"Please Help Us Find Memories of Our 'Busan Jeoncha'!" ... Dong-A University Launches Donation Campaign

The Seokdang Museum at Dong-A University is launching a donation campaign titled “Please Help Us Find Memories of Our ‘Busan Tram’!” to uncover materials related to the Busan tram.

This campaign was organized by the Seokdang Museum at Dong-A University, which uniquely holds an American-made Busan tram in South Korea, to reexamine the value of the nationally registered cultural heritage ‘Busan Tram’ and to develop as a museum that engages with the local community.

The materials to be collected and donated through this campaign include ▲tram records (newspapers, photos, films, books, documents, etc.) ▲tram cultural items (crew uniforms, tickets, souvenirs, etc.) ▲tram video materials (recorded tapes or videos), encompassing all types related to the Busan tram.

Anyone can participate in this campaign, which runs until August 15. Donation application forms can be downloaded from the Seokdang Museum at Dong-A University’s website, and photos of the materials intended for donation can be submitted via email or postal mail.

Dong-A University "Please help us find the memories of our 'Busan Jeoncha'!" Donation Campaign Promotional Poster.

Donations are expected to be unconditional and must have a clear provenance. Donors will receive a certificate of donation and can enjoy various benefits such as invitations to exhibitions and cultural events at the Seokdang Museum at Dong-A University.

After receiving donation applications, the museum plans to have an expert committee, the Artifact Donation Review Committee, evaluate the exhibition and research value of the materials to decide on acceptance.

The donated materials will be utilized for the planned exhibition “Busan Tram” scheduled for September as part of the 2023 University Museum Promotion Project ‘Era of Convergence: Dong-A Curation Development Center,’ as well as for online content.

The Busan tram is tram number 893 from the 860?899 series manufactured in 1927 by the Cincinnati Car Company in the United States, originally operated in Atlanta by Georgia Power.

It was introduced to Korea in 1952 through U.S. aid and was one of the 20 trams operated in Busan, running until the last one in 1968.

At the request of Dr. Jeong Jae-hwan Seokdang, the founder of Dong-A University, the tram was donated and stored at Dong-A University in February 1969 by Namsun Electric, the predecessor of Korea Electric Power Corporation, for educational purposes. It was refurbished last October following a national registered cultural heritage restoration project.

Director Kim Ki-su stated, “The Busan tram is a precious cultural asset, the only one in Korea, donated through the efforts of Dr. Jeong Jae-hwan Seokdang, the founder of Dong-A University, and serves as a cherished memory for local residents. We ask for the active interest and participation of university members and citizens in donating materials related to the Busan tram, which uncovers the modern and contemporary history of the region.”

For more details about donating materials, please contact the Seokdang Museum at Dong-A University.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.