A Centennial History, 1905–2005

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The State Museum of Pennsylvania: A Centennial History, 1905–2005

Eric Ledell Smith

Associate Historian

The State Museum of Pennsylvania

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission Harrisburg, 2005

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Edward G. Rendell, Governor

Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission

Wayne S. Spilove, Chairman Rhonda R. Cohen Lawrence H. Curry, Representative Jane M. Earll, Senator Jim Ferlo, Senator Laura S. Fisher Gordon A. Haaland Robert A. Janosov Janet S. Klein Cheryl McClenney-Brooker Stephen R. Maitland, Representative Brian C. Mitchell Kathleen Pavelko

Francis V. Barnes, Secretary of Education, ex officio

Barbara Franco Executive Director

The State Museum of Pennsylvania of the past. Chapter 1: Collecting the state’s flora and fauna, 1905–1919

ennsylvania is a history-minded state. It treasures its It turned out that the creation of a building to house archives, historic buildings and sites and many arti- these artifacts and collections was indeed an auspicious Pfacts and specimens that document its long history. This move since the old state capitol burned down in 1897. By history intrigued citizens to establish learned societies like then, most of the precious artifacts, specimens and docu- the Historical Society of Pennsylvania (1824) and the ments had been moved into the new Executive, Library Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (1812). and Museum Building adjacent to the capitol building, and Many of these societies’ members collected objects that were spared by the flames. told a story about the natural history or social history of the Commonwealth and some began to donate artifacts to Long before 1905, a proposal had been made for a the state as early as the 1820s. When received, the artifacts Pennsylvania state museum. In 1887 the state legislature were generally kept in the old state capitol building where considered an appropriations bill for the “safe keeping of they accumulated quickly, using up precious office space. the archives and early records of the State Department . . . It was, in part, this crowding that caused politicians to valuable historic paintings, maps, deeds, and battle flags insist that the state build a new state capitol building. Oth- and other memorials, and renovations of existing state ers disagreed, urging renovation of the existing capitol and building and the Executive Mansion” as well as the state erection of a building especially for archives, artifacts, and Geological Survey’s collection.2 natural science specimens.1 Those who advocated the latter solution, however, were not necessarily “historically- State workers within the capitol lacked adequate office minded.” Thus the creation of the forerunner to a state space. The solution to this problem was to move the arti- museum sprang not so much from the need to collect and facts to a separate building. Gov. James A. Beaver preserve the state’s “flora and fauna” as from the bureau- explained that “this bill is to . . . provide abundance of cratic needs of state officials, many of whom were not room for all departments of the [state] government who particularly interested in history. may justly demand office accommodations.”3 Philadelphia

1 state representative Henry K. Boyer, sponsor of the bill, was excited about the prospect of a Pennsylvania State Museum. To his fellow lawmakers, Boyer said “the State is in possession of the materials for one of the finest museums in the United States.”4 Boyer’s bill was passed by the General Assembly but it never became law because Governor Beaver vetoed the bill because of the state’s “shaky finances.”5

Another bill was proposed in 1893 “to provide for the erection of a fireproof building for the State Department, State Library, and Archives, battle flags of the state, art treasures and geological collections.” This time the bill was passed and signed into law by Governor Robert E. Pattison and plans were made for the new building. Philadelphia architect John T. Windrim (1866–1934) was The grand staircase in the lobby of the Executive, Library and Museum selected to design the new Executive and Library build- Building (built in 1894), which housed The State Museum ing.6 Among the many Philadelphia buildings he designed are Olivet Presbyterian Church at 22nd and Mount Vernon Streets, the Lincoln-Liberty Building at Broad and Chest- In 1903, Samuel W. Pennypacker, a member of the His- nut Streets and the High School Annex at Girard College. torical Society of Pennsylvania (HSP) became Pennsylva- Windrim was probably the best-known Philadelphia archi- nia’s twenty-fourth governor. He and other HSP members 10 tect of the classical revival style often designated as Beaux were keenly interested in state history. After Pennypack- Arts7 and this architectural style describes the Executive, er took office, lawmakers drafted a bill for an appropria- Library and Museum Building, now the oldest building in tion of $50,000 for a new building for HSP. HSP historian the Capitol Complex. It was called the “executive” build- Sally Griffith said that “the speed with which the legisla- ing because it housed the offices of the top state officials: tion was approved may have had something to do with the the governor, lieutenant governor, auditor general, state fact that in addition to the presence of Pennypacker and librarian, and state treasurer. Hampton L. Carson [attorney general], senate president John M. Scott was also a member of the Society.”11 In exterior appearance the three-story building is in the Another HSP member, Thomas Lynch Montgomery, also Beaux Arts style of architecture while its interior quarters served in the Pennypacker administration as state librarian. resemble the mansion of a wealthy person.“The Executive Building has a frontage of 120 feet and a depth of 165 Montgomery claimed he was the person who “suggested feet. It is entered from a semi-circle portico, supported by to Governor Pennypacker in 1903 the [idea of] founding Ionic columns, passing through the massive mahogany of a State Museum to form the nucleus of flora and fauna 12 doors into a vestibule, eighteen by twenty feet, the walls of the state.” Montgomery saw the popularity of the of which are lined with polished Sienna marble contrast- Flag Room with the public as an indication that a state ing with the rich cream of the elaborately carved Caen museum could be “one of the principle attractions of the 13 stone pilasters and cornice which supports a half-groined Capitol.” Another state official, H. A. Surface, of the ceiling beautifully modeled and paneled in stucco.”8 Division of Zoology of the state Department of Agricul- ture, said the need for a state museum was one of “urgent Windrim built the “museum and flag room” on the sec- importance.” Surface promised Pennypacker that his ond floor. It was described by the Philadelphia Inquirer as department would donate zoology specimens if the muse- 14 “fifty feet square with a twenty-six foot ceiling.” The um was created. It was then, with the urging of Surface Inquirer reported that Rothermel’s painting of the Battle of and Montgomery, that Pennypacker backed legislation for Gettysburg, the portraits of the governors of Pennsylvania, the creation of a state museum. the war flags and relics (now stored at the state arsenal), and a collection of birds and animals from the Pennsylva- There were actually two acts concerning a state museum nia exhibit at the 1893 World’s Fair, will be displayed in that were signed by Governor Pennypacker. Act 43 was the room.9 signed by the governor on March 28, 1905, creating The

2 the charitable and penal institutions of Pennsylvania, along with a scale model of the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia.21 Education curator Alicia Zierden stated that the Louisiana Purchase Exposition artifacts “formed the nucleus of the exhibit” to which she added more objects acquired from visiting schools around the state.22 This apparently was the first exhibition at the new museum.

Zoology was the second division of the museum and its collection grew very rapidly from the beginning. Boyd P. Rothrock collected in 1907 “some five hundred and fifty specimens of Pennsylvania animals, either in skins or mounted, a great many of which have been gifts.”23 In 1909, Rothrock received numerous donations of birds and mammals such as the ruffed grouse (named the state bird Artwork was displayed on the mezzazine level of the old State Museum. in 1931), Canadian goose and gray fox as well as specimens of common Pennsylvania fish and reptiles. Many State Museum of Pennsylvania. The museum’s purpose zoological specimens came from the Division of Econom- was for “the preservation of objects illustrating the flora ic Zoology of the Department of Education, where zoolo- and fauna of the state, and its mineralogy, geology, arche- gist H.A. Surface worked. But other state agencies such as ology, arts and history.”15 In this respect Pennsylvania fol- the state Game Commission and state Fish Commission lowed the examples of the state museums of Illinois, Indi- donated to The State Museum as well.24 ana, and New York in defining its mission as the preservation of the Commonwealth’s flora and fauna.16 Within the Division of Zoology two other subject collec- The second law, Act 481, appropriated money for the tions—archaeology and geology—developed as well. The museum and Governor Pennypacker signed it on May 11, State Museum archaeological collection began in 1906 1905. Although the state legislature approved the appropri- when J.A. Stober donated his collection of approximately ation of $30,000 for the museum, Pennypacker reduced twenty-five hundred stone tools, mainly from Lancaster the sum to $20,000, stating that “the condition of the County. The next archaeological collections acquired were State’s revenue does not justify a larger expenditure at this the Deisher collection from southeastern Pennsylvania (in time.”17 As dictated by the legislation, the museum would 1915) and the Laverty collection from the Lower Susque- be located on the second floor of the Executive, Library and Museum Building and under State Library director Thomas Montgomery. Because other state employees had to move their offices to the new state capitol, Mont- gomery’s staff could not move into the building until March 1, 1907.18

Upon settling into the building, museum director Mont- gomery said that “considerable work [was] accomplished in the preparation of material for the Division of Educa- tion and the Division of Zoology based on the collection formed for the [Pennsylvania exhibit at] Louisiana Pur- chase Exposition in 1904.19 The educational exhibits featured “school work from the Kindergarten to the High School.” Other educational institutions like the Soldiers Orphans Industrial School, the School of Design for Women, the School of Industrial Art, the Spring Garden Institution, Pennsylvania Agricultural College, and the The archaeology collection displayed in the old State Museum Philadelphia Commercial Museum.20 The social economy of Pennsylvania. exhibits consisted of more than two hundred artifacts from 3

developed such as “Pennsylvania History,” and“Our Boys in France, World War I.” Soon the lantern slide programs became broader in subject scope, and slides were available in black and white and sometimes in color. As the demand increased so did the number of lantern slides, reaching a total of 10,165 in 1910. Education curator Alicia M. Zier- den mounted some four thousand photographs of four hundred educational institutions in the state for museum exhibition. These photos promoted the “state of the art” in pedagogy including the best educational methods and best contemporary school architecture. By 1912 there were 13,448 lantern slides owned by The State Museum due to the rapid growth of the Lantern Slide collection, education curator Alicia Zierden hired two assistants in 1911. But in 1912, Zierden moved to Washington D.C. and the two The lantern slide room in the old State Museum. assistants were left to carry on during the First World War. hanna Valley (in 1919). Stephen G. Warfel, presently sen- Luther K. Kelker, custodian of Public Records, was also ior curator of archaeology at The State Museum, says the curator in charge of the fourth division of The State “since that time numerous large collections have been Museum: History. The History Division was formed in acquired via donation, occasional purchase, and field 1909 when Kelker began collecting artifacts about Penn- expositions.”25 In 1913, Rothrock began acquiring geolog- sylvania German life. In a 1906 letter to museum director ical specimens and these were put on exhibit as the first Thomas L. Montgomery, Kelker described what he had known science exhibit at The State Museum.26 While collected thus far: planning another geological exhibit in 1916 Rothrock con- tacted different mining companies for donations of mineral “Acting under your instructions, a beginning has been samples. Writing to the Pennsylvania Graphite Company, made for the collection of the Pennsylvania State Muse- Rothrock said “We have a small sample of your graphite um. It represents specimens of the early life, candlesticks, ore collected by Professor Benj. L. Miller of Leigh Uni- pie plates, Stiegel glassware, the chair that formerly stood versity and would like to have another small sample as an in the old Pulpit in the Cloister at Ephrata, one of the additional specimen. We do not have any sample of your Charts representing the beautiful pen-work of the Sisters, concentrate or refined graphite. If you will send us about a and last but not least, what is commonly known as the pound of each, we will exhibit the same and give you Alphabet Book, one of the finest specimens of artistic pen- credit.”27 manship in existence.”32

