision of the Gould archives has been carried out on a voluntary basis by James B. Owen, a Gould faculty member from 1958 to 1997,” Bennett said. “In addition to tracking down items worthy of safeguarding within the archives, Owen spent considerable time cataloging portions of the collection.”

Owen and former Gould Academy headmaster William Clough were interested in seeing that the archives were preserved long-term, Bennett said, and as a result, the school and the historical society began talking about how to display and preserve items from the archive.

“They had the full support of current Head of School Matt Ruby,” Bennett said. “Gould hasn’t had an ideal or secure place for their archives. Luckily, we have a good facility and we’re just up the street.”

The society will open a short-term exhibition of selected items from the archives on Aug. 13 on the first floor of the Robinson House. The display will continue to Oct. 31.

“We’re planning on holding a bigger exhibition next year, where the Gould Archives will be mixed in with our own archives on the school,” Bennett said. “For now, this year’s exhibitions will focus on select items. It’s also set up to coincide with Gould’s upcoming Alumni Weekend.”

For more information, call the society at 824-2908.

mdaigle@sunjournal.com