Shorts

The distinctively decorated furniture of Soap Hollow in Somerset County (see “Makers’ Marks and a Master’s Touch” by Edna V. Brendlinger and Robert B. Myers in the winter 1986 edition) is on view at the Southern Alleghenies Mu­seum of Art, Loretto, from Saturday, March 27, through Monday, May 31, 1993. Soap Hollow furniture, made during the second half of the nine­teenth century, is recognized by the makers’ use of painted motifs, stenciling, and initials. Important makers included John Sala (1819-1882), Christian C. Blauch (1828-1899), Jeremiah H. Stahl (1830-1907), Peter K.Thomas (1838-1907), and Tobias Livingston (1821-1891). For more information, write: Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art, P. O. Box 8, Loretto, PA 15940.

One of the finest examples of a nineteenth century iron plantation, Hopewell Furnace, in operation from 1771 until 1883, preserves an industry and lifestyle that was once common in Pennsylvania, as well as in the eastern United States. The historic site will hold sheep­-shearing day on Saturday, May 1, 1993, to demonstrate both historic and modern tech­niques. For information on visiting hours, write: Hopewell Furnace, 2 Mark Bird Ln., Elverson, PA 19520; or telephone (215) 582-8773 or 582-2093 (TDD).

“Archives Week” will be observed throughout Pennsyl­vania during the week of May 23-29, 1993, to celebrate the value and significance of the written word. The observance and related events call attention to the great wealth of archival and manuscript collections available to the public for genealogical and scholarly research. For information on “Archives Week” activities planned by the Pennsylvania State Archives, as well as for suggestions for conducting local observances, write: “Archives Week,” Pennsylvania State Archives, P. O. Box 1026, Harrisburg, PA 17108-1026; or telephone (717) 783-3281. The Pennsylvania State Archives is administered by the Pennsylva­nia Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC).

On Sunday, June 13 [1993], the Warrior Run-Fort Freeland Heritage Society will host an old fashioned strawberry festival at the historic Warrior Run Church, a Presbyterian landmark in Northumberland County. Erected in 1835, the Warrior Run Church was restored in 1947. For addi­tional details, write: Warrior Run-Fort Freeland Heritage Society, Box 415, R. D. 1, Turbotville, PA 17772; or telephone (717) 649-5363. Admission is free.

Opening Sunday, May 16 [1993], and continuing through Sunday, June 20 [1993], at the Sordoni Art Gallery in Wilkes-Barre is a major exhibition celebrating the gallery’s twentieth anniver­sary. Since its opening in 1973 with a modest art collection, the gallery has grown considerably, and the exhibition will showcase prized pieces from the permanent collection, as well as recent gifts and acquisitions. For more details, write: Sordoni Art Gallery, Wilkes University, 150 South River St., Wilkes-Barre, PA 18766; or telephone (717) 824-4651.

On Sunday, May 16 [1993], the 1993 Philadelphia Open House will offer guided tours of Victorian era Germantown, including special interpretive tours of the Ebenezer Maxwell Mansion, 200 West Tulpehocken Street. The stenciled walls and ceilings of the mansion, one of the area’s finest Victorian period house-­museums, have recently been restored. For more information about this event, write: 1993 Philadelphia Open House, Friends of Independence National Historical Park, 313 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19106; or telephone (717) 597-7120. Reservations are required.

“Researching in County Government Records” is the topic of a workshop which will be held by The Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania on Saturday, May 22 [1993], at 1 P. M. Laurie A. Rofini, archivist, and Barbara L. Weir, assistant archivist, Chester County Archives, will discuss various types of county government records and the information they contain. Founded in 1892, the society conducts programs throughout the year to encour­age and assist genealogists and local historians. More informa­tion may be obtained by writing: The Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, 1300 Locust St., Philadelphia, PA 19107; or by telephoning (215) 732-6200.

