Bits and Pieces

Don’t forget that January 1 is the deadline for entries to the 2010 PHMC Photography Contest.

Three days of brutal cold in my cubicle (hey look, a space heater), not to mention the official start of cookie season, can take a toll on the brain. So this week’s Trailheads is a selection of items, “ripped from the headlines,” that I hope you’ll find interesting and/or enjoyable.

But first, a request. A research and pr firm that does a lot of work with museums has been publishing some of their findings from a survey about childhood memories of museums. That has me thinking (when I’m not planning my annual eggnog indulgence or my umpteenth viewing of A Christmas Story). Since December is a time when many folks are celebrating family traditions and passing them along to the younger generation, how about sharing one of your early holiday (any winter holiday) memories? Of course, if you want to share an early museum memory, that’s cool, too. Click on the number next to the word “Comment” at the top of this post and follow the directions. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.

PHMC/Cornwall Iron Furnace

The Friends of Cornwall Furnace have published a 2011 calendar featuring Robert Habersham Coleman and his legacy (Coleman was one of the owners of Cornwall Iron Furnace). Using rarely seen historic photos, the calendar provides glimpses of the Furnace operation’s history and one of Lebanon County’s most prominent families. The first run of 250 copies sold out, but more are being printed; proceeds support the historic furnace and its programs. An article in the Lebanon Daily News provides more info. It’s the perfect gift for history junkies, while supplies last.

The Pennsylvania Military Museum’s Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day program drew the attention of local press and others. A detailed article in the Centre Daily Times conveyed the essence of the program, which took place on the museum grounds, beneath two guns from the USS PENNSYLVANIA, a witness to the Dec. 7, 1941, attack.

The Scranton Times-Tribune reported on the Anthracite Heritage Museum’s German Christmas program, held on December 10. The 90-minute program featured music, food, and history; Facebook users can find photos of the event here.

As part of Old Economy Village’s Christmas programming, volunteers from area churches decorated parts of the historic site to reflect traditions from around the world. An article in yesterday’s Pittsburgh Tribune-Review provides a description and details of how some of the decorations were made.

And for your viewing pleasure, a clip from the dress rehearsal of the Christmas crossing at Washington Crossing Historic Park posted by Calkins Media Video on YouTube:




That’s all for now, Trailheads. Be sure to drink your Ovaltine.