About 1908 a third State Museum division—lantern The History Division’s collection was small compared slides—emerged. Lantern slides were “the first form of to the size of the Zoology Division’s collection. Kelker projected group entertainment from the 1850s well into remained curator of this division until his death in 1915. the twentieth century until replaced by the modern ‘2X2’ Unfortunately, no one was appointed to replace Kelker, slide in the 1940s–1950s.28 We do not know whether the but the history collection still continued to grow.33 State Library or The State Museum originated the Lantern Slide Collection. Between 1907 and 1910, 10,165 slides Since the 1820s, artwork had been donated to the Com- were circulated throughout the state for natural history, art, monwealth and either stored or exhibited in the State architectural, and agricultural societies, schools, study Capitol. Collection of artwork continued when The State clubs, and civic organizations.29 The State Museum Museum was started in 1905 but it would not be until loaned these slides to schools in much the same way 1965 that an official Fine Arts section was set up within libraries circulate books. Mail order catalogs of the muse- the museum with its own curator. Many precious artworks um’s lantern slide collections were sent to teachers who were transferred from the old state capitol to the new wished to order slides for their schools.30 When the col- Executive, Library and Museum Building in 1895. Among lection began, most of the slides were about “Geography these artifacts were paintings depicting Gilberti di Sassuo- and Travel in Many Countries.”31 But other series were lo (acc. 06.20.2) and Amerigo Vespucci (06.20.1). They 4 were hung in the Senate chamber of the old state capitol. Another early acquisition was a carved marble eagle created by an unknown sailor. It bears the inscription, “Alexan- dria, July 4, 1837.” (06.20.3)34

Perhaps the most intriguing early fine arts objects are the series of paintings comprising the Battle of Gettys- burg series. In 1866 the state legislature commissioned Pennsylvania artist Peter F. Rothermel to do four paintings to hang in the old state capitol rotunda.35 When Rothermel finished the paintings, however, they were not displayed in the state capitol but rather in the Flag Room of the new Executive, Library and Museum Building. The largest of these was The Battle of Gettysburg subtitled “Pickett’s Charge.” The sixteen by thirty-two-foot canvas was the centerpiece of the room. The four other paintings measure Swinging frame exhibits of school children’s work at the old State Museum, 1908. forty-seven by seventy inches and depict other crucial points in the same battle: The Repulse of the Louisiana tem had just been installed but it received minimal use Tigers, The Death of General Reynolds, The Repulse of because of wartime restrictions of the use of electrical General Johnson’s Division, and The Charge of the Penn- current. The lantern slide division experienced a drop in sylvania Reserves at Plum Run. circulation because of wartime restrictions on entertain- ments. Several key personnel left because of the war, State Museum director Thomas L. Montgomery, educa- causing a shortage of staff. C. Wynne Cassell of the Edu- tion curator Alicia M. Zierden, and curator Boyd P. cation Division took a leave of absence to go to France in Rothrock were early members of the American Associa- the Y.W.C.A. service.39 Curator Boyd Rothrock wrote to tion of Museums (AAM). Zierden was a founding member Thomas L. Montgomery, state museum director: of the group in 1906.36 They regularly attended AAM annual meetings where they heard papers on current muse- “Mr. Charles Revie who was shipper for the um issues such as “The Advantages of Installation in lantern slide division and who also operated the Swinging Frames,” “Labeling Large Collections of Birds stereopticon lantern and the Photostat, passed on and Mammals,” and “Labeling Large Descriptive Labels while in the U.S. service at Camp Lee. The duties on the Outside of Museum Cases.” State Museum staff of this position are such that it has been impossible interaction with other museum professionals from around to fill it with a competent person, due principally to the country paid off in terms of exhibits. Zierden drew the demand for young men at higher salaries in the inspiration from the AAM 1907 presentation on swinging industrial world. This work thus far has been divid- frames when she put four thousand photographs of Penn- ed among the other employees. Conditions [during] sylvania educational institutions on exhibit in 1907.37 the past year have prevented much of the field work Rothrock was probably guided by the AAM 1910 presen- as the present employees were constantly needed in tation about labeling birds and mammals when he installed the museum. In consequence few additions were eleven new habitats of mammals and birds in the old Flag made to the botanical collections . . . Thus the work Room and created a museum exhibit labeling system in of the museum has not been neglected although it 1912.38 The notion of exhibit labels was at that time a rel- has retarded the work somewhat in other atively new concept in the museum world. Therefore, branches.”40 almost from the beginning of The State Museum, curators searched for ways to make their work reflect the museum The First World War would not be the last time The standards of the day. State Museum would be faced with a crisis of staff and resources. Yet the ability of its staff to persevere would be In 1917 the United States entered the First World War handed down from generation to generation during The on the side of the Allies. The global conflict changed life State Museum’s first hundred years. in the American homeland, and had a direct effect upon The State Museum of Pennsylvania. A new lighting sys- The first decade of The State Museum was a time of

5 striving. The first curators strove to build their collection- to new ideas. During an era when American museums were sólantern slides, zoology, geology, etc—and to care for just beginning to see themselves as part of a “profession,” them in the best possible way. Several state agencies, espe- State Museum staff not only adapted techniques and meth- cially the Game Commission and the Department of Agri- ods suggested by the AAM but they were among the culture and the Fish Commission, were early donors to The founding members and active members of that organization State Museum. The first exhibitions were modest and fea- too. During these early years, there was also the genesis of tured recent gifts to the museum. One of the first State the museum’s archaeology, geology, and history collec- Museum exhibitions in 1908 was a display of school stu- tions. As early as 1906, curator Luther Kelker was collect- dents’ work from around the state submitted by school ing artifacts about Pennsylvania German culture. By 1919, principals or collected by education curator Alicia Zierden the museum had been in operation for fourteen years. Its herself.41 For instance, the Carlisle Indian School sent the staff, budget, and audience were growing steadily. To museum a number of silver trophies won by students in museum director Thomas Montgomery there was no reason athletic contests and framed photographs of the Indian not to anticipate that the 1920s would bring even more School’s classes.42 In 1913, the first geological exhibit prosperity. opened. The museum’s staff was quite small but very open

6 Chapter 2: Growing Pains: the Pennsylvania State Museum in the 1920s and 1930s

n 1920, Warren G. Harding ran a successful presidential Believing that “inadequate appropriation” was the prob- Icampaign on the platform that Americans needed “a lem, Godcharles secured funding in 1927 to increase the return to normalcy” after the upheaval of the First World staff to nine people. Yet the museum could not spend all of War. For The State Museum, however, the 1920s were a its funds because of an order “to set aside an amount time of change. In 1923, The State Museum became part exceeding $11,000 as a reserve fund” to be used only at of the Department of Public Instruction, That department the end of the fiscal year. Despite Godcharles’ appeals to gave The State Museum low priority. Finances fluctuated, state government officials, he obtained no additional and there was significant staff turnover. These problems money for purchasing specimens and artifacts.46 As The were partly alleviated in the late 1930s by The State State Museum moved into the 1930s, the budget cuts Museum’s participation in the federal Works Progress became even worse. Its appropriations were slashed during Administration. The WPA supplied money and manpower for the museum to clean and upgrade its exhibits. Some of each session of the General Assembly. In 1929 the state these exhibits featured the archaeology collection which legislature appropriated $250,000 for the State Library and emerged in the 1930s as a major collection of The State Museum, but by 1935 this amount had dropped to Museum. $185,000. Perhaps the most catastrophic effect of the Great Depression was in the area of personnel. In 1931 In 1923 Pennsylvania Gov. Gifford Pinchot introduced a The State Museum had a staff of twelve—museum direc- new administrative code that reorganized state government tor, curator, assistant curator, exhibit preparer, taxidermist, by grouping the existing 139 agencies into fifteen depart- three assistant taxidermists, two stenographers, lantern ments.43 As a result, the State Library, which administered slide assistant, and general clerk. By 1933, at the depth of The State Museum at that time, came under the control of the Great Depression, the museum staff consisted of only the Department of Public Instruction. Yet The State Muse- three people: assistant director, curator, and exhibit um fared no better under Public Instruction than it did preparator.47 Museum director Frederic Godcharles under the State Library. The State Museum was given low thought marketing was the problem. “We have not ‘sold’ priority. Appropriations were cut each biennium so that by our enterprise to the Legislature or to others who hold the 1926, the museum staff was working with a “shoestring” public purse strings,” Godcharles said prophetically. budget, two people, and no money to circulate the lantern “They do not appreciate the educational importance of the slide collection.44 Museum director Anna McDonald, who work proposed. It is for us to educate them.”48 became The State Museum’s first female director in 1923, faced a difficult challenge running the museum without In 1931, Godcharles resigned and Charles F. Hoban adequate funding for collections and public programs. In became museum director. Still hampered by the effects of the agency’s 1924 biennial report, McDonald advocated the Great Depression, Hoban was no more successful than that The State Museum’s lantern slide collection be Godcharles in increasing state appropriations, and he increased to “at least 100,000 slides” and that “a yearly resigned in 1935. His place was taken by Gertrude B. fund of $15,000 for five years would be required to insure Fuller. adequate lantern slide service.” She did not get the funding she wanted and it must have been with some relief that In the mid-1930s, the Roosevelt administration created a McDonald accepted an appointment as Library Extension work relief program called “Federal One.” “This was the Service librarian in 1927.45 use of a small but highly significantly part of Works Progress Administration (WPA) funds for an experience in When historian Frederic A. Godcharles became museum providing federal support for the arts in America.”49 In director in 1927, he found that “the Museum was at a 1938, Fuller applied to the WPA on behalf of The State standstill. Nothing of importance had been done in this Museum. In her letter of application, she said “during the division, nor anything of value added for some years.” years of [the Great] Depression and deficit in the state