Demonstrations of sheep shearing will be held at Wash­ington Crossing Historic Park during the weekend of May 8-9 [1993]. Park interpreters will discuss traditional ways of spinning and weaving wool for domestic use. For more information, write: Washington Crossing Historic Park, P. O. Box 103, Washington Crossing, PA 18977; or telephone (215)493-4076. Admission to the historic buildings and structures in the five hundred acre park is charged.

“Ron Schaefer, An American Realist,” will be on exhibit at the Westmoreland Museum of Art in Greensburg from Saturday, April 3 [1993], through Sunday, May 9 [1993]. Schaefer’s work consists of landscapes of the Catskill Mountains and the Hudson River Valley in New York, and what remains of the steel mills in and near Pitts­burgh and the Monongahela River Valley. Visiting hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 A.M. to 5 P. M.; Sunday, 1 to 5 P.M. For more information, write: Westmoreland Museum of Art, 221 North Main St., Greensburg, PA 15601; or telephone (412) 837-1500. Admission is free.

Showcasing works by more than one hundred students of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the ninety­-second annual student exhibition of the nation’s oldest art museum and art school will be on view from Friday, May 7 [1993], through Sunday, May 30 [1993]. Nearly one thousand paintings, sculptures, prints, and mixed­-media compositions will be shown by Pennsylvania Academy students who are participating in their first museum show, a century-old tradition. Additional informa­tion is available by writing: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 118 North Broad St., Philadelphia, PA 19102; or by telephoning (215) 972-7600 or 972-7642. There is a charge for admission.

“Meet the Neighbors,” an exhibition of works by artists living and working in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia, will be on view from Sunday, June 6 [1993], through Saturday, September 11 [1993], at the Goldie Paley Design Center. Opened in 1987, the Goldie Paley Design Center is administered by the Philadel­phia College of Textiles and Science. To obtain more information, write: Goldie Paley Design Center, 4200 Henry Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19144; or telephone (215) 951-2860. Admission is free.

“From Court to Academy: Charles-Nicholas Cochin, Royal Draughtsman and Printmaker,” currently on exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, examines every major aspect of the artist’s career, from his early work illustrating the pomp and splendor of the French Rococo style, to his later shift to the Neo-Classical style. Charles-Nicholas Cochin (1715-1790) was one of the most famous and powerful artists in eighteenth century France. The Philadelphia Museum of Art owns a large portfolio of prints and draw­ings compiled and annotated by the artist himself, from which most of the exhibition has been drawn. “From Court to Academy” will remain on view through Sunday, May 23 [1993]. For more information, write: Philadelphia Museum of Art, P.O. Box 7646, Philadelphia, PA 19101-7646; or telephone (215)763-8100. Admission is charged.

Opening Saturday, June 19 [1993], at the Erie Art Museum is an exhibition of maritime art, including duck decoys made by Erie woodcarvers during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The exhibition will continue through September. Addi­tional details are available by writing: Erie Art Museum, 411 State St., Erie, PA 16501; or by telephoning (814) 459-5477. There is an admission fee.

“The Evelyn Propper Strouse Miniature Collection,” on exhibit at the Atwater Kent Museum through June [1993], features one of the city’s finest collections of miniatures, including furniture, silver, glass, porcelain, and pewter. During her lifetime, the Philadelphian assembled the twenty-four hundred piece collection, the centerpieces of which are miniature period rooms in the William and Mary, Queen Anne, Chippen­dale, and Federal styles. This is the first time the entire collection has been exhibited. For more information, write: Atwater Kent Museum, 15 South Seventh St., Philadelphia, PA 19106; or telephone (215)922-3031. Admission is not charged.

Gerald and Christine Doell, garden historians and land­scape preservation planners will present an illustrated lecture entitled “A Garden in Good Order: Two Centuries of Garden-Making at the White House” at Longwood Gardens on Monday, May 10 [1993], at 7:30 P. M. The speakers will docu­ment the landscape history of the White House during the past two centuries, tracing the evolution of the “President’s Square” from a barren expanse strewn with rubble to the romantic landscape of scenic beauty that enchants visitors today. They will also offer perspective on the events, trends, styles, and individuals that influenced gardening in the United States during this period. Additional information may be obtained by writing: Longwood Gardens, P. O. Box 501, Kennett Square, PA 19348-0501; or by telephoning (215) 388-6741. Reservations are required.

