‘Tucked Away’ features forgotten treasures found in Blue Hill
One of the handwritten treasures found inside a donated book at the Blue Hill Public Library. Exhibit photos by John Boit.
Jan. 6, 2026
By John Boit
Readers never know what treasures can be found within the pages of a book. But now a new exhibit in Blue Hill is putting actual hidden treasures–those found tucked into the pages of donated books–on display.
A photo booth glimpse into the past.
“Tucked Away,” a new exhibit at the Blue Hill Public Library, features forgotten items that were discovered hiding in the pages of donated books. Photographs, postcards from foreign countries, airplane boarding passes, tourist maps, and even a handwritten vow of love are among the items on display.
“We’ve found and saved some really interesting items tucked away in donated books over the years. Each is so precious, and provides a unique window into the lives of our book donors—where they’ve been, how they live and what they cherish,” said Ann Pladson, president of the Friends of the Library and exhibit co-creator. “We’ve had a lot of fun collecting these items, and thought it was time to share them with the public.”
Pladson was joined by volunteers Nina Fleming and Tricia Thomas in curating and launching the exhibit.
Every year, volunteers from the Friends of the Library group clean and sort thousands of donated books. The books are then put out on the shelves of the library’s basement store, the Book Nook, raising tens of thousands of dollars each year for library operations such as children’s programming and newspaper subscriptions.
But many of those books contained forgotten mementos, the best of which were stored in a basement filing cabinet, until this year with the launch of “Tucked Away.”
The exhibit has several photos of unnamed people, including a student’s school portrait from decades ago and a series of photo booth pictures of a young woman in a polka dot kerchief. There is a small hand-drawn cartoon depicting France abandoning the gold standard–an event that took place in 1936. Another cartoon shows a man named “Skipper Bishop” wearing shorts, sandals and a backpack attempting to buy coffee in New York City.
There is a 1981 letter from National Geographic, rejecting an Old Town resident’s proposal that the magazine cover the Maine woodsman as a topic (“The suggestion was given careful consideration, but does not meet our current editorial requirements,” the editor wrote back.)
On one handwritten piece of paper are vows to a woman named Laurie: “I will try not to be selfish and think of your comfort. Like staying at inns instead of tents when we travel. I will be humble so that I might understand your girlish way of thinking so that we can grow together.” The vows are unsigned and undated.
A snapshot, a couple’s portrait, and a school photograph are among the items in “Tucked Away.”
Rich Boulet, the library’s director, said the exhibit helps highlight some of the important work the volunteers of the Friends of the Library do throughout the year. Over the past 10 years, the volunteers have raised over $195,000 for the library by organizing books for sale, many of which can be purchased for just a dollar or two.
“Tucked Away” is on display in the library's Howard Room and is available to view through the end of March, subject to the meeting room’s schedule. For more information, contact the library at (207) 374-5515.
More examples of the exhibit are found below. If you know the backstory on any of these, help solve their mysteries with an email to The Rising Tide at info@risingtide.media.
A cartoonist’s take on France’s decision to abandon the gold standard in 1936.
“Skipper” Bishop, whoever he is, apparently had an issue with coffee while in New York.
National Geographic didn’t bite at a story pitch about Maine woodsmen.
Volunteers of Friends of the Library sorting and cleaning books. From left, are Regina Reid, Karen Wyatt and Ellie Andy. Photo courtesy of the Blue Hill Library.