7 budget, the staff of the museum was reduced to an ful artifacts chronicling early Native Americans in Penn- absolute minimum.” Fuller emphasized that collection, sylvania, including arrowheads, axes, celts, drills, pestles, care, and exhibition of “fauna and flora of Pennsylvania” banner stones, stone pipes, clay pipes, and sculptured was part of The State Museum’s mission, but many pieces.57 exhibits needed repair and cleaning. Furthermore the museum’s largest collection—the lantern slides—was in Pennsylvania Power and Light Company (PP&L) devel- poor condition, with as many as ninety-three thousand oped plans in 1929 to build a hydroelectric power plant slides in need of repair or replacement.50 Fuller argued and dam near Safe Harbor on the lower Susquehanna that The State Museum could not fulfill its mission with- River. A series of small islands that contained rocks with out assistance. unusual petroglyphs or carved inscriptions, would have been flooded when the PP&L project was completed. The Fuller obtained funding for two W.P.A. projects. Project Pennsylvania Historical Commission (PHC) was founded #15024 was slated for repairing and cleaning artifacts and in 1913. It was a separate state agency from The State exhibits. The small exhibit groups of ruffed grouse, wild Museum. The PHC promoted public history in the form of turkey, snowshoe rabbit, and other animals were cleaned, historic markers and it sometimes ran archeological proj- repaired, and installed with fresh “habitat” material (such ects and funded archaeological work in Pennsylvania.58 as leaves and botanical specimens). Large exhibits such as Archaeologist Donald A. Cadzow was hired by the PHC to those of elk and other mammals were upgraded by supply- salvage these petrogylphs. Casts were made of the petro- ing a more naturalistic diorama background in keeping gylphs which were then physically removed with a pneu- with museum trends of the times.51 Project # 17136 matic drill. Since the PHC did not concern itself with employed workers who created 500 lantern slides, 6 diora- curating collections produced by PHC expeditions, all the mas, 115 costume plates, and 48 water-color paintings of specimens recovered went to The State Museum. With the Pennsylvania wild flowers, 4 geological model casts and 6 Safe Harbor petroglyphs collection, the J.A. Stober collec- maps. Under this project, the museum’s flag collection tion of twenty-five hundred pieces and the Henry K. underwent conservation.52 Deisher collection, The State Museum had acquired a sub- stantial collection of archaeology specimens by the late During the 1920s, the collections of The State Museum 1930s.59 focused on seven subject areas: lantern slides, entomology, natural history, history, paintings, geology, and archaeolo- A former museum curator, Henry K. Deisher was a col- gy. During the period 1921–22, the major donations were lector of archaeological specimens who first sold objects received in natural history, but overall the largest museum to The State Museum in 1909. Eventually, the Deisher collection was predominantly lantern slides.53 This trend Collection was purchased by the Commonwealth for The continued throughout the 1920s, with the largest collec- State Museum in 1917.60 To care for the collection, Deish- tions being lantern slides, entomology, and natural er volunteered at the museum and on July 5, 1928, he was history.54 Although reports of collection statistics are hired as assistant curator. He later claimed that before incomplete for the 1930s, it is clear that the archaeology becoming a museum employee, he had supplied 63 per- collection grew phenomenally, from just nineteen artifacts cent of the collections in the museum. But it was not his in 1925 to over ninety-one thousand in 1936.55 services as antiquarian dealer that The State Museum needed, but as a registrar. Assistant director Gertrude B. The involvement of museum staff in professional activi- Fuller recalled: “I was deeply disturbed and rather ties was critical to the development of the museum’s shocked to find the cataloging far in arrears and records archaeology collection. In 1930, the Society for Pennsyl- tangled. Various persons had dabbled at the work, chang- vania Archeology (SPA) was founded. Among the charter ing systems and causing confusion.” In Fuller’s opinion, members were museum director Frederic Godcharles and beside Deisher, “no other person has sufficient information head curator Boyd Rothrock. Godcharles was elected to to do the work. He knows the various collections and the the executive board of the society and served as society donors.”61 At first Deisher utilized an alphabetical letter president in 1933.56 Lancaster archaeologist Gerald B. system to designate particular collections. For instance, Fenstermaker was also a member of the society. In 1930, “W” stood for the War Relics Collection. Later on, howev- he sold his archaeological collection of some fifteen thou- er, Deisher adopted the current American Association of sand pieces to the Commonwealth which placed it in The Museums cataloging practice of noting the accession year State Museum. The Fenstermaker Collection has wonder- first, followed by order of receipt, followed by a specific

8 number for the specimen or artifact in the group. His cata- the second floor and the exhibits were sent back to their loging system laid the foundation for today’s collection respective school districts. Then the room was renovated management section of The State Museum and it stimulat- and an artist hired to paint the background for the mam- ed exhibition production by providing accurate and mal collection.68 In August 1929, the “Animal Room,” detailed information for interpretation. with its groups of eagles, deer, bears, etc., was opened to museum visitors. The tradition of a gallery of mammals After the First World War, the education section was has been retained by The State Museum throughout the renamed the Lantern Slide Division with Julia M. Donnel- years. A 1928 exhibition of early Pennsylvania household ly in charge. During the 1920s, the lantern slide collection utensils, including stove plates made in Pennsylvania iron was the largest collection in The State Museum. In 1920, furnaces was probably the first known exhibit of domestic the collection contained 30,859 slides. In 1925, there were and community life artifacts by The State Museum. That 34,702 slides and by 1928, it had increased to 41,471. This year witnessed the opening of the first genuine art exhibi- trend continued in the 1930s, with 78,500 lantern slides tion: a show of paintings by the artist Lloyd Mifflin.69 inventoried in 1935 and 94,373 slides in 1938.62 As demand for slides from teachers all over the state Museum preparator Linneas G. Duncan created an inter- increased, The State Museum acquired more and more esting replica of an Indian quarry for The State Museum in slides for its subscription program aimed at the Common- 1930.70 First, museum staff members visited a quarry in wealth’s schools. Berks County to get samples of the jasper rock, take photographs, and get other information for Duncan. With this The lantern slide collection was also used by the muse- data, Duncan was able to design the quarry replica in a um for in-house educational programs. Weekly lectures historically authentic manner. The exhibit included Native were given in 1921 by staff members about botany, American figures, trees, and rocks. An artist, John H. ornithology, geology and the like. Museum director Anna Froelich, painted the background of the quarry scene. His- McDonald commented that “many of these lectures are torian Laurence Coleman noted in the 1930s that “art has given by the experts employed by the State and are illus- settled down in science museums to stay. There are wall trated by both lantern slides and moving pictures, the paintings, nominally decorative but actually part of dis- equipment and slides being furnished by the Museum.” plays.”71 In April 1937 The State Museum partnered with She also said that the lectures were well attended by the the WPA in presenting an exhibit of museum and visual general public.63 But school children became increasingly educational material. It consisted of “125 panels of cos- the museum’s core audience. In 1927, for instance, numer- tumes from primitive man through all periods and races to ous “classes from the public schools under supervision of the present, 52 architectural models covering types of their teachers visited the Museum for study of natural his- human shelter, a 3 ft diorama of an Indian village, and a 5 tory.”64 Museum director Frederic Godcharles proudly ft diorama of a central African village.”72 reported in 1928 that “in our museum, all records of visiting schools have been broken. There never was a time At the end of the 1930s, The State Museum linked its when so many students have been conducted through The survival to the fulfillment of its mission: to collect, care State Museum by Curator Rothrock and his staff.”65 In for, and exhibit the flora and fauna, history, archaeology, 1929, the American Association of Museums ranked the and fine arts of the Commonwealth. It managed to fulfill Pennsylvania State Museum one of the top sixteen muse- its mission not just with state appropriations, but federal ums in the country boasting total attendance of more than dollars as well. But there could be no return to “normalcy” twenty thousand.66 Donnelly left The State Museum if normalcy meant the ways things were before 1920. Too around 1928 and between 1929 and 1939 there was no much had changed in the museum world and in America. education department at The State Museum .67 War clouds were now replacing the fog of the Great Depression. The resulting storm would bring dramatic Several new and innovative exhibits opened at The State change and renewal to The State Museum of Pennsylva- Museum in 1928. That year, the huge wood cases contain- nia. ing school exhibits were moved from the large room on

Conestoga Wagon in the old State Museum.

Chapter 3: Making a place for history: the 1940s and 1950s

he Second World War set in motion a chain of events Museum supported the war cause was by offering office that would forever transform The State Museum of space to local National Defense personnel.75 The presence Pennsylvania.T Like other museums, The State Museum of numerous military camps and depots in south central supported the war cause with programs for troops and Pennsylvania guaranteed the transformation of The State military history exhibits. Growing consciousness about Museum’s audience during the war years. At New Cum- Pennsylvania history inspired a movement for a William berland, there was a reception center where soldiers were Penn Memorial Museum in Harrisburg. The State Muse- inducted and a Special Training Unit which readied thir- um joined a new state agency—the Pennsylvania Histori- teen thousand for combat. Across the Susquehanna River cal and Museum Commission (PHMC) in 1945 and this from New Cumberland was the Middletown Air Service led to renovations in physical space, exhibitions, and edu- Command, “which stocked more than 250,000 kinds of cational programs. As PHMC executive director Brent parts for combat planes.”76 A state School of Aeronautics Glass later noted, the establishment of the PHMC “pro- operated out of the state Farm Show building for two vided official recognition that the history of the Common- years and graduated 12,330 people. Furthermore, there wealth would be told through its museums and historic were three important training camps in the Harrisburg sites, as well as its myriad records, documents, markers, area: “the highly-secret Army Air Force Intelligence and publications.” 73 The 1950s saw increased curatorial School operated in the old Harrisburg Academy build- staffing, stimulating the diversification of exhibitions and ings,” the Navy’s Photo Reconnaissance Training Detach- the expansion of museum collections. Paradoxically, the ment at the Harrisburg Airport, and the Army Medical increase in collections meant that, by the end of the l950s, Field School at Carlisle Barracks. In Carlisle, the military The State Museum had outgrown its building. trained doctors, dentists, veterinarians, and administrative officers for war duty.77 The State Museum reached out to The nation entered the war in 1941 with patriotic enthu- this new audience by opening the museum on Sunday. siasm and American museums joined in the effort to Museum attendance increased, varying from six hundred “assist in the broad national objectives of winning the war to four thousand each Sunday depending on the weather, and winning the peace.”74 One way in which The State movement of troops, and the calendar of local events for 10 civilians.78 Historical Commission lost its autonomy and became a The American Association of Museums declared that section of the Department of Public Instruction along with museums had a duty to sponsor “special exhibits and pro- the State Archives and State Museum. Subsequent amend- grams designed to interest and appeal to our men in the ments to the code in 1927 and 1929 ordered these bodies armed forces.”79 The wartime public programs of The to work together on history-related tasks. In fact the State Museum were similar to those of other museums in alliance between the museum, archives, and historical the country.80 Many programs were musical in nature, commission was such that in 1945, Pennsylvania Gov. consisting of records or volunteer live entertainment. Edward Martin said “their activities and their budgetary Lantern slide shows illustrated the geography and culture needs could and did overlap and conflict”86 and proposed of the countries involved in World War II. Occasionally the merger. Yet some state officials remained skeptical. In there were special craft demonstrations and military histo- a February 1945 letter, state historian S.K. Stevens wrote ry exhibits which were popular with the military and the to Governor Martin: “I have long been an advocate of general public. Among the notable exhibitions of the time eventual consolidation of the State Archives and the His- were “Soldier Art from Life Magazine Competition,” a torical Commission. The addition of the Museum function photography exhibit from the British War Relief organiza- is not necessarily so important.”87 Interestingly enough, tion, and “What the Boys Send Home,” a exhibit of arti- Stevens would later prove to be one of the chief advocates facts from World War II soldiers.81 In honor of the seven- for The State Museum. Finally, lawmakers proposed a bill ty-fifth anniversary of the Grand Army of the Republic, creating a new agency for all three groups. House Bill 636 there was a Civil War exhibit. Military history exhibits introduced by Allegheny County state representative John continued even after the end of the war. For instance, a Haudenshield, proposed to create a “Pennsylvania Histori- 1945 exhibit featured two dinner plates allegedly from cal and Museum Commission.” The bill passed both hous- Adolf Hitler’s villa in Berchtesgaden, Germany.82 es unanimously without any debate. On June 6, 1945, Gov. Edward Martin signed Act 446, merging the three Along with school children and the military, community agencies into one commission: the Pennsylvania Historical groups were part of the audience of the 1940s at The State and Museum Commission. The Department of Public Museum. These groups saw the museum as a community Instruction was still involved with The State Museum center where they could hold meetings, classes and special through its ex officio board member.88 But the good news events. For example, on Thursday evenings the Art Studio for The State Museum was that it could more earnestly held a sketch class, a local group offered classes on spin- pursue its mandate preserving, interpreting, and celebrat- ning and weaving, and the Harrisburg Chamber of Music ing state history. had their weekly rehearsal.83 On Saturdays, a Junior Art Class was held. The Natural History Society of Harrisburg In 1947, the museum’s huge lantern slide collection was held their regular meetings at The State Museum’s Indian retired and put into the museum basement. The PHMC Room. In May 1941, the Harrisburg Camera Club put on a was free to acquire more modern audio-visual materials photography exhibit. In October 1945, the Stamp Club of for its programs.89 While we do not know the official rea- Harrisburg held its annual exhibit in the museum’s gal- son why the lantern slide circulation program was aban- leries. In 1941 and 1945, the Harrisburg Art Association doned, it is clear that around this time 35 mm slides (the sponsored an art show and exhibit of local artists.84 Prizes lantern slides were also photographs) began to outpace awarded to the winning artists consisted of war bonds and lantern slides in terms of cost and utility in visual educa- stamps. Another exhibition in 1945 at The State Museum tion. The discovery of the Kodachrome three-color process was promoted by the Art Teachers of Pennsylvania.85 made color slides less expensive to produce than lantern Other community groups regularly toured the museum. slides and persuading museums to switch over to the new technology.90 Officially, The State Museum, State Archives, and state Historical Commission became the Pennsylvania Histori- In 1948, the museum committee of the PHMC recom- cal and Museum Commission in 1945. But informal ties mended the hiring of “a guide to show school children and between them went back to 1913 when the Historical organized groups throughout The State Museum.”91 Mari- Commission was founded, in part to provide funding and an Huff Baker, a teacher, was hired as a full-time guide archaeological specimens for The State Museum. In 1923, and educator in early 1949 and her creative enthusiasm the relationship became closer when Gov. Gifford Pinchot revived the museum’s education section.92 Baker sent out enacted Administrative Code, Act 274. Under this act, the traveling exhibits around the Commonwealth for students

