Shorts

In celebration of the 230th anniversary of the battle at Fort Necessity in southwest­ern Pennsylvania, the Na­tional Park Service will conduct two special programs this summer. On Saturday, June 30 [1984], and Sunday, July 1 [1984], nearly 200 soldiers, camp followers, sutlers, cooks and musicians will participate in a re-enactment on the original battle site adjacent to the reconstructed fort in the Great Meadows. The living history program fea­tures tactical demonstrations, black powder firings, a march along the site of Braddock’s Road, eighteenth century camp life, cooking and crafts demonstrations. The National Park Service will sponsor a Saturday, August 4, conference, “A Symposium on the French and Indian War in Southwestern Pennsylvania.” The Park Service also offers year-round guided tours, slide programs and exhibits in the visitors center, as well as tours of the complex’s Mount Washington Tavern. Located eleven miles east of Uniontown, Fort Necessity is a popular recreational area for picnickers during the summer months.

Six banjo and lyre clocks, eighteen tall case clocks, nine case-on-case clocks, sixteen mirror and wall docks, and a dwarf clock are currently [in 1984], shown in an exhibit entitled “New Hampshire’s Clocks” at the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors Museum in Columbia, Lancaster County. In addition to the clocks, tools, engines, parts and accounting books of early clockmakers are on display. The museum, at 514 Poplar St., is open Monday through Friday, 9 A.M. to 4 P.M.; Saturday, 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. There is an admission fee.

A commemorative reading of the Declaration of Inde­pendence – at the same site and on the same date it was first proclaimed to the public in 1776 – will take place Sunday, July 8 [1984], at noon in the square behind Independence Hall, bounded by Chestnut, Walnut, Fifth and Sixth streets. A National Park Service employe in period clothing will read the document and cos­tumed guides and employes will mingle with the visitors. The public is invited; copies of the Declaration will be avail­able.

The Buten Museum, Merion, the only American institution devoted to the study and exhibition of Wedgwood ceramics, is scheduling tours, classes and exhibits during the summer months. In June [1984], the museum will sponsor ‘The Duchess of Portland’s Pic­nic,” a one-day program on connoisseurship, including an introduction to different types of ceramics, methods of decoration, the detection of fakes and forgeries, and films on Wedgwood craftsmanship and art. A gourmet box lunch will be served. For more information, write: Buten Museum of Wedgwood, 246 North Bowman Ave., Merion, PA 19066; or telephone (215) 664-6601.

The Centre County Histori­cal Society will hold its sec­ond annual “Auction and All· Around Fourth of July Cele­bration” on Wednesday, July 4 [1984], at the Centre Furnace Mansion, 1001 East College Ave., State College. Festivities include patriotic music, a read­ing of the Declaration of independence, shell peanuts roasted in an antique roasting machine, homemade ice cream, a birthday cake and an auction of items donated or consigned, proceeds of which will benefit the mansion. The mansion serves as head­quarters of the Centre County Historical Society.

More than thirty wedding dresses once worn by brides of Lebanon County comprise a delightful exhibit, “Here Comes the Bride, 1825-1950,” at the Lebanon County His­torical Society, 924 Cumber­land St., Lebanon, through August [1984]. “Pick of the Crop­The Clyde Youtz Collection,” featuring antiques and decorative and folk art acquired by the private collector, is on display through September [1984]. The historical society is open Sunday, Wednesday and Friday, 1 to 4:30 P.M.; Mon­day, 1 to 4:30 P.M. and 7 to 9 P.M. Admission, including a guided tour, is $1.

“The Westmoreland-Fayette Counties Quilter’s Show 1984,” a juried show exhibiting the talents of area resi­dents, is on view at the West­moreland-Fayette Historical Society Museum in Scottdale through June 30 [1984]. The society will sponsor an outdoor crafts show and sale on the grounds of its museum on Saturday and Sunday, August 4-5 [1984].

The tenth annual Hanna’s Town Folk Festival will be hosted by the Westmoreland County Historical Society in Hanna’s Town on Sunday, July 29 [1984], from noon to 5 P.M. Hanna’s Town is located three miles north of Greensburg near U.S. route 119 and state route 819. The festival fea­tures demonstrations of nearly fifty pioneer crafts and skills, an outdoor antiques show, frontier games, and music and dancers.

The Little Beaver Historical Society opens the newly re­stored Greersburg Academy, the first academy established west of the Allegheny Moun­tains, to visitors this summer. Located in Darlington, the Greersburg Academy is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The academy is open weekends through September 29 [1984], from 1 to 5 P.M.

