I let Charlie set the pace.
We went to the Carnegie Museum of Art and the Natural History Museum today.
Charlie was a was a terrific museum goer.
Heart Pavilion sculpture by Dan Graham
At the Museum
Heart Pavilion sculpture by Dan Graham
Tag: museum
Heart Pavilion sculpture by Dan Graham
“Who do you honor on Memorial Day?”
My blogging friend Audrey of Minnesota Prairie Roots wrote a poignant Memorial Day post Remembering, Honoring, Grieving on Memorial Day
She asks, “Who do you honor on this Memorial Day?”
Here’s my response to her question.
My sister Mary ordered a Commemorative Brick at the WWII Museum in New Orleans. as a memorial tribute to Uncle Alan.
Past Memorial Day posts are here
Night of the Living Dead Museum
I thought the 1968 George Romero Film Night of the Living Dead was really scary.
It was just before 2024 Christmas and my sister was visiting. We were near the Monroeville Mall to pick up a pair of shoes so why not check out this museum?
Some of the movie was filmed here at the mall. I treated.
If you’re a horror flick aficionado you need to visit.
“ Although the monsters that appear in the film are referred to as “ghouls“, they are credited with popularizing the modern portrayal of zombies in popular culture.”
Bayernhof Music Museum
Thursday night my friends and I had the most wonderful musical adventure with a guided tour of the Bayernhof Music Museum in Aspinwall PA. Thank you Judy for arranging this delightful and informative experience. So many different mechanical musical instruments and a wide range of sounds. You’d think you were in Bavaria as Mr.Brown collected not only musical instruments but art and wood carvings, Hummel figurines, antlers, chandeliers and beer steins. You name it, it was on a wall, a mantel or sideboard.
Joel and Georgeann were wonderful hosts. We were introduced to quite a range of instruments including two Reproducing Pianos which is never heard of before. .
Here are a few of the instruments we listened to. The tour is quite extensive and if you come to the Pittsburgh area you should plan a tour. This enormous home was built by Charles B Brown III in 1976 and upon his death became a mechanical musical instruments museum.
The first one Joel played was this Wurlitzer Automatic Harp but you have to put a nickel in first. Click here to listen
To listen to a clip from the Welte Number 2 Cottage Orchestrion Click here
And click the Automatic Banjo to listen
Put a nickel in!
only 16 of these in the world
Early disc click to listen
There were so many interesting, unique artifacts throughout the museum.
A favorite were two board games you might recognize.
There was even a telescope in an observatory
G
Did You Ever Own a Metal Lunchbox?
They were banned in schools in the 1970s after parents complained they were used as weapons and caused serious head injuries. Their history is here from the first Hopalong Cassidy box, to the the last of Rambo Sylvester Stallone model.
I had a red Stewart plaid one in third grade that I remember, complete with a thermos. There were no ice packs included, ever.
The Antique Trader attributes the popularity of metal lunchboxes to television.
Take a tour of the museum with this YouTube video if you can’t get to Columbus Georgia.
Mr Woodall has written an encyclopedia shown below
At the Museum
Thursday, my sister Mary and I went to the Carnegie Museum of Art to see the photography exhibit Gordon Parks in Pittsburgh 1944-1946 .
While we roamed around the other galleries, I documented our visit with two selfies. One where we are looking quite svelte on our reflection in Heart Pavilion by artist Dan Graham who passed February 2022. Click his name to read his obit. .
Quirky Museums
Years ago I bought my sister a book.
The Cockroach Hall of Fame and 101 Other Off-the-Wall Museums by Sandra Gurvis.
This past week when I was visiting Mary, I photographed the cover and peeked inside. She had post-its, handwritten notes (such as the addition of The Jell-O Museum in Leroy, New York) inside the covers, ticket stubs and newspaper clippings about other museums she’s come across.
Do you know anyone else who has been to the National Mustard Museum in Middleton Wisconsin?
Then we went to get coffee and a cardamom bun. Would you believe we walked right by the Museum of Illusions in an old bank on 8th Avenue as we walked to 14th Street? It’s only been there since 2017 so is not in the book.
Yes, there is a Hearing Aids Museum in Kent, Ohio.
When checking the newspaper clippings my sister clipped and added to the book, I stumbled upon a link about controversy when the Museum of Chinese in America reopened last summer 2021.
The Cookie Jar Museum founded by Lucille Bromberek of Lemont Illinois is now closed
My friend Randi told me about the Spam Museum in Minnesota. Also called the Guggenham. Don’t worry if you’re not in the neighborhood. There are free virtual tours!
If I’d stayed longer, I would have looked up more of the museums and posted their status.
Throwback Thursday
From the archives
Mary reads to a Maura at the Met.
Wordless Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday
Pittsburgh Airport Display
Saw this display at the airport this morning.
Invitation to shop for Souvenirs from your visit to the city Pittsburgh. Items from The Warhol Store at The Andy Warhol Museum.