to experience “hands-on” learning about artifacts. Museum Native Americans and Pennsylvania Germans to be used orientation sessions and group tours taught visitors how to in conjunction with the museum’s exhibits. The classes interpret artifacts. focused on the methods of manufacture, design, and use of the pottery by the different groups.95 Previously the Throughout her tenure at The State Museum from 1949 Department of Commerce’s Arts and Crafts Workshop had to 1962, Baker used different ways to teach the public conducted similar classes. through partnering with outside groups, use of docents in exhibit areas, and classes in nature study and Indian lore. Those classes ended abruptly in 1947 when, in an effort By the end of that period, she had created tours keyed to to consolidate its physical space, The State Museum asked classroom subject matter and curators had responded by the Commerce Department to move the workshop out of installing exhibits that reflected textbook material but the museum basement to make room for the museum’s taught concepts in a more engaging venue. As one muse- archaeology section.96 Then in November 1947, the um official observed, “a model of a Susquehannock vil- Department of Property and Supplies was persuaded to lage portrays Indian life in a way that the printed word move out of its three offices in The State Museum . In cannot do.”93 Historic dioramas and models became more 1948 the Pennsylvania Game Commission and the Penn- important in the museum. In 1951, a recreated Country sylvania Art Association followed suit by also moving out Store opened in the museum with docents in costumes of the building.97 Finally, there were the gardeners who interpreting the artifacts. During the fall of 1953, many occupied half of the museum’s basement. Curator Kenneth school and club groups came to the museum’s “Nature Dearoff complained, “While these gardeners are occupy- Study Room” to have the educator identify their plants. In ing the above-mentioned space in the Museum, we are Native American classes, students learned about Indian paying rent for space in other buildings.” At that time, the folklore and listened to recordings of Native American PHMC rented a storage building at Eighteenth and Herr music. During this period, The State Museum also offered Streets in Harrisburg.98 After some delay, Property and classes in bird study and tree identification. A feature of Supplies agreed to move the gardeners and their equip- the Nature Study Room was an exhibit of artifacts and ment.99 With complete control of the building, the PHMC images of Pennsylvania animals and trees. In December, was finally able to return to The State Museum numerous 1953 guide Marian Baker assisted other museum staff artifacts that had been in off-site storage.100 members in the production of a Christmas television program. This may have been the earliest known use of tele- With the reorganization of the museum’s physical space vision or video by The State Museum for a program.94 In came a transformation of its organization. In November 1954 Baker developed a study unit on the pottery of 1948, The State Museum was reorganized into different departments: Natural History, Earth Science, Entomol- ogy, Folk History, Photography, Archaeology, Prepara- tion, and Shop. Three appeared to be curatorial divi- sions. Natural History incorporated the fields of botany and zoology. Earth Science was another name for geology. Archaeology covered mainly Indian artifacts. In 1956 an important change within the PHMC occurred when PHMC historian S.K. Stevens was appointed to replace Donald Cadzow as PHMC executive director.101 Stevens reorganized the PHMC into two bureaus: “Research, Publications, and Records,” and “Museums, Historic Sites, and Properties.” The State Museum was part of the Museums, Historic Sites, and Properties. In addition the curators were put under the state Civil Service. This meant that “the professional work of the Commission could now go on without the disruptions caused by changes of Governors. As a Sylvester K. Stevens, executive director of the PHMC, 1956–72. result, it was now possible to recruit and hold a more professional staff to man the new bureaus.”102 The

State Museum’s staff grew from 67 in 1952 to 123 in saying that many exhibits by outside organizations did not 1962. For example, the first curator of art was hired in promote The State Museum ‘s mission as prescribed by 1956, which helped the fine arts collection to grow.103 law. Therefore, he drafted a museum exhibition policy stating four major objectives: 1. “To tell a continuous Along with professional staff came the adoption of pro- story of Pennsylvania history, 2. To achieve a high stan- fessional museum policies. For years, other museums and dard of exhibit quality, 3. To present a balanced and prop- organizations asked to borrow from The State Museum erly proportioned amount of material, and 4. to always artifacts and these requests were always turned down. have temporary and changing exhibits . . . so as to keep Without a written collection policy, museum officials something new before the public.” Dearolf’s policy wavered on why loans were prohibited. Curator Henry marked the first time that Pennsylvania history was cited Deisher declared that “a ruling made some years ago pre- as a major mission objective of The State Museum. As a vents us from making loans. If a precedent was estab- result, historical exhibits, dioramas, or reproductions of lished, there would be no end of call for loans of all kinds historic scenes, became more frequent. In 1950 The State of material.” Assistant museum director Mabel Bitner said Museum installed in the Transportation Room, a diorama the museum’s collections came mainly through donors and depicting canal days at New Hope. Other dioramas were that “were we to permit these donations to go out, it would created featuring the Battle of Lake Erie, the Battle of incur the displeasure of the donors.”104 After the forma- Germantown, and the 28th Division of Pennsylvania tion of the PHMC, executive director Donald A. Cadzow troops passing under the Arch de Triumphe in Paris, wanted to know the true extent of The State Museum’s France during World War II. In 1952, at the request of the authority. He asked the Department of Justice for an infor- Department of Agriculture, The State Museum created an mal opinion concerning the Commission’s right to loan exhibit about the Pennsylvania Rifle for the Pennsylvania objects.105 Then The State Museum asked permission to Farm Show. The exhibit setting depicted a colonial rifle- loan an antique water wheel to the Pennsylvania Water making shop. In the foreground were displayed original and Power Company. This request was denied by the Jus- boring tools along with various colonial rifles, shot pouch- tice Department which claimed that “the Commission does es, and hunting bags. It was one of the most popular not have the authority to loan legally any article from the exhibits at the 1952 Farm Show and it helped increase [State] Museum.” On the basis of this same ruling, the museum visitation during Farm Show Week. In 1953, The PHMC was forced to decline a loan request from the Med- State Museum had equal success with a dairy industry ical Society of Pennsylvania for medical artifacts to dis- exhibit at the Farm Show. Occasionally, The State Muse- play in an exhibition in Philadelphia. This made the um featured traveling exhibitions. One such exhibition PHMC commissioners angry. Feeling that the PHMC came from the Smithsonian in 1959: “Pup, Cub, and Kit- should have the power to loan artifacts, the commissioners drafted a bill to be introduced to the Pennsylvania General Assembly granting the agency the power to loan. Act 344, permitting the museum to create rules and regulations for museum loans, was signed into law May 11, 1949 by Governor James H. Duff. Later that year, the PHMC approved rules for museum “de-accession- ing” by exchanging artifacts with other museums.106

For years, outside organizations such as the Harrisburg Philatelic Society were allowed to hold exhibitions at The State Museum. After the formation of the PHMC, The State Museum adopted a different exhibits policy. In May 1946, the PHMC turned down a request from the U.S. Steel Corporation for a special exhibit in the museum. Wishing to preserve the museum’s mandate to educate the public, commissioner Atwater Kent Jr. said The State Museum “was not in favor of establishing a prece- A teacher and her students view a diorama in the old State Museum. dent which might eventually be turned into a commercial proposition.”107 Curator Kenneth Dearolf agreed,

13 ten.”108 the Historical Society of Pennsylvania rejected The State Museum ‘s request to borrow an important Eichholtz In an encore of the acclaimed 1936 state constitutions painting because of the museum’s “inability to provide exhibition, The State Museum created a “Hall of Free- essential safety and other precautions for the proper care dom” of twenty-two important Pennsylvania historical of such materials.” As a result, the Eicholtz show was can- documents. These included the William Penn Charter of celled. S.K. Stevens, with some embarrassment, told the Privileges, and the Charter of Charles II to William Penn. press that The State Museum could not host quality art After the State Archives oversaw their restoration, the shows because “the building’s a firetrap.”111 Penn documents were specially prepared for exhibition in The State Museum .109 The documents were mounted in During the next several years Stevens would capitalize sealed sheets of Plexiglas within exhibit cases containing on the inadequacies of The State Museum building as a “x-ray glass .” The cases were lighted with fluorescent political strategy to encourage the Commonwealth to build tubes. The Hall of Freedom opened in the front lobby of a new museum, signaling the beginning of a new era. The the museum where visitors could see it upon entering. One 1940s and 1950s saw The State Museum evolve more museum staff member boasted that “no other State in the fully as a general museum. The military exhibits and pro- Union” has such a display of original documents.”110 gram during the war years stretched the museum’s audience beyond its core audience of school children. Similar- The State Museum had always had fine-art exhibits such ly, The State Museum’s merger into the PHMC was as works by sculptor Malvina Hoffman in 1937, yet in the crucial for its professional development. For the first time, opinion of some art connoisseurs the museum had few explicit loan and accession policies were adopted. Social exhibits of “valuable works of art” or by world famous history and art exhibits became more frequent. The “Hall artists. S.K. Stevens thought that a retrospective art exhibi- of Freedom” with its display of Pennsylvania state consti- tion of Pennsylvania painter Jacob Eichholtz planned for tutions signified an effort “to make a place for history.” the spring of 1959 would reverse this trend. Unfortunately, This reinterpretation of The State Museum’s mission would result in the construction of a new building.

