Shorts
Written by PA Heritage Staff in the Shorts category and the Spring 1989 issue Topics in this article:“A Brandywine Spring,” examining the many faces of spring in the Brandywine Valley will be open to the public from Saturday, March 25 [1989], through Sunday, May 21 [1989], at the Brandywine River Museum in Chadds Ford. Works of fifteen artists – including William Langston Lathrop, George Cope, Walter Elmer Schofield and members of the Wyeth family – will reflect the artists’ wide-ranging imagination and versatility in interpreting the beauty and richness of the season in the Brandywine Valley. Additional information may be obtained by writing: Brandywine River Museum, P. O. Box 141, Chadds Ford, PA 19317; or by telephoning (215) 388-7601.
The eleventh annual Conference on Historic Preservation, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, will be held in Pittsburgh from Thursday through Saturday, April 26-29 [1989]. Workshop topics will concentrate on Pennsylvania’s prodigious industrial past, including the technologies that have significantly contributed to the Commonwealth’s economy and the adaptive re-use of sites and structures associated with industry and commerce. For additional information, write: Bureau for Historic Preservation, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, PA 17108-1026; or telephone (717) 787-4363.
Tours of a number of residences spanning several periods throughout the Harmony-Zelienople area will be offered by the Harmony Museum on Saturday, May 13 [1989], from 10 A.M. to 5 P.M. Open to visitors will also be an early nineteenth century Harmony Society mill, which has been rehabilitated as a private dwelling, and three Harmony Museum structures. For more information, write: Harmony Museum, Main and Mercer Sts., Harmony, PA 16037; or telephone (412) 452-7341. There is a reservation fee.
An exhibit entitled “Graphic Poems: Monotypes and Other Monographs by Harry Bertoia” will be on view at the Allentown Art Museum of the Lehigh Valley from April 2 [1989] through May 28 [1989]. Pennsylvanian Harry Bertoia (1915- 1978), best known as a sculptor and designer of chairs that bear his name, explored throughout his career ideas and imagery in graphics that combine elements of drawing, monoprint and inventive manipulation of traditional media. “Graphic Poems,” the first exhibit to survey the range of Bertoia’s graphics, features nearly eighty pieces dating from the 1940s through the late 1970s. For more information, write: Allentown Art Museum, Fifth and Court Sts., P. O. Box 117, Allentown, PA 18105; or telephone (215) 432-4333. Admission is free, but donations are welcome.
A tour of five private gardens in the Swarthmore-Wallingford area of southeastern Pennsylvania will be conducted by the Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College on Sunday, May 14 [1989], from 1 to 5 P.M. Additional details are available by writing: Scott Arboretum, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA 19081; or telephone (215) 328-8025.
“Fiberfest,” a day-long program highlighted by demonstrations of sheep-shearing and herding, will illustrate how various animal fibers, such as those of goat, sheep and rabbit, are processed for use in the home. Sponsored by the Historical and Genealogical Society of Somerset County and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, the program will be held on Sunday, May 28 [1989], at the Somerset Historical Center in Somerset. To obtain more information, write: Somerset Historical Center, Box 238, R. D. 2, Somerset, PA 15501; or telephone (814) 445-6077.
More than one hundred antique and contemporary quilts and wall hangings will be on view the weekend of May 6-7 [1989] during the Boyertown Area Historical Society’s annual quilt show. Admission is charged. Additional information is available by writing: Boyertown Area Historical Society, 43 South Chestnut St., Boyertown, PA 19512; or by telephoning (215) 367-9843.
“J. Edgar Thompson, Railroad Pioneer,” will be presented by members of the Pennsylvania Railroad Technical and Historical Society during the Tuesday, April 18 [1989], meeting of the Springfield Historical Society. The meeting will begin at 7:30 P.M. For more information, write: Springfield Historical Society, P.O. Box 1686, Springfield, PA 19064; or telephone (215) 544- 2713 or 328-0720.
Opening Saturday, April 15 [1989], the sixty-first annual juried exhibition of the Art Association of Harrisburg will feature works from throughout the country, as well as entries of foreign countries. The exhibit will continue through Saturday, May 20. More information is available by writing: Art Association of Harrisburg, 21 North Front St., Harrisburg, PA 17101; or by telephoning (717) 236-1432.
A biennial showcase presenting the works of several of the Lehigh Valley’s most distinguished artists and art teachers, “Area Artists: 1989,” will be on view at the Lehigh University Art Galleries during the months of March and April [1989]. On view will be ceramics, sculpture, paintings and photographs. For additional information, write: Lehigh University Art Galleries, Chandler-Ullman Hall, Bethlehem, PA 18015; or telephone (215) 758-3615.
