Agriculture and Art!

Please be sure to check the PHMC Events Calendar for information on upcoming programs (in-person and virtual). I've included highlights below. The Trailheads Rec Room pages to the right of your screen offer an array of online content generated by Trails of History sites. Also a quick reminder that PHMC sites participate in the Blue Star Museums and Museums for All programs.

Staff and volunteers at Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum harvesting flax (photo Heirloom Seed Project)

My thanks for this week's opening photo go to Joanne Ranck-Dirks of the Heirloom Seed Project at Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum. Joanne sent along a series of photos, along with an explanation of the effort:

The flax harvest is underway at Landis Valley. This historic crop is planted in early April and harvested in mid-July. After drying in our hoop house, the flax is retted in a tub of water and dried again. We use the flax in our textile barn to show how it is processed into linen fiber. We also sell the flax straw to other historic sites and individual spinners and weavers.

Landis Valley's Farm and Garden Manager, Joe Schott, stacks flax bundles to begin drying 

I've saved some additional photos and info on a separate Landis Valley Flax Harvest page. Thanks, Joanne, and all the folks at Landis Valley for this update on your work.

Last weekend, Old Economy Village received a visit from the family of artist Richard Hay Kenah (1907-1982), who painted a mural of George Rapp and other members of the Harmony Society that now hangs in the Visitor Center. The mural, painted in 1934 on a canvas backing, was originally adhered to a wall at Ambridge High School and then painted over. It was later rediscovered by the Ambridge School District and donated to Old Economy. Following an extensive conservation effort that involved removing plaster and constructing a frame, the mural was installed in Old Economy's new Visitor Center when it opened in 2002. The site posted a photo of the artist's son Chris with the mural.

Upcoming Events (in-person and virtual)

Today, July 30

• Learn at Lunchtime (virtual), curator Katie McGowan will talk about a 1946 silk wedding dress made from a surplus WWII parachute, State Museum of PA, 12:15-12:45 pm (SMP web link for info and registration)

Sunday, August 1

• Garden Party and Oxygen Day (in-person), spend some time in the gardens (11 am-12:30 pm) and learn about Dr. Priestley's discovery of oxygen (1-4 pm), Joseph Priestley House (JPH Facebook page for details)
• Living History Sunday, guided tours will be offered, Conrad Weiser Homestead, noon-4 pm (CWH website)

Wednesday, August 4

• Explore! (in-person), kids in grades 3-5 are invited to learn about Pennsylvania Turtles, State Museum of PA, 11:30 am-12:30 pm, included in general admission - sign up at Ground Floor Information Desk (Explore! info)

Thursday, August 5

• Curiosity Kids (in-person), help kids K-Grade 2 discover what natural resources are, State Museum of PA, 11:30 am-12:30 pm, included in general admission - sign up at Ground Floor Information Desk (Curiosity Kids info)

Change is Constant

This swallowtail caterpillar is munching on lovage in Pennsbury Manor's garden. What critters is your garden feeding this weekend? (Photo via Pennsbury Facebook page)

So what happened was...Although staff at our Trails of History sites have been at work in person for a while - some were on-site throughout the pandemic, others returned in April - it's my first week back in the office since March 2020. I'd been trying to anticipate what it would be like, but I failed to account for all the little pieces that went with teleworking for over a year. Things kind of got away from me, and I hit some technical glitches in readjusting. So this week's post is very brief (thank you for pretending to notice the difference).

Please check out the PHMC Events Calendar for information on upcoming programs (in-person and virtual).

However you're planning to spend your weekend, I hope you have a chance to rest and recharge. The gardens and grounds, not to mention the fascinating stories, on the Trails of History can offer the perfect spot to notice the changes that are all around us.

A Little of This, A Little of That

Please be sure to check the PHMC Events Calendar for information on upcoming programs (in-person and virtual). I've included highlights below. The Trailheads Rec Room pages to the right of your screen offer an array of online content generated by Trails of History sites.

Join us July 20 at 7 pm EDT for the next Virtual Collections Showcase (registration link)

What are summer Fridays for if not for some random fun? I'm here to share some items than showed up in my timeline over the past week. You never know what you'll find on the Trails of History.

The folks at Ephrata Cloister took part in last Friday's #CuratorBattle that featured museum objects that look like celebrities. Who wore it better?


The Erie Maritime Museum has quite a few ship models, but here's one that allows a view below decks to the crew quarters and galley.



Cornwall Iron Furnace was recently visited by a group of Studebaker enthusiasts. The site is a popular destination for car clubs since it's close to Hershey and the Antique Automobile Museum.