14 Chapter 4: Creating the William Penn Memorial Museum, 1944–1964

in 1944 seemed the right time to do this. A trained historian, Rosenberger headed a Washington D.C.-based group he celebration of William Penn’s three hundredth called the Pennsylvania Historical Junta. It urged that Tbirthday in 1944 was the first in a chain of events that “some permanent, suitable and worthy memorial be erect- culminated twenty years later in a new state archives and ed on the Capitol grounds of Harrisburg to commemorate museum building for Pennsylvania. It is a story that tran- the 300th anniversary of the Founder [of Pennsylva- scends the administration of numerous governors, state nia].”114 The junta envisioned a 25 foot high and 130 feet museum directors, and pieces of legislation. It is the story wide monument or statue in the area of Capitol Park now of the heroic efforts of the PHMC historian and executive called the Soldiers and Sailors Grove.115 Rosenberger director S.K. Stevens. It is a story that began with the came to Harrisburg to offer this plan to the Pennsylvania notorious conditions in the state archives and The State Federation of Historical Societies and the Postwar Plan- Museum after World War II. They had simply run out of ning Commission. The latter commission consisted of ten space. members representing the industrial, labor, agricultural, and civil interests of the Commonwealth. Created by a law The Commonwealth had known about the overcrowded passed by the General Assembly on April 28, 1943, the conditions of The State Museum and State Archives for commission developed plans and recommendations and many years. The Division of Public Records, as the State suggested measures to offset the post-war unemployment Archives was called then, quickly outgrew the three rooms that occurred after World War II. The Postwar Commis- or five thousand cubic feet allocated to it within the Edu- sion endorsed the museum-archives building recommenda- cation Building, popularly known now as the Forum tion of the Martin Administration, but it stopped short of Building The Commerce and Property and Supplies approving the Rosenberg proposal for inclusion of a Departments, the Art Commission, and The State Museum William Penn Memorial: all shared the Executive, Library and Museum Building, compelling the museum to store most artifacts in a build- The Commission approves the measure pro- ing at Eighteenth and Herr Streets. PHMC historian Roy posed by the Administration which, if approved by Nichols contended that the demand for a new Pennsylva- the Legislature, would result in the improvement nia archives and museum building began in 1940 but doc- and extension of the area of the state Capitol, and uments prove that The State Museum director had suggest- which would provide for the erection of adequate ed this early as 1914.112 Thomas Lynch Montgomery buildings to house the State Archives, libraries, complained of “the limitations of the building” and sug- and museum.116 gested that the Commonwealth follow “the example set by the state of New York in furnishing ample quarters in a Nor was Rosenberger successful in getting the backing new building for the Library and Museum.” The Postwar of the Pennsylvania Federation of Historical Societies. The Planning Committee urged the Commonwealth to consider organization passed a resolution at its May 20, 1944 meet- “the erection of adequate buildings to house the state ing endorsing the new proposed building.117 The resolu- archives, libraries, and museums.”113 Some state officials tion made four major points: 1. that “the Commonwealth proposed instead that The State Museum building be include in the postwar public building program suitable remodeled in order to accommodate the State Archives. provision for a building . . . to house the Public Records Still others doubted “that the Museum Building can be and the museum . . . 2. plan the building to reflect the dig- efficiently remodeled for archival purposes.” nity and importance of Pennsylvania, 3. the building should house the records reflecting the military history of Homer T. Rosenberger wanted to memorialize William Pennsylvania, and 4. that said building [is] to be made a Penn. And the three hundredth anniversary of Penn’s birth part of the Capitol Park Extension.”118 There was no men-

15 tion of a “William Penn Memorial.” the architects for designing the building, leaving a balance of $1,490,000 for the actual construction work.124 Rosenberger did win an ally in S.K. Stevens even The PHMC hired the prominent Philadelphia architec- though Stevens differed significantly in how the memorial tural firm of Zantzinger and Borie, best known for design- idea should be expressed. Stevens wrote in 1944: ing the Philadelphia Museum of Art.125 Their appointment was approved by Governor Martin in March 1946, and The suggestion which I made to Doctor Rosen- they started working on the design plans. But their work berger over a year ago was that the proposed quickly came to a halt because no one knew exactly how Archives Building for Pennsylvania be so much space the State Archives needed, and the opinion of designed as to include an imposing entrance in the PHMC that “$1,800,000 cannot adequately pay for the which there could be located a beautiful statue of collections of both the museum and the archives.”126 The William Penn. While I am not an architect, I can PHMC’s quest for additional building funds came at an conceive in my mind such a building which would awkward moment when state government was in transi- have attractive columns at the entrance through tion. A new Pennsylvania governor, James H. Duff, took which one would pass into a spacious foyer in office in January 1947. During Duff’s first months in which would located an imposing statue of Penn. office the William Penn Memorial Building funding was The walls of the foyer could be suitably decorated slashed to $500,000 and then to just $360,000. The latter and devoted to the same purpose—memorializing amount was prescribed by the General Assembly which in William Penn.”119 July 1947 amended the original appropriation act approved in 1945.127 By January 1948, the $10,000 allo- Rosenberg insisted upon a separate William Penn statue cated for payment of Zantzinger and Borie remained in Capitol Park, not within a building.120 Echoing the sen- unspent, despite the fact that the studies and services timent of the Pennsylvania Historical Commission rather undertaken by the firm were “considerable.”128 Neverthe- than The State Museum, Stevens said “it has always less, their contract was terminated by the Department of seemed to me perfectly reasonable to suggest [combining] Property and Supplies. the proposed State Archives Building with a memorial to William Penn.” But, he added, “The addition of the muse- Because of constitutional restrictions on borrowing and um function is not necessarily so important.” Later on, the pressing need for additional state facilities, in March Stevens changed his mind and included The State Museum 1949 the Commonwealth created the General State in the scheme for a William Penn memorial. Authority (GSA), an independent government agency that was given oversight of the Capitol Park Extension This was certainly Governor Martin’s position. In his project.129 William Gehron, an architect based in annual message to the General Assembly, the governor Williamsport and New York City, was hired by the Gener- asked for $6.5 million for the “William Penn Memorial al State Authority as the architect for the Capitol Park Archives and Museum” and construction at the rear of the Extension Project which would include the William Penn Capitol.”121 It was this proposal that was approved by the Memorial Museum and Archives.130 state legislature.122 On June 1, 1945, the General Assembly passed Act 42A, which appropriated the money the gover- The PHMC was not immediately aware of Gehron’s nor requested for completing three projects: renovation of appointment as architect for the William Penn Memorial the Capitol Building, erecting office buildings in the Capi- project. This is why on September 26, 1949 PHMC Chair- tol Park Extension and creating “a memorial building to man Charles J. Biddle petitioned the governor about the honor the memory of William Penn, and other necessary need for a new archives building. The following day Duff buildings for the state archives, library and museum.”123 replied to Biddle that plans for a new archives building But “because of insufficient state revenue,” this was cut by must “await the general overall survey of the selection of Governor Martin to $6 million. Later the Department of sites.”131 Although Governor Duff told Biddle that the Properties and Supplies suggested to Governor Martin that GSA gave mental health and teaching facilities higher pri- $2 million be allocated for the William Penn Memorial ority than the William Penn Memorial Museum, Governor Building. Of this amount, Properties and Supplies dictated Duff didn’t tell him that Gehron had been appointed archi- that $500,000 be retained “for the development of reports, tect for the Capitol Park Extension and was drafting plans studies, plans, and specifications.” This left a balance of for the museum and archives even before the sites were $1.5 million. From this amount, $10,000 would be paid to completely surveyed. This explains why on October 10,

16 1949, Biddle suggested to the governor that a new age rooms” which opened to an outdoor loading platform. archives building be constructed outside the capitol com- A second plan for the basement was done by Gehron in plex, which would cost a quarter of the original estimate December 1950. This plan called for a lecture hall seating for the William Penn Memorial Museum. Furthermore, 560 persons complete with stage, dressing rooms, rest- argued Biddle, “If the building is not to be in the Capitol rooms, lounge, exhibit room and foyer. Gehron presented Park Extension, there would appear to be no need to wait his final plans to the PHMC commissioners in October until those plans are complete.” Governor Duff never 1950. He was still working on the project as late as replied to Biddle’s October 10 letter.132 Ironically on that November 15, 1951, revising the electrical system same day, historian Donald H. Kent wrote to architect plans.137 S.K. Stevens later recalled that Gehron’s designs William Gehron. Kent said PHMC Executive Director for the William Penn Memorial Museum and Archival Donald Cadzow would be in touch with him soon about Building “were later considered not altogether acceptable” the commission’s requirements for the building. When but he did not say who rejected them and why.138 Gehron presented his proposal to the PHMC commissioners, “they were very much impressed.” Cadzow sent The PHMC, however, continued to lobby for the new Gehron “some tentative estimates of the exhibition space building and believed that new leadership was required in for the Museum,” and added that “of course, you realize order to push the PHMC agenda for a new museum and this is an estimate and is very conservative.”133 archives. On February 9, 1956, Sylvester (S.K.) Stevens, a longtime PHMC historian, became its executive direc- For two years William Gehron worked on architectural tor.139 Stevens inaugurated a strategic plan called “Opera- plans for the William Penn Memorial Museum and tion Heritage,” designed to inform the people of the Com- Archives.134 He envisioned the museum and the archives monwealth about what the objectives of the PHMC were: as separate but adjacent buildings. Approaching the build- preserving, restoring, and developing living Pennsylvania ings, the visitor would have entered from a half circle history. The subtitle of this initiative was called “Preserv- service drive off Third Street to the main entrance of the ing Our Past, An Investment in Our Future.” There were museum. Upon entering the visitor would come into the three major components to Operation Heritage. The first exhibition lobby. Walking through the lobby one would component would be the completion of the William Penn have entered the 121 feet long and 87 feet wide William Memorial Building (archives and museum). Another phase Penn Memorial Room that was flanked on three sides by of Operation Heritage was persuading the General Assem- four different exhibition areas. The rear of the building bly to enable the General State Authority to supply “suffi- looked out upon an “exhibition terrace” and a reflecting cient funds” to improve the various PHMC properties such pool. The main entrance to the archives was off of the as Landis Valley Farm Museum and Pennsbury Manor. exhibition terrace. One entered directly into the search The final goal of Operation Heritage was to ensure that room and microfilm reading area along with a large stack there would always be operational funds for all the PHMC room and vault. Overlooking the search room was the properties.140 mezzanine level containing repair and preservation quarters, search clerk office, workroom, records storage, vault, During the summer there was another painful reminder stack room, map files, restrooms, and reference library. to state museum staff of the inadequacies of the current Turning left from the entrance was an “L” shaped corridor building. When Gov. George M. Leader wanted to return of archival offices. The second through thirteenth levels artworks to The State Museum which earlier governors were all reserved for archival stacks and archival work.135 had acquired for the governor’s mansion, PHMC chairman Gehron’s design for an archives tower was shorter than Frank W. Melvin had to turn the governor down because the present-day eighteen-story-tall Archives tower. there was simply no room in The State Museum to store the paintings.141 This action made Governor Leader per- Gehron’s plans also included a basement and a sub-base- sonally aware of the plight of The State Museum. Subse- ment that would house two mechanical rooms, elevator quently Melvin followed up with a suggestion that the machinery, stack room, ducts and vaults. There were two governor resurrect the William Penn Memorial project. distinct plans for the basement. The first plan, dated July Meanwhile, S.K. Stevens was busy visiting and correspon- 31, 1950, 136 designated half the basement as archival ding with other state museums including Illinois in order stacks. A photography room, darkroom, fumigator room, to learn what the state of the art was in the field of muse- restrooms, and janitorial quarters rounded out the base- um architecture. In particular, the Commission solicited ment. At the rear of the basement were two “in-take stor- the advice of Frank A. Taylor of the Smithsonian Institu-