The 1989 annual juried exhibition of the Philadelphia Guild of Handweavers will be on view at Cliveden, the historic house of jurist Benjamin Chew, from Sunday, April 2 [1989], through Friday, May 26 [1989]. Additional information may be obtained by writing: Cliveden, The National Trust for Historic Preservation, 6401 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19144; or by telephoning (215) 848-1777.
During the weekend of April 22-23 [1989], a quilt show will be co-sponsored by the Highlands Historical Society and the County Line Quilters at The Highlands in Fort Washington. Built by Anthony Morris in 1795-1798, The Highlands was a country house used for extensive entertaining. In addition to antique and modern quilts from private collections, the show will feature “first” quilts by guild members. For more information, write: Highlands Historical Society, 7001 Sheaff Ln., Fort Washington, PA 19034; or telephone (215) 641-2687.
Old fashioned musical entertainment, demonstrations of early crafts, children’s games and “hands on” activities will all be a part of the Landis Valley Fair during the weekend of June 3-4 [1989] at the Landis Valley Museum, Lancaster. Additional information may be obtained by writing: Landis Valley Museum, 2451 Kissel Hill Rd., Lancaster, PA 17601; or by telephoning (717) 569-0401.
Women’s History Month [1989] at Hope Lodge will be celebrated with exhibits on the life of Alice Degn, the last private owner of the Montgomery County historic site. Together with her husband William, Alice Degn restored Hope Lodge in the 1930s and ensured that it would serve the public as a historic house museum. To obtain additional information, write: Hope Lodge, 553 Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington, PA 19034; or telephone (215) 646-1595 or 646-1641. There is an admission charge.
“Spring Steam Up,” a demonstration of large and small gas engines, antique tractors and steam traction engines, will be held at the Rough and Tumble Museum in Kinzers on Saturday and Sunday, May 12-1 [1989]3. Exhibits will also explore plowing and mowing with related equipment. Additional information is available by writing: Rough and Tumble Museum, P. O. Box 9, Kinzers, PA 17535; or by telephoning (717) 442-4249. The museum is located thirteen miles east of Lancaster.
On view through September [1989] at the Atwater Kent Museum, Philadelphia, is an exhibit entitled “Building Philadelphia’s City Hall, 1871-1901.” For three decades, the construction of this huge marble structure dominated the public’s attention and its completion marked the city’s transition from a local provincial government to a modern bureaucratic municipality. This exhibit examines the aesthetic, technological and political factors associated with the building of this grand public monument. To obtain additional information about this interpretive exhibit, write: Atwater Kent Museum, 15 South Seventh St., Philadelphia, PA 19106; or telephone (215)686-3630. Admission is free.
Nearly two hundred years ago, on the present site of Philadelphia’s City Hall, stood a Greek temple of technology – the nation’s first waterworks system. To explore Philadelphia’s early quest for a clean, reliable water source, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania has mounted an exhibition entitled “A Sufficiency of Wholesome Water: The Philadelphia Centre Square Waterworks.” On view through June 30 [1989], the exhibit includes architectural drawings, paintings and watercolors, pamphlets and artifacts relating to the predecessor of the Fairmount Waterworks. “A Sufficiency of Wholesome Water” also examines the role of architect and engineer Benjamin Henry Latrobe and his assistant, Frederick Graff. For more information, write: Historical Society of Pennsylvania, 1300 Locust St., Philadelphia, PA 19107; or telephone (215) 732-6200. There is no admission charge.
The Westmoreland Museum of Art, Greensburg, will open an exhibition entitled “A Sampler of American Folk Art from the Pennsylvania Collection” on Sunday, April 2 [1989]. “A Sampler” will continue through Sunday, July 9 [1989]. To obtain additional information, write: Westmoreland Museum of Art, 221 North Main St., Greensburg, PA 15601; or telephone (412) 834-6770. Admission is free.
“Samuel H. Crone, 1858-1913: Drawings and Watercolors by an American Artist Abroad,” a retrospective exhibition of the work of an artist trained in Germany, will remain on view through Sunday, March 26 [1989], at the Carnegie Museum of Art. Influenced by European traditions, Crone – who spent his last years as a resident of Pittsburgh – mirrored the interests of his day with historical genre and portraiture, as well as topographical and ideal landscape. For more information, write: Carnegie Museum of Art, 4440 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213; or telephone (412) 622-3328.
Fete Days, the annual tours of colonial period gardens and Federal style houses, will be hosted by the Elfreth’s Alley Association, Philadelphia, during the weekend of June 3-4 [1989]. Continuously occupied since 1713, Elfreth’s Alley has offered a neighborhood open house since 1934. For more details, write: Elfreth’s Alley Association, 126 Elfreth’s Alley, Philadelphia, PA 19106; or telephone (215) 574-0560.