I've really been loving Pennsbury Manor's garden posts this summer. It's not quite like being there, but it's not bad.



The Lumber Heritage Region of PA shared the PA Lumber Museum's photo scavenger hunt this week. All of the items on the hunt can be found even when the buildings and exhibits are closed or by remembering a visit or even checking out their Facebook timeline (download the scavenger hunt). Of course, you can also visit when they're open!

Upcoming Events (in-person and virtual)

Today, July 16

• Learn at Lunchtime (virtual), program director Bradley Smith will share new research on several prominent artifact legends in the collection, The State Museum of PA, 12:15-12:45 pm (link for Zoom registration)

Saturday, July 17

• StoryTime (in-person), read "Big Bad Bubble" by Adam Rubin with illustrations by Daniel Solirieri and blow some bubbles, The State Museum of PA, 10:30-11:30 am, included in regular admission (sign up at ground floor info desk)
• Agent Orange & Napalm (virtual), Ronald Lenox will present a program on Vietnam War chemical warfare, PA Military Museum, 2-3 pm (PMM link for registration)

Tuesday, July 20

• What's in a theme? PHMC Virtual Collections Showcase (virtual), this month's theme is Travel & Destinations, 7-8 pm (Facebook link for registration)

Wednesday, July 21

• Explore! (in-person), visit Nature Lab to learn about butterflies and moths of PA, The State Museum of PA, 11:30 am-12:30 pm, included in regular admission (Explore! info)

Thursday, July 22

• Curiosity Kids (in-person), learn about living and non-living things, The State Museum of PA, 11:30 am-12:30 pm, included in regular admission (Curiosity Kids info)

Works in Progress

Please be sure to check the PHMC Events Calendar for information on upcoming programs (in-person and virtual). I've included highlights below. The Trailheads Rec Room pages to the right of your screen offer an array of online content generated by Trails of History sites.

Front view of restored artillery carriage and reproduction tube (photo courtesy PA Military Museum)

The Pennsylvania Military Museum has been working on a multi-year project to complete the restoration of several Civil War-era artillery pieces. These are reproductions manufactured after the war, under contract to the War Department, to be used for military history education. In its collection, the museum has an artillery carriage, limber, and caisson. As site administrator Tyler Gum explains, "Between 1895 and 1913, a Civil War veteran, Calvin Gilbert, who served in the 87th Pennsylvania Infantry, manufactured several hundred of these artillery pieces at his metal foundry in Gettysburg, PA. The surviving artillery pieces are referred to as 'Gilberts,' which is what we have in our collection."

Last Friday, the restored carriage was returned to the site, along with a brand new cannon tube. The Friends of the Pennsylvania Military Museum raised the funds to support the manufacturing of a 6 lb. tube. The new cannon is non-firing. In coming weeks, Tyler reports, the restored limber and caisson will complete the project. Exhibited outdoors with artillery pieces from different eras, this Civil War-era cannon will be used to teach about the evolution of artillery from muzzle loading to breach loading, along with the associated math knowledge needed to aim and fire.

Taking delivery of the restored carriage (photo courtesy PA Military Museum)

Throughout the pandemic, and even now that the site has reopened to the public, Old Economy Village has undergone a major restoration and construction project that has added new pathways, ramps, and new roofs to buildings in the historic area. Staff have done a wonderful job of documenting the project with photos and sharing them on Facebook. This past week, they updated the progress on window repair and replacement in the Feast Hall, used by the Harmony Society as a museum and as a gathering place for music performances and communal meals. It looks a little scary with boarded-up spaces right now, but it will have many healthy years ahead when its windows are back in shape.

Work continues to replace windows in the Feast Hall at Old Economy Village (photo via Facebook)

Upcoming Events (in-person and virtual)

Today, July 9

• Learn at Lunchtime (virtual), PA Fish and Boat Commission biologist Geoffrey Smith will talk about fish that live in the Susquehanna River, 12:15-12:45 pm, The State Museum of PA (SMP link for registration)

Saturday, July 10

• Virtual Tour of M1917 Tractor (Tank), Mike Siggins and Tyler Gum will be your guides, 2-4 pm, PA Military Museum (PMM Facebook to register)

Sunday, July 11

• Living History Sunday (in-person), Darius Puff will share knowledge of Native American culture and Greg Geiger will demonstrate 18th-century shoemaking, Noon-4 pm, Conrad Weiser Homestead (CWH Facebook page for details)
• Tonight's Sky: Live Chat with the Planetarium Director (virtual), Linda Powell will help you discover what you can see for yourself in the night sky, 2-3 pm, The State Museum of PA (registration info on SMP website)