The Tioga County Histori­cal Society and the Robinson House Museum, 120 Main St., Wellsboro, are featuring several new exhibits this summer [1984]: “A Victorian Parlor”; an educational display of items once used in a one-room school; artifacts depicting early occupations in the county; a clothing collection; and items used in a turn-of-the­-century kitchen. Museum hours are Saturday and Sunday, 2 to 5 P.M.

Hands-on demonstrations and exhibits will bring the past to life during the City of Bethlehem’s Christmas City Fair, July 13-15 [1984], at the eight­eenth century industrial area adjacent to Old York Road. Visitors to the annual event, sponsored by Historic Beth­lehem, Inc., will see spin­ning, weaving, dyeing, soap­making and basket weaving. Hours are Friday, July 13 [1984], 6 to 10 P.M.; Saturday and Sunday, noon to 10 P.M. For additional information, tele­phone (215) 868-6311.

Rock Ford Plantation, the handsome, well-preserved eighteenth century Lancaster house of Gen. Edward Hand, will host an Independence Day celebration during the weekend of June 30-July 1 [1984]. Activities will include a Revo­lutionary War encampment, craftsmen and a Saturday eve­ning candlelight tour of the mansion. Hours are: Saturday, 10 A.M. to 4 P.M., and Sun­day, noon to 4 P.M. The plan­tation is at the junction of South Duke St. and the Cones­toga River.

The Stephen Girard Col­lection of Girard College, Philadelphia, is currently [in 1984] ex­hibiting letters, invoices, ships’ logs and related docu­ments depicting early trade between the United States and the Far East. The exhibit features a collection of Chinese Export porcelain – including the popular Canton and Nan­king – purchased by Girard when he dispatched his ships to China in the early nine­teenth century. The collection is open to the public every Thursday, except holidays, from 2 to 4 P.M. Large groups may arrange free tours on other days by appointment or by telephoning (215) 787-2626.

An exhibit entitled “The Ancient Olympics: Their Origin, Our Legacy” is currently on view at the Free Library of Philadelphia through July 22. “Children’s Book Illus­trators,” an exhibit opening July 29 [1984] and running through the month of September [1984], features enchanting illustrations which brightened generations of childhoods. The exhibitions are installed in the first floor lobby and the galleries of the Free Library which is located on Logan Square. Exhibit hours are: Monday through Wed­nesday, 9 A.M. to 9 P.M.; Thursday and Friday, 9 A.M. to 6 P.M.; and Saturday, 9 A.M. to 5 P.M.

“Block Printing,” an ex­hibit explaining the technical intricacies of block-making methods, is being held this summer [1984] at the Paley Design Center of the Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science. The techniques of block­making are related to historic fabrics in the center’s col­lection, as well as to specimens specially loaned for the ex­hibition from throughout the world. Featured are examples of the work of David Evans, a British firm which recently ceased its notable block-print­ing operations. Other mod­ern fabrics illustrate the links between eighteenth and nine­teenth century styles. The Paley Design Center is located at 4200 Henry Ave., Phila­delphia.

Bethlehem’s Annie S. Kemerer Museum is sponsoring a variety of exhibits through­out the summer. During June, the annual juried high school show, featuring the works of local senior students, and a circus memorabilia exhibit will be open to visitors. The museum’s Pritchett Gallery will house an exhibit of tradi­tional guilts from July 6 through August 31 [1984]. During the month of August, the mu­seum’s antique musical instru­ment collection will be ex­hibited. Located at 427 North New St., near the city’s Mora­vian Community area, the museum is open Monday through Friday, 1 to 4 P.M.; Saturday, 10 A.M. to 4 P.M.; and the second and fourth Sun­day of every month, 2 to 4P.M.

The City of Easton’s annual heritage day celebration, commemorating the anniver­sary of the first public read­ing of the Declaration of Inde­pendence at the State House in Philadelphia, in Trenton and on the courthouse steps in Easton’s Centre Square, will be held on Sunday, July 8 [1984]. The Northampton County His­torical Society and numerous civic organizations are taking part in the day-long event.

