LEWISTON — The Franco-American Collection at the University of Southern Maine’s Lewiston-Auburn College has received a donation of artifacts from the Lewiston chapter of Richelieu International, following its closure in 2010.

The donation includes dozens of photographs and documents from the club’s 50-year history, as well as the official symbols of the organization, such as the club banner, collection bowl and chairman’s gavel.

The donation will augment the collection’s existing holdings of Richelieu material donated by past members. In addition, the collection already holds material on other local social clubs, including the Association Canado-Américaine and the Institut Jacques Cartier.

“Fraternal organizations like the Richelieu played a vital role in supporting Franco-American culture in Lewiston-Auburn,” said Collection Coordinator James Myall. “They also counted many prominent locals as members, and both of these properties make them interesting to researchers. We’re very pleased to add the Richelieu material to the collection.”

The donation was made by some of the last members of the Richelieu before its disbandment: Mario Gendron, Roger Mailhot and Jean-Robert Maheu of Lewiston. The late Daniel Isabel, who was the final president of the club, and the late Vincent Leblanc, who served as secretary and treasurer, were also instrumental in bringing the donation to the collection.

Richelieu International began in Ottawa, Canada, in 1945 and now has organizations in most French-speaking areas worldwide. The Lewiston chapter opened in 1960, and for 50 years supported local children and families, encouraging the French language and appreciation of French culture.

The Franco-American Collection invites anyone with artifacts or memorabilia from the Club Richelieu to consider donating them. The collection is dedicated to preserving and promoting the history and heritage of Maine’s Franco-American community. It is one of the largest depositories of Franco-American archival material in the northeast.

The collection is located at USM’s Lewiston-Auburn College, 51 Westminster St., and is open to the public free from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday. Call 753-6545 or email [email protected] for more information. Information is also available online at www.usm.maine.edu/franco.