Tuesday, July 13

• Education in Lebanon County - 1700s to Present (virtual), Jared Blouch and Michael Blouch will share their research on the transition from one-room schoolhouses to today's education landscape, 7-8 pm, Cornwall Iron Furnace (CIF Facebook page to register)

Wednesday, July 14

• Explore! (in-person), kids in grades 3-5 are invited to Nature Lab to learn about identifying organisms, 11:30 am-12:30 pm, included in regular admission, The State Museum of PA (link for Explore! details)
• Pittsburgh's Last Outpost: Captain Trent's Fort (virtual), Jason Cherry will talk about the strategic significance of the Forks of the Ohio, 7-8 pm, $7.50 per ticket, Bushy Run Battlefield (Eventbrite link for tickets)

Thursday, July 15

• Curiosity Kids (in-person), kids in grades K-2 can learn about the Great-horned Owl, 11:30 am-12:30 pm, included in regular admission, The State Museum of PA (Curiosity Kids link for details)
• PA History: Read It, See It (virtual), enjoy a virtual tour of Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum as part of this new series hosted by the Pennsylvania State Library, noon-1 pm (Zoom registration link)

People are Talking

If you're planning to be out and about on the Pennsylvania Trails of History this weekend, please note that some sites will be open on Sunday, July 4, and others will not. Some sites will be expanding their schedules soon, after our initial reopening period, so it's best (it's always best) to check ahead before visiting. You'll want to make sure that the site you want to visit will be open when you plan to be there.

Please also note that Covid protocols have been lifted. Masks are no longer required at our sites, but visitors who prefer to wear them should feel free to do so.

Presenters (and one lurker) for the June 16, 2021, PHMC Virtual Collections Showcase (see below for link to video)

This week I bring you a series of quick hits that you may have missed. I hope you'll enjoy them. I wish you a great weekend. Stay safe, stay cool, and stay interested in history!

Old Economy Village created a short video to spur interest using a series of keywords related to their history.




Eckley Miners' Village and the Anthracite Heritage Museum (as well as the Museum of Anthracite Mining that is now run by the borough of Ashland) were mentioned not only in the "Office Ladies" podcast but also in Rolling Stone Magazine. In the podcast, hosts Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey (Pam Beesley and Angela Martin from The Office) talk about an episode in which Angela and Dwight visit a fictional version of the Anthracite Heritage Museum. Kinsey did some online research and notes that there's a real museum (which appeared in a couple of other episodes of The Office). The Rolling Stone mention relates to a music release from country singer Don DiLego, "Dim Red Light," and its video filmed at Eckley Miners' Village.

Ephrata Cloister's curator, Kerry Mohn, and museum educator, Michael Showalter, appeared on the Cloister Talk Live! podcast a few weeks ago to talk with host Alexander Lawrence Ames about architecture, spirtual and mystical exploration, music, and the manuscript texts that helped inform Ames's book, "The Word in the Wilderness."

If you missed the most recent episode of the PHMC Virtual Collections Showcase, you can catch it on YouTube. It starts a little abruptly because I forgot to hit "record," but you'll be able to enjoy all the presentations (with edited captions).

Upcoming Events (in-person and virtual)

Today, July 2

• StoryTime (in-person), "Big Bad Bubble" by Adam Rubin with illustrations by Daniel Solirieri, The State Museum of PA, 10:30-11:30 am, included in general admission (StoryTime details)
• Learn at Lunchtime (virtual), curators Amy Hammond and Katie McGowan explore dress in post-Revolution PA through portraits and historic clothing, The State Museum of PA, 12:15-12:45 (register to receive Zoom link)
• First Friday Food Fest (in-person), great local fare from food trucks and live music, Somerset Historical Center, 5:30-8:30 pm, parking is $5 (SHC Facebook for details)

Wednesday, July 7

• Explore! (in-person), visit Nature Lab to learn about native flowers and plants of PA, The State Museum of PA, 11:30 am-12:30 pm, included in general admission (Explore! details)

Thursday, July 8

• Curiosity Kids (in-person), today's focus in Benjamin Franklin's inventions, The State Museum of PA, 11:30 am-12:30 pm, included in general admission (Curiosity Kids details)
• Ephrata Academy (virtual), learn about the people who lived and worked at Pennsbury Manor, Historic Ephrata Cloister, 7-8 pm (Ephrata Facebook page for registration)