More Exhibit News

But first, here’s a little video of a fashion designer’s photo shoot that included venues in Philadelphia and, more importantly, on the PA Trails of History. Ephrata Cloister appears not quite midway through, followed by Landis Valley.



I kept expecting the faux-Amish people, who look pretty sinister, to start chanting menacingly (those models won’t be able to run very well in their stiletto heels if the pitchforks come out). But I think our sites look beautiful (and some of the clothes aren’t bad either).

So, anyway.

Last month we brought you a sneak peek at a new exhibit installation at Old Economy Village. Well, the exhibit opened this week and it will be up at least through next June. “Faces and Places” makes full use of the museum’s extensive photographic archives, showing images from the 1870s to the 1910s. There are also photos from the 1960s restoration of the site and a model that helps put the photos into 3 dimensions.

Curator Sarah Buffington told me that they’ve also put some of the photos on Historypin.com, so I ventured onto the information superhighway to check it out. You can too (click here). If you visit Old Economy (in person) and have a smartphone with the Historypin app downloaded, you can find a historical image and add your own photo of what the same scene looks like now. I can’t wait to try it myself sometime in the coming year. I’d love to see comments to this post from people who’ve used Historypin. I’m in the metaphorical slow lane, but I’m getting there.

Way back in April (yikes!), I had the chance to visit the new exhibit at Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum (and before you ask, no, I was not one of the models in the photo shoot, but I can understand your confusion). “The Golden Age of an American Art Form: the Lancaster Long Rifle” draws on the museum’s collection as well as those of other institutions and private individuals.

The exhibit is designed to make the firearms viewable from many angles, allowing viewers to soak in the details. (Pardon the less-than-optimal quality of my photos - you really should see the exhibit for yourself if you can.)

Exhibit cases and panels on the surrounding walls provide historical context and documentation, as well as showcasing gun makers’ tools and related equipage.

I’ve never been all that interested in firearms in and of themselves, so the historical context and supporting information really helped me to understand and appreciate the stars of the show. A copy of the exhibit catalogue, with gorgeous color photos keyed to the firearms cases is available in the exhibit for those who want more details (you can purchase your very own copy at the Weathervane Museum Store).

One of the exhibit panels directs visitors to the recreated gun shop on the grounds, helping very nicely to tie this temporary exhibit (which runs through December) to the more permanent displays. On July 21 and 22, Landis Valley will offer “Lancaster Long Rifle: Lock, Stock, and Barrel,” featuring the guest curators and other knowledgeable folks to talk about the exhibit and the history of the long rifle (more info here).