Past Meets Future

Event info for today, June 29, through Thurs., July 5 (including which sites are open on July 4), is below. Check the full July event listings for additional info.

Jessica Young talks 18th-century women's clothing with visitors to Bushy Run Battlefield (photo Bushy Run)

The most recent installment in Bushy Run Battlefield's new "History Speaks" series was Jessica Young's program on 18th-century clothing worn by Anglo-American settlers in western Pennsylvania (see photos above and below). Young walked the audience through details of clothing for men, women, and children and showed the process of donning the various pieces that make up authentic period dress (read more about Young's work in this Trib Live article). The next program is set for Sept. 19, when Dana Knezevich will present “The Making of Native American Clothing” at 7 pm (more info on the series is on Bushy Run's calendar of events).

Bushy Run's museum facilitator Michael Tusay took part in the program (photo Bushy Run)

A recent issue of Distillations magazine, a publication of the Science History Institute that also has online versions, featured an article by Michal Meyer about the friendship between Dr. Joseph Priestley and the famed potter Josiah Wedgwood. The two met in 1762 and remained friends for the rest of their lives, sharing many of the same views on religion, politics, and the abolition of slavery (read more in the online article). One of the article's illustrations is an undated Wedgwood cream-on-blue jasperware medallion with Priestley's profile.

New picnic grove taking shape at Historic Hope Lodge (photo Hope Lodge)

Thanks to the folks at Hope Lodge for this update:

A generous donation from two Friends of Hope Lodge members and a local Boy Scout Eagle project combined to give Hope Lodge a new picnic grove. Four new picnic tables and landscaping have transformed a weedy area behind the greenhouse into an attractive and functional picnic area. Hope Lodge has lacked picnic tables for some time and this new grove will give visitors an opportunity to enjoy the site a little longer which we hope will increase participation for tours and other events. We’re very happy to have them and thank everyone who made it possible.

Tales from the School Group Front

Events on the Trails of History June 29-July 5

Anthracite Heritage Museum
July 4: Site open—check website for details.

Brandywine Battlefield
July 4: Site open—check website for details.

Conrad Weiser Homestead
July 1: Patriotic Concert in the Park—this annual event honors all military veterans. Admission and parking are free, contributions are gratefully accepted. Please bring chairs or picnic blankets. 1:30 pm. UPDATE: Due to forecast of high temperatures the concert is cancelled. The site will be open usual Sunday hours.

Cornwall Iron Furnace
July 4: Site open—check website for details.

Daniel Boone Homestead
June 30: Celebrating America's History—enjoy tours of the Boone Homestead, see blacksmithing and other demos, and support the Keystone Military Families Foodbank. Requested admission donation is 2 non-perishable food items per person over 5 (see Facebook event page for needed items). Regular admission fees apply to visit without donating food items. 10 am-4 pm.

Drake Well Museum
June 30: Something More Saturday—this month's focus is the Mobile Energy Education Training Unit (MEET-U). There will also be blacksmithing demonstrations. Included in regular admission. 10 am-3 pm.
June 30 and July 1: Historic Pithole open. Admission charged. 10 am-4 pm.
July 4: Drake Well open—check website for details.

Eckley Miners’ Village
July 4: Site open—check website for details.

Ephrata Cloister
July 4: Site open—check website for details.

Erie Maritime Museum and Flagship Niagara
July 4: Friends and Family Day—hands-on activities for the kids, free admission to the museum, and tours of the ship. 9 am-5 pm.

Fort Pitt Museum
Please visit the Fort Pitt website for information on programs and events.

Graeme Park
July 4: Independence Day Living History Program—members of the Graeme family and some of their associates will explore arguments for and against independence during the course of the afternoon. There will be a reading of the Declaration of Independence, tours of the Keith House, and a musket firing demonstration (more details on the website). Admission charged. Noon-3 pm.

Hope Lodge
July 1: Site open—each Sunday through October, Hope Lodge is open for tours. Admission is charged. Site is open 12:30-4 pm with guided tours at 1:00 and 2:30.

Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum
July 4: Site open—please check the website for details.

Pennsbury Manor
July 1: Special Sunday Programming—this week: meet the joyners, blacksmiths, and wool spinners. Included in regular admission. 1-4 pm.
July 4: Site open—check website for details.

Pennsylvania Lumber Museum
June 30: Exhibit reception—the "Creative Makers of the Pennsylvania Wilds" art exhibit features more than 200 images of regional artisans and producers, members of the Wilds Cooperative of Pennsylvania, making their crafts in their creative spaces. (The exhibit opened on May 25 and runs through July 9.) The reception is scheduled for 3-5 pm.
July 4: Site open—check website for details.

Pennsylvania Military Museum
June 30: Guided Tour Special—the 1 pm guided tour is included in regular admission (normally an additional charge).
July 4: Kids Day—kids (of all ages) can try on uniforms from the museum's education collections and learn about soldier life. Have your photo taken behind the wheel of an authentic military Jeep. Included in regular admission. 10 am-3 pm.

Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
July 1-8 (museum open July 4): Reading Railroad Days—offered in conjunction with the Reading Company Technical & Historical Society, this program features an enormous HO-scale model railroad and highlights Reading Company rolling stock in the Museum’s collection. Included in regular museum admission during regular hours.

Somerset Historical Center
June 30: Liquid Arts Festival—sample products from two local distilleries, a brewery, and a winery; visit the food trucks; and listen to live music, all to benefit the Historical Center. More details available on the Facebook event page. Must be 21 or older to attend. Cost is $5. 1-8 pm.

State Museum of Pennsylvania
Please check the website for schedule and descriptions of planetarium shows.
June 29: Summer Fridays and Learn at Lunchtime—admission today is "Pay as you will." From 10 am to 3 pm, entrance to Curiosity Connection will be by timed tickets (numbers are limited). Regular fees apply for the Planetarium. Learn at Lunchtime program offered 12:15-12:45 pm: Black Bears. Museum is open 9 am-5 pm.

Washington Crossing Historic Park
Please visit the Washington Crossing website for a complete listing of upcoming programs and events.