National Preservation Week will be celebrated the week of May 14-20 [1989] by numerous local historic preservation organizations throughout Pennsylvania. For additional information regarding this year’s observance, write: National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1785 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036; or telephone (202) 673-4296.
On dates to be announced this spring, the Heritage Center of Lancaster County will conduct “Quilt Harvests” in the communities of Ephrata, New Holland, Lancaster and Goodville through June [1989]. The public is invited to bring quilts, pieced bags, doll and crib quilts, quilted bonnets and related items made in Lancaster County prior to 1942. Owners are asked to bring information about the objects for documentation, such as the name and residence of maker (if known) and the history and use of the item. The quilts and related pieces will be photographed for future reference and study. For additional information regarding the “Quilt Harvests,” write: Heritage Center of Lancaster County, Penn Square, Box 997, Lancaster, PA 17603; or telephone (717) 299-6440.
“Naturally Fond of Pictures: American illustrations of the 1840s and 1850s,” on exhibit at the Library Company of Philadelphia from Tuesday, April 18 [1989], through Friday, August 25 [1989], explores a period in American book and periodical illustration that has largely been ignored by historians. In addition to several landmark publications, such as the first edition of Uncle Tom’s Cabin and the 1840-1844 octavo edition of John James Audubon’s Birds of America, “Naturally Fond of Pictures” will include comic almanacs, advertisements, etchings, children’s books, women’s periodicals and sheet music. For more information, write: The Library Company of Philadelphia, 1314 Locust St., Philadelphia, PA 19107; or telephone (215) 546-3181. There is no admission charge.
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is presenting, through Sunday, April 16 [1989], the works of Mary Frank, one of America’s most innovative sculptors and printmakers. Renowned for her clay sculpture, the artist has become increasingly well known for her monoprints and drawings, sculpture in bronze and plaster, paintings on metal plates and collages. For more information, write: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Broad and Cherry Sts., Philadelphia, PA 19102; or telephone (215) 972-7642.
On Saturday and Sunday, May 13-14 [1989], the Mercer Museum Folk Fest will be sponsored by the Bucks County Historical Society in Doylestown. Town and country crafts of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries will be demonstrated by more than ninety artisans using clay, fibers, paint, wood and metal. The Folk Fest also features traditional music and dancing, a quilting bee, militia encampment, old fashioned medicine show and “hands on” crafts for children. For more information, write: Bucks County Historical Society, Pine St., Doylestown, PA 18901; or telephone (215) 345-0210. There is an admission fee.
“Lamb to Loom,” the story of wool with demonstrations and displays, will be conducted by the Westmoreland County Historical Society at Hanna’s Town on Sunday, May 21 [1989]. The day-long event offers the opportunity to see first-hand the carding and spinning of wool, yarn dyeing and weaving. For more information, write: Westmoreland County Historical Society, 102 North Main St., Greensburg, PA 15601; or telephone (412) 836-1800. Hanna’s Town is located three miles north of Greensburg.
“Artists of the ’80s: Selected Works from the Maslow Collection” will be exhibit at the Sordoni Art Gallery of Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, from Sunday, April 9 [1989], through Sunday, May 7 [1989]. Additional information is available by writing: Sordoni Art Gallery, 150 South River St., Wilkes-Barre, PA 18766; or by telephoning (717) 824-4651. There is no admission fee.
Altoona, Blair County, will be the site of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission’s twelfth annual Conference on Black History on Friday and Saturday, May 5-6 [1989]. The theme of this year’s event is “Black History in Central Pennsylvania.” For registration information, write: 1989 Conference on Black History, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, P. O. Box 1026, Harrisburg, PA 17108-1026; or telephone (717) 783-5376.
A “Village Fair” will be held at Old Bedford Village during the weekend of May 20-21 [1989] at the living history complex. For more information, write: Bedford County Travel Promotion Agency, P. O. Box 1771, Bedford, PA 15522; or telephone (814) 623-1771. There is an admission fee.
Opening Tuesday, April 4 [1989], and continuing through Friday, June 30 [1989], at the Monroe County Historical Society in Stroudsburg is an exhibition entitled “The New Jersey Connection.” The exhibit examines Monroe County’s relationship to New Jersey and the heritage shared by both Pennsylvania and its neighbor across the Delaware River. To obtain additional information, write: Monroe County Historical Society, Stroud Mansion, 900 Main St., Stroudsburg, PA 18360; or telephone (717) 421-7703. Admission is free.