17 tion.142 that money for actual construction be made available. On April 9, 1957, a resolution was introduced in the Commission chairman Frank W. Melvin targeted state state legislature endorsing the idea of a William Penn Senator M. Harvey Taylor, reminding him of “how you Memorial Museum.143 The resolution noted that 1957 was pulled the fat out of the fire for Governor Ed Martin by the 275th anniversary of William Penn’s landing in Penn- reviving the bill for the State Capitol Park Extension proj- sylvania and the media declared that “this provides a fit- ect.”153 The efforts of Melvin, Stevens, and politicians ting occasion to proceed with erecting the building.”144 such as state senators Edward Kessler and M. Harvey Tay- Throughout the Commonwealth, the media were alerted lor paid off. House Bill 2386 proposing an appropriation with several newspapers endorsing the resolution.145 The of $11million to construct a new archives and museum Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph came out in favor of the bill, building was passed as Act 730 by the General Assembly noting that “Harrisburg has many monuments to Pennsyl- and signed into law by Gov. David L. Lawrence on vania soldiers and statesmen but it has no important December 22, 1959. An additional $9,000,000 for the memorial to William Penn, the founder of the colony.” project was made available by GSA on January 20, Similarly, the Centre Daily News urged passage of the res- 1960.154 olution, stating that “Pennsylvania’s rich heritage must have complete safeguards.”146 S.K. Stevens was unhappy Visitors have often wondered why The State Museum is with the media coverage given to the resolution by the located where it is in the Capitol Complex. The “master Harrisburg Sunday Patriot-News. He alleged that the plan” of the Capitol Park Extension called for “the reser- newspaper overemphasized the memorial nature of the vation, on a plot plan, of a tract of land directly to the museum to the exclusion of its government functions. north of the Capitol as a possible site for a museum that Stevens complained that “there is only the most incidental might be built in the future.”155 Gehron was the official use of the word ‘archives-museum building’” in the news- architect for the Capitol Park Extension project, and his paper editorial.147 The “William Penn Memorial” resolu- 1949 plans for the Capitol Complex clearly designate The tion, as it were, was not passed but referred to committee. State Museum and Archives at the corner of Forster and Steven’s publicity, however, did not fall on deaf ears, for North Third Streets.156 The entire south side of Forster on September 19, 1957 the General State Authority appro- Street from Third to Seventh Streets was acquired by the priated funds totaling $350,000 for G.S.A. Project 902-1 Commonwealth in 1951 and Forster Street was converted for architects “to complete final plans and specifications into a four-lane thoroughfare connecting to the new M. for the new museum.”148 Harvey Taylor Bridge that crossed the Susquehanna River to join the West Shore with Harrisburg. The city of Harris- Next the issue of how to choose the architects for the burg used its influence to have the Capitol Park Extension project was up for debate. The General State Authority project coincide with the city’s plans for development. The considered a proposal for selecting the architects by way widening of Forster Street was a critical element in these of an architectural competition. The Harrisburg Sunday plans. To accommodate the new traffic boulevard, many Patriot-News favored this over “handing out the contract businesses, homes, and churches were displaced by the to a favored architect in the state’s political tradition of Capitol Park Extension Project. Other crucial properties patronage.”149 But the PHMC already had William acquired in the late 1950s included the stretch of land Gehron in mind; both State Archivist Henry Howard Eddy extending along North Street from Capitol to North Third and Commissioner Frank Melvin were seeking to have Street.157 him work with the Commission on the project.150 Despite Eddy and Melvin’s preference , the Harrisburg firm of The official groundbreaking ceremony for the William Lawrie and Green was appointed as architects to devise Penn Memorial Museum took place on January 23, 1962 the plans and specifications for The State Museum and with S.K. Stevens joining Gov. David L. Lawrence and Archives building; the first planning meeting took place in PHMC commissioners in doing the honors. Governor Harrisburg on January 23, 1958.151 In the beginning Lawrence told the audience Lawrie and Green followed the Gehron plan. “We had developed our drawings,” said M. Edwin Green, “with the We are doing more than constructing a great east wall of our terrace on the line proposed under the museum and archives building here. We are giving original Gehron plan.”152 Pennsylvania back to the people, where it belongs. We are creating totally new educational frontiers in In the meantime, Stevens and the PHMC were anxious the study of history. We are dramatizing the impor-

tance of Pennsylvania’s great traditions.158

Afterwards, Governor Lawrence vigorously dug the first shovelful of dirt and was followed by PHMC chairman James B. Stevenson and executive director S.K. Stevens. At last the William Penn Memorial Museum was going to be built.

An extraordinary amount of talent, time, and money went into furbishing the rotunda called “Memorial Hall,” the shrine to William Penn. The rotunda is fifty-six feet high, seventy-seven feet long and forty-eight feet wide. Its ceiling ascends to the fourth floor and it features mezza- nines on the second and third floors that overlook the centerpiece, which is the eighteen foot tall, 3,800 pound bronze statue of William Penn designed by Pennsylvania sculptor Janet de Coux (1904–99). De Coux admitted that her rendition of Penn was an “idealized version.” She explained, “In sculpture you have to emphasize one phase of a person’s life. You have to capture the essence of the man.”159 Creating the statue was a complicated process. First, de Coux began with an iron frame covered with wood. Plastline (composition clay) was then laid over the wood. De Coux created three models of the statue: a three- foot model, then a six-foot model and finally the eighteen- Rep. Norman Wood, S.K. Stevens, and Samuel Slaymaker at The foot model.160 Once the six-foot model was completed it State Museum of Pennsylvania ground-breaking ceremony. was cast in Plaster of Paris and broken down into six parts and shipped to a foundry in Mexico City where each sec- Museum first opened an exhibit with them. The docu- tion was cast in bronze full size and braised together to ments, however, were never part of The State Museum form the finished statue. It took de Coux took two years to collections but were in the custody of the State Archives, create the statue, which was installed in Memorial Hall on which lacking exhibit space, consented to their exhibition 163 June 21, 1965. The installation and construction cost in the museum. $82,100.161 De Coux created the William Penn statue not only as art but as a symbol. She said: “It seems important Charles Rudy (1904–86), an artist from Bucks County, to me to depict William Penn as an important human sym- fabricated the unusual bronze ornamental gates in Memor- bol as well as an important symbol of our state and our ial Hall. Rudy’s works in stone, bronze, terra cotta and history.”162 A granite wall forms a semi-circle behind the teak had earned him a national reputation as a sculptor. statue with a quotation from William Penn. Behind that The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is one of wall are table cases originally designed to exhibit impor- many museums that own Rudy sculptures. Rudy was a tant Pennsylvania documents: the original charter given to member of the Pennsylvania State Art Commission when Penn by Charles II of England, First and Second Frames he was appointed to design the four gates within Memorial 164 of Government of 1682 and 1683, Great Law of 1682, Hall. The gates flank the entrance to the area behind Charter of William and Mary to William Penn, Release of the statue leading to the charter display and the two exits the Duke of York to Penn, Pennsylvania ratification of the to the galleries. The ornamentation consists of bronze stat- 1787 Constitution and the Constitution of 1834. For ues of important Pennsylvania historical personages: phi- preservation purposes only digitalized copies of the docu- lanthropist Rebecca Gratz, governor and conservationist ments are shown in Memorial Hall because the originals Gifford Pinchot, abolitionist senator Thaddeus Stevens, are kept in a climate-controlled archival safe in the State Declaration of Independence signer Benjamin Rush, Archives. The display of precious Pennsylvania docu- painter Charles Willson Peale, theologian and scientist ments in the new State Museum was actually a continua- Joseph Priestley, Hannah Penn, second wife of William tion of a tradition that began in the 1930s when The State Penn, abolitionist senator David Wilmot, architect Ben-

19 decorative painter, beginning in 1925 when he executed the first mural decoration for architect William Gehron’s design for the Union Temple in Brooklyn. But he is best known for his murals in famous New York City hotels such as the Park Lane, the Lexington, the Waldorf-Astoria, and the Sherry-Netherland.167 Maragliotti took more than two years to paint the oil mural in Memorial Hall. The painting measures ninety by twenty-four feet and is intended to show the historical evolution of Pennsylvania and Penn’s ideals of freedom and justice.

How the mural was created is a fascinating story. Maragliotti began his painting “without seeing the finished hall his painting was to decorate.” For guidance, Maragliotti studied the architect’s plans and then selected as the mural theme “William Penn’s vision of a free society and what came out of it.”168 Important people in Penn- sylvania history were portrayed by Maragliotti in small black and white drawings and then converted into “cartoons” or full sized preparatory drawings on heavy paper.169 Several colored sketches of the whole mural were then developed on a half-inch to one foot scale. Then the cartoons were transferred onto a canvas treated with lead and oil and cut into six sections. Next, a photographic slide was made of each cartoon, projected onto the canvas in magnified size, and then traced with charcoal. Maragliotti then painted on oil colors specially treated to create a “fresco” effect. His technique of painting has been described as “vibrating,” meaning that he applied “varied colors in short brush stokes in such a way to make the col- oring seem alive and moving, and to make it pass from one object to another without leaving hard edges, inter- Janet de Coux’s statue of William Penn in Memorial Hall of The weaving all in a full color harmony.” Once the painting State Museum. was finished, the canvas was rolled up and transported to jamin Henry Latrobe and businessman Albert Gallatin.165 Harrisburg where the six sections were applied to the wall, In addition there are four figures on top of the gates, smoothed and dried. In order to bring out the full quality depicting William Penn conferring with Native Americans. of the color and to protect the mural, Maragliotti applied a On both sides of the gallery entrances from Memorial Hall preservative vanish of beeswax and refined turpentine. At are large globe lights which are enclosed with similar the official unveiling of the mural on December 4, 1964, brass motifs. Rudy also made the bronze seals of the Com- visitors marveled at how Maragliotti had created a canvas monwealth, William Penn, and British monarch Charles II whose color and composition harmonized with “the light that are on the walls of Memorial Hall. Rudy created clay warm beige walls, the travertine marble of the gallery, and models of the seals before preparing the final casting in the bronze statue of William Penn that dominates the 170 bronze. Beside the interior decorations, Rudy also created Hall.” The total cost of the mural was more than 171 the stone coat of arms of the Commonwealth which is on $115,000. Beneath the mural are quotations from thir- the outside of the museum overlooking the museum plaza teen prominent Pennsylvanians: William Penn, Scarroy- entrance.166 ady, Benjamin Franklin, Haym Salomon, Thomas Cooper, Stephen Girard, Jane Swisshelm, James Buchanan, Vincent Maragliotti (1888–1978), a prominent commer- Galusha Grow, Andrew Curtin, Andrew Carnegie, George 172 cial painter from Scarsdale, New York, was actually born Westinghouse, and John Mitchell. in Sicily. He had a distinguished career as a mural and From a bird’s-eye point of view, the William Penn 20 Memorial Museum and Archives has three parts: “a six- rate panels projected in low relief.” Around the base of story cylindrical Indiana limestone, granite, and concrete- these panels are carved in granite the names of the sixty- sheathed museum crowned with a dome of aluminum bat- seven Pennsylvania counties. From a distance, The State ten, a twenty-story rectilinear, limestone-sheathed archives Museum building appears to have only windows on the tower, and a raised plaza on which these massive geomet- fifth level just beneath the dome. But in fact, when one ric forms appear to sit.” From an architectural history per- gets closer to the building, windows are visible at the spective, the William Penn Memorial Building reflects the ground level as well. William N. Richards, director of the style of Modern design for public buildings of the late PHMC Bureau of Museums, Historic Sites and Properties 1950s and early 1960s. Some of the hallmarks of Modern- explained: design architecture are structures whose exterior is “uncluttered, uninterrupted with detail, and linear.”173 The A portion of the museum projects beyond the interior of the museum, especially in the public areas such façade of the terrace (or museum plaza), creating an as the auditorium, utilizes rich, durable materials in a style attractive street-level loggia with an inner wall com- consistent with the Modern aesthetic. “The wood paneled posed of large panes of glass. The glass wall per- walls, terrazzo floors, brushed aluminum detailing (includ- mits indoor displays to be seen, both day and night, ing the lettering above the elevator, escalators, etc.), directly from the street. Six display windows, 16 recessed lighting, travertine marble, the wood screen and feet wide, 13 feet high and 9 feet deep flank the bench in the Auditorium reception area” recall the aesthet- plaza entrance. The windows were located to ic of Modern design architect Mies van der Rohe.174 enhance the scale of the entrance opening and to prevent it from becoming lost against the broad sur- A “pillbox,” “a drum-shaped structure,” convention-cen- rounding surface.179 ter style, and “Central Pennsylvania Guggenheim” were some of the descriptions made of the shape of The State On opposite ends of the loggia are two ground-level Museum building.175 Regardless of how one describes the entrances to the museum, off North Street and Forster form of the museum, many visitors have wondered why Street. The museum plaza entrance was intended by the that design was chosen. After World War II, Modern Style architects to be the museum’s main entrance. Lawrie and high-rise, slab office buildings like the Labor and Industry Green believed “public use of museums depended upon an Building (dedicated in 1956) were built throughout the interesting approach to attract the public and that the plaza Capitol Complex. These structures were “placed asymmet- with its pools and trees would provide such an rically in large paved and landscaped plazas,” in stark con- approach.”180 Furthermore the plaza entrance would pro- trast to the “formal, axial Beaux arts” style buildings of vide easy visitor access to the museum from the parking the pre-World War II era.176 Lawrie and Green opted for a garage, which was never built. One PHMC official told circular shape “that would clearly distinguish the museum why: from the other buildings, and it would soften the entire vista of the area.”177 Historian S. K. Stevens emphasized Why wasn’t provision made for more visitor and the pragmatic aspects of the design: staff parking? It was, at least on paper. The plaza extending to the east of the museum was original- The combination of a circular design for The ly planned to cover a parking garage with space State Museum was dictated by the location of the for museum visitors who could come directly to new building in relation to surrounding structures the north door (plaza entrance) and into the and also by practical problems of using the museum Memorial Hall. But that space was expropriated by the public. The State Art Commission, after very for office purposes when the Transportation and careful consideration, approved it as not only neces- Safety Building was designed, and apparently no sary, but architecturally and artistically desirable. one in the Commission knew a thing about it until The circular design offers many advantages in terms things were set in concrete.181 not only of display space but also in moving people through such a building.178 Lawrie and Green’s original architectural drawings were approved by the Department of Property and Supplies and What looks like a “solid” exterior is in fact a composite the GSA on July 31, 1959.182 A rectangular piece of real of similar pieces with ornamentation. The outside wall of estate bounded by Third, Forster, North Streets, and Com- the museum building is fragmented into “thirty-two sepa- monwealth Avenue was cleared of buildings before con-