The Cumberland County Historical Society’s eleventh Antiques Forum will be held Friday and Saturday, April 30-May 1 [1993], at the society’s Todd Hall in Carlisle. Topics of this year’s event include interiors and the use of eighteenth century objects; paintings in interiors and of interiors; delftware and its use in American interiors; regional characteristics of Pennsylvania Chippendale styles; and collecting and collections. For registration information, write: Cumberland County Historical Society, 21 North Pitt St., P. O. Box 626, Carlisle, PA 17013; or telephone (717) 249-7610.

Exciting contemporary prints by Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, and others, will be exhibited at the Philip and Muriel Berman Museum of Art, from Thurs­day, April 15 [1993], through Sunday, June 6 [1993]. “Selections from the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery: American Contemporary Graphics, 1961-1989,” features forty works by leading American printmakers. For more information, write: Philip and Muriel Berman Museum of Art, Ursinus College, P. O. Box 100, Collegeville, PA 19426-1000; or telephone (215) 489-4111. Admission is free.

The month of May [1993] will be observed as Germantown Garden Month by twelve historic sites and house museums in Philadelphia’s first registered historic district. The event will showcase gardens and landscapes of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Reservation infor­mation may be obtained by writing: Historic Germantown Preserved, Cliveden, 6401 Germantown Ave., Philadel­phia, PA 19144; or by telephoning (215) 848-1777.

Historic houses that represent various periods of the history of the Oley Valley will be opened to the public on Sunday, June 6 [1993], for a tour sponsored by the Oley Valley Historical Society. Hours are 1 to 5 P. M.; admission is charged. For additional details, write: Oley Valley Historical Society, Box 171, R. D. 1, Oley, PA 19547; or telephone (215) 987-6720.

The twentieth annual Yellow Springs Art Show will be mounted by Historic Yellow Springs, from Satur­day, April 24 [1993], through Sunday, May 2 [1993], in the historic Chester County village. Nearly two hundred regional artists will exhibit works of art, including paintings, photographs, prints, miniatures, sculpture, and mixed-media compositions. For more information, write: Historic Yellow Springs, Art School Rd., P. O. Box 627, Chester Springs, PA 19425; or telephone (215) 827-7414. Admission is free.

A collection of forty miniature fashion mannequins representing the attire of fashion-conscious women from the mid-nineteenth century to the beginning of World War I will be on view at the Erie Historical Museum beginning Saturday, April 17 [1993]. “Les Petites Dames de Mode,” or, “Little Ladies of Fashion,” will continue through Sunday, June 27. For further information, write: Erie Historical Museum, 356 West Sixth St., Erie, PA 16502; or telephone (814) 453-5811. Admission is charged.

“Seen But Not Heard,” an exhibition showcasing more than three centuries of childhood treasures, such as toys, furniture, clothes, and jewelry, will be on view during the 1993 Philadelphia Antiques Show, opening Saturday, April 17 [1993], and continuing through Wednes­day, April 21 [1993]. Many of the pieces, drawn from both public and private collections, have never before been exhibited. The show, which benefits the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, will be held at the 103rd Engineers Armory, Thirty­Third and Market Streets. For more information, write: 1993 Philadelphia Antiques Show, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce St., Philadelphia, PA 19104; or telephone (215) 387-3500 or 977-7383. Admission is charged.

An “Herb Faire” will be hosted on Saturday, May 8 [1993], on the grounds of the Landis Valley Museum in Lancaster. Additional information may be obtained by writing: Landis Valley Museum, 2451 Kissel Hill Rd., Lancaster, PA 17601; or by telephoning (717) 569-0401.