A fascinating look at flower painting, not only as a devel­opment of still life painting, but also as a vital subject and symbol in American art, is offered by the Brandywine Rive.r Museum’s summer exhibit, “Flower Painting, An American Tradition.” On exhibit until September 9 [1984], the show includes more than fifty works in oil, watercolor and mixed media. Artists represented include mem­bers of the Wyeth family, Sev­erin Roesen, John Lafarge, Martin J. Heade, George Lamb­din, J. Alden Weir, Charles Demuth, Horace Pippin and Franz de Merlier. “Flower Painting” shows the rich role the flower played in nine­teenth century romantic ar­rangements and twentieth century floral fantasies. The Brandywine River Museum, located in Chadds Ford, is open daily from 9:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. Admission is charged. For further infor­mation, write: Brandywine River Museum, P.O. Box 141, Chadds Ford, PA 19317.

The Pennsylvania Railway Museum Association’s annual “Trolley Fair” will be held July 1 [1984] at the Arden Trolley Mu­seum, located two miles north of Washington (Meadow Lands exit of Interstate 79). Activities include antique trol­ley car rides, the Carbarn Theatre offering vintage movies and slide shows, antique automobiles, model railroad lay­outs, a photograph contest, food fair, and a gandy dancer (spike driver) contest.

Saturday, July 7 [1984], opens “American Posters: A Twentieth Century Survey” at the South­ern Alleghenies Museum of Art, Saint Francis College Mall, Loretto. The exhibit premieres the Mark Delcostello Col­lection donated to the museum. “American Posters” contin­ues through September 23 [1984].

“Dinosaurs: An Exhibit in the Making,” the summer [1984] feature of the Academy of Natural Sciences Museum, 19th and the Ben Franklin Park­way, Philadelphia, offers visi­tors the opportunity to actu­ally witness dinosaur skeletons being assembled, play dino­saur computer games and dig for their own fossils. In addi­tion, visitors will be able to touch authentic dinosaur bones, see a cast of the world’s largest dinosaur leg and hear special programs about pre-historic reptiles. The museum is open Monday through Friday, 10 A.M. to 4 P.M., and Saturday and Sunday, 10 A.M. to 5 P.M.

The marvels and mysteries of the Orient to three centuries of Western readers are revealed through a fascinat­ing display of rare books, prints and atlases mounted by the Library Company of Philadel­phia from July 9 through September 4 [1984]. “China On Our Shelves” includes seventeenth through nineteenth century narratives of voyages to China, journals of residences in the Far East, and histories of the land and people. Located in center-city Philadelphia at 1314 Locust St., the Library Company is open Monday through Friday, 9 A.M. to 4:45 P.M. There is no admis­sion fee.

A unique Festival of Foun­tains will be held at Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, beginning June 16 [1984] and conclud­ing September 1 [1984]. Illuminated fountains, fireworks, spec­tacular floral displays and early evening open-air theater per­formances are all part of the summer festivities. The festival will be held Tuesdays, Thurs­days and Saturdays from 9 A.M. to 10:30 P.M. Admis­sion is charged. For more information, write: Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, PA 19348-1000; telephone (215) 388-6741.

Colorful textiles – including seventeenth through twen­tieth century brocades, irides­cent silks and tie-dyed examples from Kashmir to Madras – are showcased in an exhibit entitled “Indian Textiles” opening June 24 [1984] at the Allen­town Art Museum. The exhibit, on view until September 9 [1984], is installed in the mu­seum’s Goodman Gallery. The Allentown Art Museum is located at Fifth and Court streets, one-half block north of Hamilton Mall. Visiting hours are Tuesday through Satur­day, 10 A.M. to 5 P.M., and Sunday, 1 to 5 P.M. Admis­sion is free but contributions are welcome.

A world-famous collection of trees from the Far East will be highlighted during a Great Oriental Tree Party hosted by the Morris Arbore­tum of the University of Penn­sylvania, Philadelphia, on Saturday and Sunday, July 21-22 [1984]. The party will feature self-guided tours of the Ori­ental tree collection, guided afternoon tours led by the col­lection’s curator and Oriental music on Sunday. Refresh­ments will also be served. The Morris Arboretum is located on Hillcrest Ave. in the Chest­nut Hill section of the city. Admission is charged.

During the months of June and July [1984], the University of Pennsylvania’s Institute of Con­temporary Art is presenting a new series of exploratory exhibitions of recent works by contemporary artists entitled “investigations.” Works in­clude recent photo-portraiture by Nan Goldin, Peter Hujar, Robert Maplethorpe, Neil Winokur and others; primitiv­ist, neo-expressionist paint­ings and sculpture by James Brown; surrealist paintings by Jedd Caret; and recent draw­ings by Jody Pinto. The Insti­tute of Contemporary Art is located on Walnut St. at 34th St., Philadelphia. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Sunday, noon to 5 P.M. Admis­sion is free.