21 James B. Stevenson, PHMC chairman (left) and S. K. Stevens (right) watch Gov. William W. Scranton seal the cornerstone of The State Museum. struction began. During the next four years, photographers ever, the formal dedication of the building took place dutifully photographed almost every each phase of con- October 13, 1965. Governor Scranton officiated at the struction. Finally on May 20, 1964, Gov. William W. dedication, and in the audience were members of the Scranton presided over the cornerstone dedication ceremo- American Association for State and Local History and the ny. Inside the cornerstone a time capsule was placed filled Pennsylvania Federation of Historical Societies, both of with Pennsylvania memorabilia including a four-foot by whom were holding their annual meeting at the museum. six-foot state flag, a copy of the legislation authorizing the The dedication ceremony was followed by a formal dinner William Penn Memorial Museum, a bronze medal depict- in the William Penn Memorial Museum and dinner was ing William Penn, statements from S.K. Stevens and Gov- followed by a concert program in the museum’s auditori- ernor Scranton, and books and newspapers dated May 20, um.184 1964. Governor Scranton beamed as he told the crowd: “Here it will be possible to show the amazing results of The grand opening of Pennsylvania’s new state museum what William Penn started, by assembling and displaying made national news. The New York Times noted sarcasti- exhibits which will vividly depict the entire historical cally that “Harrisburg Gets Museum—Empty.” S. K. development of Pennsylvania.” An eighty-pound covering Stevens retorted that “hard-headed budget officials” and stone was placed over the lead box containing the time “lack of advance planning and contracts for exhibit work,” capsule. “The governor then picked up a trowel, and, were the reason why the first, second, and third floors almost like a professional, sealed the cover with gray mor- were devoid of exhibits at opening time.185 Stevens said tar.”183 that the work of creating galleries lay ahead and that “we shall grow into the Museum after we move [in].”186 This On December 12, 1964, the public entered the new was the challenge facing the William Penn Memorial William Penn Memorial Museum for the first time. How- Museum in the next decades.

22 Chapter 5: Developing the Museum Galleries, 1965–1979

be postponed until a geology curator was hired. Even if he first fifteen years of The State Museum in its new there had been a geology curator on staff, The State Muse- building were highlighted by the opening of the long- um would not have been able to complete Geology Hall Tterm exhibit major galleries or halls: Fine Arts in 1965, by the time of building dedication because the general Mammal Hall in 1968, Ecology Hall in 1973, Anthropolo- contract for the building did not provide for planning and gy Hall in 1975, Geology Hall in 1976, and Industry and construction of that gallery.189 Technology in 1978. The making of each gallery was Without knowledge of these circumstances, some mem- complicated, requiring a balance of scholarship, museum bers of the public and the museum criticized The State professionalism, good relationships with other state agen- Museum for not having all the galleries completed upon cies, ample funding, and a dedicated labor force. The opening. Director William Richards admitted that “Our opening of each gallery resulted in the growth of collec- inability to move into a full-scale museum operation at tions, more specialized museum education and interpreta- once is our most vulnerable area in terms of outside criti- tion programs, and a more diverse image for The State cism, but it is a situation we could not avoid. You grow Museum. into museums rather than moving into them, but this is In 1965 the William Penn Memorial Museum opened to hard to make the public or sometimes a legislator, under- the public, but not all of it was accessible to visitors. One stand.”190 museum official claimed: The earliest known comprehensive museum exhibit plan “The fact that there were wide-open spaces on the for The State Museum was prepared by curator Eric De exhibit floors was the result of a deliberate decision Jonge in 1963. De Jonge’s proposal was evidently the (on the part of curators). The architectural designer blueprint for the museums’ galleries, for many of the gal- at first couldn’t understand why we didn’t want to leries proposed by De Jonge were actually created. The subdivide these floors into permanent galleries com- first to open was the Fine Arts gallery on the ground plete with fancy architectural finishes as one might floor.191 Of all the galleries or halls, Fine Arts appeared to find in an art museum. But we didn’t know what have required the least amount of fabrication and con- would be the final forms of or the volumes of space struction. The gallery had plenty of open space in which that would be needed for the wide range of exhibits occasional free-standing panels and display cases and that were contemplated, and we committed our- pedestals were erected for exhibition of art works and selves to only a limited number of adjustments on crafts. The first major art show in the William Penn each floor to accommodate some of the things we Memorial Museum was “N.C. Wyeth and the Brandywine had immediately at hand: the Brockerhoff House Tradition.” It featured the art of Newell Convers Wyeth area, the Village Square, the Rothermel painting and (1882–1945). It ran from October 21 through November the natural history dioramas.”187 28, 1965. The sections of the exhibit included a replicated model of Wyeth’s studio at Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, But there were also practical reasons why The State Far West pictures, book illustrations, mural decorations, Museum was incomplete. Fabrication and mounting of the easel painting, and “the second generation: art by Wyeth’s individual galleries had to be coordinated with architects, children.” It was a very popular show. By the end of contractors, General Services, and other state agencies as November 1965, more than forty thousand people had vis- well other PHMC staff. Curator Eric De Jonge said that ited the Wyeth exhibition.192 Thereafter, other art exhibi- “we do not have the manpower and resources to present a tions at the William Penn Memorial Museum continued to finished museum upon completion of the new museum draw large crowds prompting the Harrisburg Patriot-News [building].”188 For example, Geology Hall planning had to to comment that The State Museum “has really begun to flower as the Commonwealth’s concert hall and art gallery

23 for the young and old.”193 The next step in the exhibit development process was The second major long-term exhibit to open was Mam- selecting the animals for the dioramas. First, mammals mal Hall, a gallery of dioramas filled with Pennsylvania from around Pennsylvania were selected. Then the cura- mammals that has remained very popular with the public. tors took a map of the state and divided it into regions, It was designed as an introduction to the adjoining Hall of and a selected mammal was matched with a region it was Natural Science and Ecology which is popularly known as likely to inhabit. Field trips were made to each region to Ecology Hall. As early as the 1930s The State Museum identify a specific site where the mammal lived. Natural- had an “animal room” or room of mammals and De Jonge ists and artists traveled across the region in search of opti- envisioned Mammal Hall as continuing that tradition.194 mum habitat features in the natural landscape. Relying According to curators, geologically we still live in the age partly on topographic maps and physiography (the study of mammals, considered the dominant group among ani- of land formations), they were able to find a primary loca- mals on earth. Dioramas were chosen as the format of tion for the mammal. Research teams spent one to three presentation for several reasons. First, the diorama has days in a location. Photographs, sketches, color notes, and always been considered by naturalists to be a superb detailed studies of plant and animal life were made by the teaching tool because it incorporates many aspects of ani- museum staff. They also made numerous observations, mals in their natural environment. Above all, Mammal preserved plant life, and collected materials for replication Hall gives visitors a look at animals and their behavior or inclusion in the dioramas. The red fox diorama field that people otherwise would never see. The dioramas trip in May 1965 was the first excursion made during the could be thought of as kinds of “theatres” in which the making of Mammal Hall. tension between predators and prey, and competition for food and fight for survival are acted out. Back in The State Museum , artists worked from their field notes to develop sketches and clay models for each Planning for Mammal Hall began around 1960 when diorama. An artist might do a miniature painting on a The State Museum staff put together a storyline, similar to piece of poster board to represent the colors and theme of a movie or television script, which contained a full the exhibit. Construction sketches were important in that description of each diorama.195 The master plan for Mam- they provided measurements of square footage of the size mal Hall called for thirteen separate dioramas, each featur- of the diorama. Next sketches and models were evaluated ing a different mammal native to Pennsylvania. The deci- by biologists to make sure that the replica was an accurate sion was made to include common species like the interpretation of the animal’s behavior. A conscious effort woodchuck, as well as species like the mountain lion that was made by curators to incorporate as many variations in once lived in Pennsylvania. Building each diorama animal behavior and environments as possible. Within entailed acquisition of mammals, taxidermy and detailing. Mammal Hall, every season of the year is illustrated, vari- The State Museum curators wanted models that were at ous weather conditions are depicted and the mammals one time living creatures but it was considered unethical show many different kinds of behavior ranging from for- for the museum to hunt down the animals. This meant that aging for food, seeking prey, and constructing homes to obtaining the particular specimens for a diorama exhibit caring for young, establishing territory, and protecting often was difficult; in the end the museum acquired the themselves. The artist and preparator John Kucera was animals from natural science professionals and govern- mainly responsible for the artistic planning and construc- ment agencies. The Pennsylvania Game Commission tion of Mammal Hall. assisted by donating specimens that were killed on roads and highways and mammals that were illegally shot or After the specimens were chosen, the museum staff used trapped. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service pro- the photographs, clay models, and sketches done on the vided the bison when they reduced the size of bison herds field trips as the basis for “detailing.” This is the process in western states. The Jonas Brothers Studio in Denver, of creating the background and foreground. Artists John Colorado completed the taxidermy mount to State Muse- Kucera and John Schreffler painted ten of the diorama um specifications and shipped the bison to Harrisburg. backgrounds, while Jerome Connolly painted the mountain When the bison arrived at The State Museum, taxidermist lion, the wapiti (elk) and the gray fox backgrounds. In cre- Paul Sharp placed the animal within its proper diorama. ating his backgrounds, Connolly studied photographs of

