Curator of Lundy-Fetterman Museum Promoted in Ancient Order

E.C. “Ches” Crow, of Raleigh, NC, adjunct curator of the Lundy-Fetterman Museum and Exhibit Hall, was promoted to Officer Brother in The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, a British order of chivalry that is over 900 years old.
Established when the Abby of St. Mary in Jerusalem set up a hospital to care for sick pilgrims and run by Benedictine monks, The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John assumed a military role during the Crusades but continued its vow to care for the sick. The monks were known as the Knights Hospitallers. In 1882, the order acquired land in Jerusalem to build an eye hospital, which has been operating ever since. In 1888, The Knights Hospitallers were recognized by Queen Victoria and designated as a royal order of chivalry. Today, Queen Elizabeth II is the sovereign head of the Order. The Hospitallers continue to work with the eye hospital in Jerusalem, which cares for over 50,000 patients and performs approximately 5,000 major surgical procedures each year. From Officer Brother of the Knights Hospitallers, Crow is eligible to attain the office of Commander and eventually become a knighted member of the Order.
“It is quite an honor,” said Crow of the promotion. “So many orders of chivalry now are charitable organizations through the Crown of England. They provide aid to disaster victims such as those in South Asia and hospitals like the ones in Jerusalem.
Crow, who is internationally known as a wildlife and nature artist, joined the Lundy-Fetterman Museum and Exhibit Hall as adjunct curator in 2003. He has a strong background in commercial art and advertising and is the design director for the Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex in Fayetteville. His paintings have appeared in shows sponsored by the North Carolina Museum of Natural Science, the North Carolina Zoological Park, and the Southeastern Waterfowl Exposition of South Carolina, among numerous others. They also hang in private homes and museums in Britain, Scotland, and the United States. In addition, Crow’s illustrations and articles have been published in the “North Carolina Wildlife Magazine” and “The Highlander,” a Scottish magazine. He is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.
Crow works with Dorothea Stewart Gilbert, director of the Lundy-Fetterman Museum and Exhibit Hall, to enhance the museum’s appeal to the general public. The museum is open from 9 a.m. until 12 on Monday and from 12 until 4 p.m. on Tuesday. Appointments to tour the facility may be made by calling (910) 814-4398.
 

Bulletin 0008-1/13/05