Shorts

“Elegant Etiquette: Nineteenth-Century Figural Napkin Rings,” on view through Sunday, August 10 [1997], at the Brandywine River Museum, showcases a selection of whimsical table articles manufac­tured by American silverplate companies during the second half of the last century. From the 1860s through the end of the century, napkin rings took many forms and were adorned with fig­ures of cherubs, birds, animals, and flowers. “Elegant Etiquette” features two hundred examples borrowed from private collec­tions. For more information, write: Brandywine River Museum, P.O. Box 141, Chadds Ford, PA 19317; or tele­phone (610) 388-2700. Admission.

Antique sewing boxes, spool holders, darning tools, pin cushions, tatting hooks, and embroidery frames, together with the accouterments once used by women to master the art of the stitch, will be featured in an exhibition opening Monday, August 4, at the Moravian Museum of Bethlehem. “Sewing Plain and Fancy: Tools and Examples of the Sewing Arts” will remain on view through Saturday, November 1 [1997]. Addi­tional details are available by writing: Moravian Museum of Bethlehem, 66 West Church St., Bethlehem, PA 18018; or telephone (610) 867-0173. Admission.

Although no battle actually took place in Girard, Erie County, the Battles Museums of Rural Life will sponsor Civil War Days from Friday through Sunday, August 1-3 [1997]. Reenactors will portray soldiers, sutlers, surgeons, and civilians both in camp settings and on the battlefield. In addition to perfor­mances of period music, church services and tours will be offered. For more infor­mation, write: Battles Museums of Rural Life, Erie County Historical Society, 417 State St., Erie, PA 16501; or telephone (814) 454-1813. Donation.

On Monday, August 25 [1997], National Parks Day will be celebrated by Hope­well Furnace National Historic Site, which will open free of charge and con­duct special programs about the history and role of the National Park Service. To obtain more information, write: Hopewell Furnace, 2 Mark Bird Ln., Elverson, PA 19520; or telephone (610) 582-8773. Free.

A three-day heritage festival of music, entertain­ment, historic walking tours, and ethnic fare, the Johnstown FolkFest ’97 will be sponsored by the Johnstown Area Heritage Association from Friday through Sunday, August 29-31 [1997], in the commun­ity’s Cambria City National Register Historic District. The event celebrates the diverse heritage of southwestern Penn­sylvania. Additional information may be obtained by writing: Johnstown Area Heritage Association, P.O. Box 1889, Johns­town, PA 15907-1889; or by telephoning toll free 1-888-222-1889. Free.

A leader of today’s exciting renais­sance of Philadelphia furniture, Bob Ingram has curated an exhibition of rep­resentative pieces by two dozen out­standing furniture makers aptly entitled “Philadelphia Furniture” for the Paley Design Center. Featuring works by Barry Burton, Jack Larimore, Josh Markel, Kim Levin, Gary Magakis, and Keith Newhouse, the exhibition illus­trates the diversity of contemporary styles. Fine furniture crafted in Philadel­phia has earned a distinguished repu­tation in the history of design, and many examples of the eighteenth and nine­teenth centuries are included in major private and public collections. “Philadelphia Furniture,” on view through Sunday, September 14 [1997], is an opportunity for gallery visitors to examine the tradition of furniture making and to appreciate today’s outstanding work. For more information, write: Paley Design Center, Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science, 4200 Henry Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19144; or telephone (215) 951-2860. Free.

Drawings, paint­ings, prints, photo­graphs, and a circa 1940 film will be fea­tured in “Celebrate! Windber Centennial Exhibition,” a mixed­-media installation documenting the his­tory of the Somerset County community, that opens Friday, June 27 [1997], at the Southern Alleghe­nies Museum of Art at Johnstown. The region was popular with a group of important Pittsburgh artists led by George Hetzel who spent summers sketching and painting at nearby Scalp Level. Works by more than twenty artists chronicling the settlement and industri­alization of Windber will be highlighted. The exhibition will continue through Saturday, August 16. For more details, write: Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art at Johnstown, Pasquerilla Perform­ing Arts Center, University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, Johnstown, PA 15904; or telephone (814) 269-7234. Free.

“Junk!” is a thirty-five hundred square foot interactive exhibit recently opened at the Pittsburgh Children’s Museum for visitors twelve years old and younger. The innovative installation encourages participants to experiment with every­day objects in an effort to create a work of art, teaches youngsters to learn about recycling, and enables them to see what many would call trash as art. Partially funded by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, “Junk!” con­tinues through Sunday, August 31 [1997]. For more details, write: Pittsburgh Children’s Museum, 10 Children’s Way, Pittsburgh, PA 15212; telephone (412) 322-5059. Admission.

On Sunday, September 7 [1997], at 2 P.M., Joseph P. Eckhardt, college professor of history and film historian (see “Clatter, Sproing, Clunk went the Trolley … ” in the Summer 1992 edition) will present a film retrospective entitled “When the Movies Were Young: Pennsylvania Film Pioneer Siegmund Lubin” at The State Museum of Pennsylvania. Siegmund “Pop” Lubin (1851-1923) was known during his day as “the Rockefeller of the Movies,” and his Philadelphia-based Lubin Film Company produced several thousand motion pictures between 1897 and 1916. This year marks the centennial of the founding of the Lubin company. Eck­hardt’s biography of Lubin will be pub­lished this year. For more information, write: Friends of The State Museum, P.O. Box 1026, Harrisburg, PA 17108-1026; or telephone (717) 787-6590. Admission.

The Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum and The Pennsylvania State University will sponsor an African American Heritage Arts Festival at the uni­versity’s Altoona campus on Satur­day, July 26 [1997]. In addition to perfor­mances of tradi­tional African music and dance, the event will fea­ture storytellers and entertainment for the entire fam­ily. For more infor­mation, write: Altoona Railroad­ers Memorial Museum, 1300 Ninth Ave., Altoona, PA 16601; or telephone (814) 946-0834. Free.

During the weekend of August 2-3 [1997], Fort Necessity National Battlefield will host a historic encampment at the site of the beginning of the French and Indian War (see “Broken Promises, Broken Dreams: North America’s Forgotten Conflict at Bushy Run Battlefield” by Jane Ocker­shausen in the summer 1997 issue). Reenactors will portray soldiers of 1754, while a Native American group will interpret the lives of Northeastern Woodland Native Americans. To obtain more information, write: Fort Necessity National Battle­field, 1 Washington Way, Farmington, PA 15437; or telephone (412) 329-5512. Admission.