Store logos for Artifact at 777 are attached to packages with relics in them April 13, 2016 in Gettysburg, Pa. The 777 is the address of the store which is located at 777 Baltimore Avenue.
Andy Keyser, owner of Artifact at 777, visits one of his favorite spots, April 10, 2016 at Gettysburg National Battlefield, Pa. Keyser said he likes the area because it’s quiet and he married his wife, Tanya, nearby.
Andy Keyser, history professor, holds a Civil War bullet from his store collection April 13, 2016 at Artifact at 777 in Gettysburg, Pa. Keyser explained that the bullet was probably fired through something soft such as flesh or clothing, causing the bullet to warp.
Andy Keyser, historian, shows off one of his favorite artifacts, a battle-damaged canteen, in Artifact at 777, April 13, 2016 in Gettysburg, Pa. Items that have battle damage tell a unique story and are highly sought after by collectors.
Andy Keyser, artifact collector and historian, updates an entry on his webstore April 13, 2016, at Artifact 777 in Gettysburg, Pa. Keyser operates both stores but separates the inventories to avoid confusion with sales.
Andy Keyser, historian, describes the contents of a container in the back of his store, Artifact at 777, April 13, 2016 in Gettysburg, Pa. Keyser opened the store on April 1, 2016 and continuously updates his inventory as it sells.
Andy Keyser, historian, inspects an inventory of Civil War artifacts at Artifacts at 777, April 13, 2016, in Gettysburg, Pa. Keyser and his wife, Tanya, operate the store and also operate a separate online webstore for historical artifacts.
Andy Keyser, historian, visits the area below the area known as Little Round Top, April 10, 2016 at Gettysburg National Battlefield, Pa. Keyser lives nearby in the town of Gettysburg and operates his store, Artifact at 777, there.
Andy Keyser is the owner of Artifact at 777, a store that sells historic artifacts from around the world, although the store’s main inventory is Civil War relics in Gettysburg, Pa. Keyser has loved history since he was a boy and also teaches history at Frederick Community College in Frederick, Md.
Driving into Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, you are instantly bombarded with history from all sides. The monuments and wooden fences, cannons and memorial plaques commemorate one of the most famous battles in American history. Drive too fast, though, and you may miss a little place filled with history within the greater circle of this historic place. With its golden wooden walls and pinpoint lighting, the quaint little Artifact at 777 shop is contrasted by the lack of a finished exterior. A small sign on the door reassures you that they are indeed open during renovations.
Opening the door to the shop, a faint bell rings and soft music washes over you. Andy Keyser’s attention is immediately drawn to the door in order to engage the newest visitor to his store.
“I guess it’s the teacher coming out in me,” he says. “Not only do I want them to take something home, but I want them to maybe learn something.”
Keyser is a teacher in the literal sense. He teaches western civilization at Frederick Community College in Frederick Maryland.
“This love for history is contagious, as I’m sure that his students could attest to,” Andy’s wife, Tanya confirms his love of history, “I know that he has had students in the past who have commented that they always hated history before having him as a teacher.”
For Andy, history goes much deeper than just knowing history and teaching it to others. The artifacts he collects and sometimes sells in his shop have a profound effect on him.
“When I hold something, to me, it’s a part of the history, says Keyser. “It’s a part of who they were.”
This connection with these relics can be seen with every label that accompanies each relic in the shop. Almost every piece is meticulously researched in order to provide the location where it was found, who found it and how it relates to the timeline of history. His passion and dedication to each item shows as he carefully hand-writes out each identification tag to match every object.
Keyser pauses for a moment from writing.
“It’s my direct connection to the past,” he says.
Keyser’s love for history began when he was very young. He recalls a visit to a place named Jockey Hollow, a Revolutionary camp that has been restored to look just like it did in 1779.
“I remember walking in and smelling the wood smoke and thinking this is what it was like,” Andy recalls.
As he tells this story, his face shows excitement and his movements become more animated. It is obvious he loves to tell this story. It is a pivotal moment in his life.
“The history just hit me,” says Keyser as he recounts the details of the interior of a home and a woman dressed in period clothing.
Although this moment is the one he recalls being the spark that ignited his passion, Andy says it was his mother who is ultimately responsible for keeping the flame alive.
Over the years, he and his siblings would take a series of trips to places like Valley Forge and Gettysburg Battlefield with their mother. These trips would only further mold the future historian and set him down the path to teaching history and collecting artifacts.
Keyser pauses for a moment and says, “I was always very close to my mother.”
Sadly Andy’s mother passed away after being diagnosed with cancer and was told she only had six months to live. Within a week she was gone.
It was then that Andy realized that life must be lived in every moment, because you never know when it will end.
“What you choose to do has to be worthwhile,” Andy says. “It has to be something that you enjoy.”
Andy realized that he had to finally do what he always wanted to do and that led to the opening of Artifact at 777.
Andy says, “It really kind of reinspired me rededicated me towards making sure that my life was one that when I was at the point where I was about to die, I could look back and say I have no regrets.”
“This shop was born out of the belief that I have to do what makes me happy and what pleases me and this shop pleases me,” he says.
This love of history that pervades every area of his life is what defines him and his love of teaching that history to others is what will be remembered. To see how history lies around every corner of Andy’s life, one only need to talk to Tanya.
“We currently live in what was once an orphanage and a Civil War museum, and own a shop dedicated to historical artifacts,” she says. “His love of history has really shaped the course of our lives.”