Shorts

In observance of the centennial of the Spanish-American War, West Overton Museums has mounted “The Spanish-­American War: Contributions by Western Pennsylvanians,” an exhibit of local memorabilia, documents, objects, and photographs. The exhibit continues through Saturday, October 31 [1998]. For more details, write: West Overton Museums, West Overton Village, Scottdale, PA 15683; or telephone (724) 887-7910. Admission.

On Wednesday, August 19, John Leh II, whose family opened Leh’s Department Store in Allentown in 1850, will give a talk entitled “Retailing on Hamilton Street” at the Lehigh County Historical Society. The presentation is part of the society’s exhibition “Petticoats, Peanuts, and Pearls: Doing Business on Hamilton Street,” a reminiscent look at Allen­town’s downtown shopping district (on view through Sunday, November 8 [1998]). Additional information may be obtained by writing: Lehigh County Historical Society, Old Courthouse, 501 Hamilton St., Allentown, PA 18101; or by telephon­ing (610) 435-4664. Free.

“Korea: The Forgotten War” is the topic of the 1998 Eisenhower Seminar co-sponsored by the Eisenhower National Historic Site and the Dwight D. Eisenhower Society on Saturday, October 31 [1998]. Military historians and presidential scholars will examine the aspects of the Korean War on its forty-fifth anniversary in lectures and panel discussions. Registration information is available by writing: Eisenhower National Historic Site, 97 Taneytown Rd., Gettysburg, PA 17325; or by telephoning (717) 338-9114. Admission.

The enduring beauty of historic quilts is showcased in “Chester County Quilts: Textile Traditions,” on view through Saturday, August 29 [1998], at the Chester County Historical Society. The exhibit features quilts from the late eighteenth through the early twentieth centuries, and a variety of sewing tools used in quilt-making, such as an eighteenth-cen­tury chatelaine and a nineteenth-century hand-powered sewing machine. For more information, write: Chester County Historical Society, 225 North High St., West Chester, PA 19380-2691; or tele­phone (610) 692-4800. Admission.

Opening Tuesday, September 15 [1998], at the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia is a per­manent exhibit, “Creating American Jews,” which explores the everyday choices and heroic struggles of successive generations of Jews as they created – and re-created – identity and community in the United States. More than a compre­hensive exhibition of the Jewish experi­ence in this country, “Creating American Jews” examines the constant negotiation between old and new, between changing traditions and promises of popular cul­ture. “Creating American Jews” tells the story of a people connected to the past while creating their own identity and place in America. For more details, write: National Museum of American Jewish History, 55 North Fifth St., Philadelphia, PA 19106-2197; or telephone (215) 923-5978. Admission.

The Moravian Museum of Bethlehem will open ”Wish You Were Here: Views of Early Bethlehem” on Tuesday, August 4 [1998]. The exhibition will feature paintings, prints, and pho­tographs, as well as objects and artifacts chronicling the community’s early histo­ry. “Wish You Were Here” will continue through Saturday, October 31 [1998]. More information is available by writing: Moravian Museum of Bethlehem, 66 West Church St., Bethlehem, PA 18018; or by telephoning (610) 867-0173. Admission.

“Women Photographers from the Permanent Collection” will be on view at the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art at Johnstown from Friday, July 17 [1998], through Sunday, September 20 [1998]. To obtain additional information, 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.

To celebrate its centennial this year, the Lebanon County Historical Society will install an exhibit, “Things Lebanon Valley,” a sampling of decorative arts cre­ated by local artisans and craftsmen from the eighteenth century through the mid­-nineteenth century. Featuring pottery, baskets, coverlets, furniture and furnish­ings, iron, pewter, tin, fraktur, broadsides, and quilts, “Things Lebanon Valley” will be on view from Friday, August 21 [1998], through Tuesday, October 13 [1998]. For more information, write: Lebanon County Historical Society, 924 Cumberland St., Lebanon, PA 17042; or telephone (717) 272-1473.

An exhaustive historical survey of the art and handicraft of Erie County, “Art and Life in Erie, Pennsylvania,” will be on exhibit at the Erie Art Museum through Sunday, October 4 [1998]. The exhibi­tion has been mounted in celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of the founding of the Art Club of Erie, now the Erie Art Museum. To obtain more information, write: Erie Art Museum, 411 State St., Erie, PA 16501; or telephone (814) 459-5477. Admission.

A celebration of sixty years of National Park Service stewardship, “Establishment Day” will be hosted on Sunday, August 2 [1998], by Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site. Festivities include crafts demonstrations, traditional skills demonstrations, and musical enter­tainment. For more details, write: Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, 2 Mark Bird Ln., Elverson, PA 19520; telephone (610) 562-8773; or visit the Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site website. Admission.

Philadelphia’s Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) will mark its thirty-fifth anniversary by mounting “From Warhol to Mapplethorpe: 35 Years of Art at ICA,” a look back at the artists who had exhibited at the gallery and whose works have withstood the test of time. ICA’s commitment to exhibiting artists before they have achieved interna­tional prominence and identifying important artistic trends offers a perfect opportunity for a critical review. “From Warhol to Mapplethorpe” will be on view from Friday, September 11, through Sunday, November 1 [1998]. For more informa­tion, write: Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania, 118 South Thirty-Sixth St., Philadelphia, PA 19104-3289; telephone (215) 898-7108; or visit the Institute of Contemporary Art website. Admission.

Continuing through Sunday, August 23 [1998], at the American Swedish Historical Museum is “Swedish Organizations in America: Then and Now,” an exhibition which features Swedish associations and clubs that have played a significant role in Swedish America. Social institutions such as lodges and signing clubs, pro­vided a center of focus for newly arrived Swedish immigrants and helped ease their transition in a new land. “Then and Now” examines the impact of these organizations and describes how their activities have changed through the years. Additional information may be obtained by writing; American Swedish Historical Museum, 1900 Pattison Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19145-5901; or by tele­phoning (215) 389-1776. Admission.

Pirate costumes, weapons, ship mod­els, scrimshaw, and more than forty watercolors by renowned marine artist William Gilkerson are featured in an exhibit at the Independence Seaport Museum entitled “Under the Black Flag: Life Among the Pirates.” Contrasting the romantic images of piracy with the harsh reality of life at sea, “Under the Black Flag” explores the true stories of pirates and seeks to dispel the myths about them that were glamorized in popular literature and films by describing the hardship, excess, boredom, and terror associated with pirate life. Highlights of the exhibit, which continues through Sunday, August 16 [1998], are works by popu­lar illustrators N.C. Wyeth and Howard Pyle. For more information, write: Independence Seaport Museum, 211 South Columbus Blvd. and Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19106-3199; or tele­phone (215) 413-8631. Admission.