Cannonballs, Anecdotes and Artifacts (2006)

What do Andrew Wyeth, Helen Keller, Walt Disney, Mae West and Abraham Lincoln have in common? The fascinatingly eclectic collector, historian, teacher, band leader, and radio broadcaster, Christian Sanderson! Those who are fortunate to live near the Sanderson Museum feel as though they have a branch of the Smithsonian Museum in their own backyard. This museum offers a glimpse at history that the common man will never have. Christian Sanderson accumulated, cared for and recorded some of our modern history s most personal relics. These too must be preserved to assure that they will be witnessed by subsequent generations. At the very least, this documentary will preserve the legacy of Christian Sanderson s life and museum. Beyond that, it will reveal this wonder of a man, and the romance of our rich, local Pensylvania history to a new audience. Think of the many people worldwide who have had a taste of this land through Andrew Wyeth s paintings and who long to visit it, if only to see if such places exist. Yet, there are others who have no interest in what artifacts may rest beneath this soil or which nations crossed our Brandywine and whose blood and bones were absorbed into our earth. Christian Sanderson cared to learn this land, its people and their stories. He made it his business and shared it with his students, friends and neighbors. The stories that I have gathered and even the actual museum pieces have the power to ignite a renewed enthusiasm for the museum, stirring others to follow Chris s footsteps in preserving our living memories. When we are gone, who will inform the future about our lives and the lives lived even before ours?