| Past Exhibits | |
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Everyday Rhythms Everyday Rhythms showcases the unique ways in which people have used musical sounds to express themselves. On display are over 50 musical instrument artifacts from the museum’s collection including a variety of drums, banjos, bells and zithers. Also on view are unusual instruments like a Key Bugle, Hurdy Gurdy (wheel-operated fiddle) and Calithumpian Rattle (a giant noisemaker for special occasions). Interactive audio stations invite visitors to hear the sounds of some of the instruments. In the museum's Imagination Gallery, visitors can experiment with hands-on reproductions of instruments similar to the ones on view and to create their own sounds and music. Younger visitors will enjoy books and games related to the exhibit's theme. This Exhibit Has Been Generously Sponsored By: Malmark, Inc. – Bell Craftsmen The Bucks County Herald Puck – Studio quality music. Live. Law Offices of William L. Goldman, PC Budget Printing & Copy Center The Mercer Museum also thanks the following for their assistance and support: Greg C. Adams
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Quilt Exhibit: “Renewing Traditions” The fabric and needlework artistry of the Friendly Quilters of Bucks County, an African-American quilting group, was showcased in this warm, colorful exhibit of their work. The exhibit featured twenty-nine quilts, along with family heirlooms and artifacts from the artists’ personal collections, augmented by relevant objects from the Mercer Museum’s collection. The Friendly Quilters’ evocative work celebrates a love of the quilting craft merged with the quilters’ shared heritage. The artists bring a unique contemporary twist to African-American quilt-making traditions by mixing conventional techniques like hand-quilting with modern innovations like machine-quilting and fabric painting. “Renewing Traditions” was generously sponsored by: The Lomax Family Foundation
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 Early 20th century Feather Fan |
Accessories and the Stories They Tell Explore the intriguing stories that personal and fashion accessories can tell through this family oriented hands-on exhibit. People accessorize for everything: work, play, hobbies, special life events, and the day-to-day! See what you and your family can discover about the lives of past residents of Bucks County and beyond through a variety of hats, gloves, jewelry, and other personal clothing items. The experience is complete with try-on activities and fun interactive games!
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Dolls from the Attic Visitors of all ages are invited to imagine, play, and remember in this hands-on exhibit designed especially for families. Join a Victorian tea party, play with an old-fashioned dollhouse, try on clothing and accessories modeled after those worn by dolls in the collection, or record a story about your own childhood doll at the Storytelling Kiosk. Over one hundred seldom seen American and international dolls from the Museum’s collection are on display. Guests are encouraged to bring their own doll to the Museum to play and participate in the exhibit!
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The Rescue of the Colors Re-live the exploits of Buck’s County 104TH Pennsylvania Regiment at the Battle of Fair Oaks during the Civil War in this exhibit memorializing the historic day in May 1862. “The Rescue of Colors” features the recently conserved flag of the 104TH, as well as other artifacts and art work that recall the dramatic events of the battle, especially the “rescue of colors” from capture by Confederate troops.
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Ducks, Decoys, and the Delaware: Visitors can explore the story of wildfowl hunting along the lower Delaware River, including the regional tradition of decoy carving. Decoys, a duck hunting boat, mounted wildfowl specimens, firearms, carving tools and rare hunting images borrowed from important private collections in the region will be featured in the show, as well as artifacts and images from the BCHS’s own holdings.
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Greetings from Bucks County Take an intimate tour through Bucks Count’s past in picture postcards – or “corresponding photographs” as they were once called. Several paths through the exhibit mirror diverse “routes” through the county, allowing visitors to encounter some of the people, places and events they might have seen more than a century ago.
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To Save Our Fellow Citizens: This exhibit tells the dramatic story of Philadelphia’s Volunteer Fire Companies from 1800 to 1871 and shows how 19th-century ideas of citizenship and public service shaped the practice of firefighting. Related displays show firefighting technology and explore the decorative character of the apparatus, apparel and parade gear of the volunteer fireman. The exhibit features the museum’s vast collection of firefighting equipment including decorated parade hats, engraved silver and brass speaking horns, fire engines and painted-decorated engine panels, fire buckets, insurance firemarks, photographs and prints.
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From Heart to Hand: Discovering Bucks County Fraktur This is the first-ever museum exhibit devoted exclusively to Bucks County fraktur – the colorful, hand-decorated manuscripts of the Pennsylvania Germans. It marks the centennial anniversary of museum founder Henry Mercer’s original study of fraktur art and artists, and of his groundbreaking collection of early Americana, begun in 1897. “From Heart to Hand” includes over 200 examples of fraktur and related artifacts. In addition to the Museum’s own collection, pieces of fraktur form 20 other public and private collections are featured. All the chief forms of fraktur are represented, including decorated baptismal certificates, writing samples, house blessings, bookplates and religious manuscripts.
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