24 the animal’s habitat site, developed his own composition, Ecology Hall was the brainchild of curator Albert and sketched the major elements of the background paint- Mehring and Winslow M. Shaughnessy of the museum’s ing. Kucera and Schreffler used oil paints, a more brilliant natural history section. In discussion with the General approach to color and an impressionistic style in their State Authority in 1964, The State Museum christened the background paintings. gallery as a “Geology-Earth Sciences-Botany Hall.”197 In Creating the diorama foreground was more tedious work 1966, the Chicago-based firm of Richard Rush Studio Inc. because the staff had to make artificial plant materials, was selected by the PHMC to be the general contractor for flowers, leaves, stems, and tree branches. First, vegetation GSA project 946-3 which now was referred to as “the was studied in its natural setting and brought to The State Nature Museum/Geology Hall”198 Museum to copy. Next, the artists produced plaster molds of leaves. Thin sheets of acetate were pressed into the leaf The gallery discarded the outdated museum technique of molds, with the help of a vacuum form. Then individual compartmentalizing the natural sciences into halls or gal- acetate leaves were cut, assembled on wire stems, and leries of plants, insects, fishes, birds, etc. Rather [the cura- painted. The abundance of foliage, especially in the sum- tors] divided the entire area into three ecological zones: mer, spring, and fall dioramas, kept four museum staff The Woods, The Edge, and The Open. Each of these zones members working throughout the entire three-year project represented a large ecological segment of the Common- producing plant materials. Senior curator of Natural Sci- wealth. Exhibit units within each zone were concerned ence Albert Mehring was chiefly responsible for the scien- with the plants and animals as they occur in the correspon- tific accuracy of Mammal Hall. He selected the sites, con- ding natural ëzone’ out-of-doors. The interrelationship ducted detailed plant and animal surveys, and completed among plants, animals and their environments will be field reports that provided the documentation for the exhib- stressed.” Although the curators were innovative in their it construction. Georgette D. Brickner was the artist who decision to combine various forms of life in the exhibit, fabricated much of the plant life in each of the dioramas. Ecology Hall was traditional in that in many places it When the design for a diorama foreground and back- appeared to be a “a collection of instructive labels each ground was done, it was time to “merge” them in order to illustrated by a well-selected specimen.199 give the diorama a realistic look. Skillful merging was perhaps the most difficult challenge for the artist. He or More than five hundred people attended the dedication she wanted to achieve an illusion that fools the visitor’s ceremony and reception marking the official opening of eye; this was accomplished when two-dimensional and Ecology Hall on October 10, 1973. three-dimensional components of the diorama were blend- ed effectively. For example, the brush and leaves on a Geology Hall or the Hall of Earth Sciences provides the creek bank had to complement the beaver so the visitor visitor with an introduction to the fields of geology, pale- can infer what the animal’s behavior is and its relationship ontology, paleobotany, and mineralogy as they are related to its habitat. Many times a miniature diorama was created to Pennsylvania. The exhibit designer’s concept was to out of wood by the curator to simulate how the back- take the visitor on “a walk through time” in order to learn ground, foreground and animals would merge successfully how long ago each geological epoch existed, what life as an exhibit. S.K. Stevens said could be found on earth, when scientists know these facts, and where in Pennsylvania these are found.200 Covering the actual construction involves primarily the much of the south side of The State Museum ‘s third floor, application of plaster to form the background of Geology Hall is one of the biggest galleries in The State each diorama, some related carpentry and a very Museum. few electrical connections to achieve special lighting effects. The bulk of the work consists of art pro- Like Mammal Hall, Geology Hall makes use of diora- duction, in the painting of naturalistic backgrounds mas to tell the story of the major forms of life at each peri- and the blending of these with realistic, full scale od, for example, the age of fishes. Dioramas portray a foregrounds.196 glimpse under the Cambrian Seas while larger dioramas illustrate the development of life during the Ordovician, Nearly three years in the making, Mammal Hall opened Silurian, and Devonian eras. Still larger dioramas are uti- to the public on June 15, 1968. lized for Triassic, Permian, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods. The dioramas were created similar to those in Mam-

Hall. The design contractor was the Richard Rush Studio Inc. of Chicago and additional assistance was provided by Dr. Donald Baird, curator of the Geological Museum, Princeton University.204 Geology Hall was dedicated on June 18, 1976. As early as the 1950s, State Museum anthropologists W. Fred Kinsey III and John Witthoff wrote an original storyline for Anthropology Hall. But Kinsey and Witthoff left The State Museum in the mid 1960s, and when the new curators arrived, they revised the Kinsey-Wittholf storyline and exhibit hall design during the late 1960s. Barry C. Kent, Ira F. Smith III, Vance Packard, and Catherine McCann divided Anthropology Hall into five sections: 1. Introduction area; 2. Technology area; 3. Cultural history area; 4. Special exhibits area; and 5. Ethnology area. Vari- ous exhibit formats—photographs, graphics, lighted slides, maps, wall mountings, dioramas, wall display cases, and freestanding Plexiglas cases—are used to tell the story of archaeology and Native Americans in Pennsylvania. The ethnology section consists of five dioramas about the life of the Delaware Indians. As with Mammal Hall, much artwork went into the painting of backgrounds, fabrication of terrain and brush, as well as replicating Native American dwellings. The visitor is taken back in time to sense what it was like to be a Delaware Indian. Similarly, the replica of an open-air Indian archaeological site recreates an actual dig, showing tools, excavations, and workers in action. Artist and designer John P. Kucera was responsible for Anthropology curator W. Fred Kinsey III in 1959. design, construction, and exhibit installation while Jerome Connolly executed the special diorama paintings. Anthro- pology Hall was dedicated on December 9, 1975.205 mal Hall. Animals were sculptured, backgrounds and foregrounds expertly painted, and terrain and plant life repro- Planning for Industry and Technology Hall began with duced. Like Mammal Hall, the dioramas in Geology Hall State Museum curator Irwin Richman in 1965. Richman’s were designed to replicate as closely as possible the habi- proposed exhibit script called for six separate exhibit tat in which these creatures lived. groups in the gallery: canals, railroading, horse-drawn A special feature of Geology Hall is the “Carboniferous vehicles, bicycles, automobiles, and aviation.206 By 1971, Forest.” Spectacularly lit, the forest has a pathway running however, Richman’s successor, curator John Tyler impro- through the center of it to create for visitors a “real life vised on Richman’s scheme. Tyler’s six components of the experience.”201 Scale trees, ferns and other plant life pop- hall were steam power, bicycling, hand-pulled apparatus, ulate the “forest” and the canopy ceiling overhead. Geolo- automobiles, horses, and aviation.207 A year later, Tyler gy Hall ends with the Pleistocene period when the age of changed his mind and decided that the six transportation man begins. Here the mastodon, some evidence of the Ice sections should be understood in terms of the form of Age, mankind, modern vegetation, and an assembly of energy they utilized, i.e. man-powered vehicles, electric mastodon bones greet the visitor. The mastodon, similar to trucks, steam power, horse-drawn vehicles, internal com- today’s elephant, was modeled out of fiberglass.202 In bustion, and aircraft.208 many areas of Geology Hall, visitors were able to see a color slide show by pressing a button. Many scientific Industry and Technology Hall contains many stand- specimens fill the hall including two rocks that are at least alone artifacts which a visitor may walk around. Unlike a billion years old.203 Natural Science curator Donald today’s curators, who strive to provide visitors with a “you Hoff was mainly responsible for the concept of Geology are there” experience, Tyler was traditional in his

approach to exhibits. Tyler once explained that “I’m old- and Technology Hall quickly became a favorite with fashioned and I believe people come to a museum to see museum visitors.212 things and not to see graphics or plastic mockups. So I’ve tried to use what [artifacts] we have to tell the story.”209 During the era of “gallery building” at The State Muse- His final exhibit storyline had just four sections: muscle um, the curatorial collections grew.213 A prominent sub- power, water power, steam power, and electricity and ject that covers numerous curatorial areas is that of the petroleum. Tyler envisioned the gallery’s theme as “Man’s Pennsylvania’s governors. There are many artifacts with Utilization of Energy” through Pennsylvania’s history, links to the administrations of Governors Samuel W. Pen- emphasizing the relationships between energy use and use nypacker, James H. Duff, Arthur H. James, Raymond P. of materials. A visitor strolling through the gallery sees Shafer, Milton J. Shapp, James Pollock, and Edward Mar- many “mini-exhibits” dealing with specific artifacts and tin. The artifacts representing Governor Martin in the modes of transportation.210 An exhibit design firm from museum’s collections are typical of what is available: the York, MarkeTecs, was responsible for installing the dress uniform of General Edward Martin and the inaugural gallery. gown of Mrs. Edward Martin (68.103).214

The Hall of Industry and Technology Hall was dedicated The paintings and sketches of The State Museum mural on September 26, 1971. The exhibition was formally by Vincent Maragliotti (acc. 68.75 and acc. 74.135) are called “Man and Machine–Technology in Pennsylva- artifacts documenting The State Museum‘s present build- nia”211 The media pinpointed several artifacts as high- ing. Among the many interesting paintings obtained by the lights. The Rose Garden gristmill was described by the Fine Arts section is Christ Healing the Sick by Benjamin Harrisburg Evening News as an “eye catcher.” The Lan- West. (70.16) In the 1970s, a new social history focus caster New Era singled out the Herr Company battery- emerged, replacing the study of the rich and famous with powered electric car and the Piper V-Cub J3C-65 single study of ordinary people, especially minorities and engine plane as being particularly fascinating. Industry

Exhibition of decorative arts in the 1970s.

women, the collections of The State Museum reflected this During this period the Mobile Museum was acquired by trend. While antique furniture was still being collected by The State Museum and began bringing exhibits to most the Decorative Arts section, household goods such as a counties in the Commonwealth. In addition to guided small hand-cranked sewing machine (acc. 72.26) and exot- tours, the museum staff began to teach audio-visual for- ic apparel such as anthracite jewelry (acc. 69.35) were mats. In 1967, a twenty-minute film and slide program tar- also being acquired. Although the popular culture section geted especially students and teachers was introduced to of The State Museum did not exist during the era of the public. This program oriented visitors to The State gallery building, important artifacts were acquired. For Museum.216 The “classes” gradually evolved into “work- example, in 1972, the museum acquired a 1950s-era shops” emphasizing hands-on learning in a variety of sub- Philco television floor model (72.140) and in 1975, a jects ranging from painting, arts and crafts, to archaeology. pianoforte, often found in Victorian parlors, came to the These workshops proved to be very popular with children. museum (75.158). The military history collection contin- About 1972, this education program was expanded to bring in the state Department of Education as co-sponsor for the elementary and middle school classes. High school students were offered a special training course in museum work and high school social science teachers could take a training course for academic credit.

There were also public programs especially for young people. For example in 1969, a special program “The World around Us” was offered for central Pennsylvania school districts. In 1970, there was the “Students’ Art Festival,” the Central Pennsylvania Science Fair and the Scholastic Art Gov. Richard Thornburgh cuts the ribbon at the dedication of the Mobile Museum in 1987. Awards Show.217 A Pennsylva- nia History Festival on October 24, 1973 was co-sponsored by ued to grow with the acquisition of World War II artifacts. the PHMC and the Pennsylvania Department of Educa- An uncommon relic of that war is a Jewish prisoner iden- tion. The event attracted grade school through high school tification badge (74.106). The natural science, geology, students.218 Outreach to special students with special and archaeology sections all gained artifacts but not as needs became an education priority as the museum inau- many as in the first several decades of The State Museum. gurated a program for mentally disturbed teenagers as well A large insect collection of almost twenty thousand speci- as a new “Touch and Learn” program for the blind and mens was obtained in 1972 for the natural science section visually impaired in 1973 and 1974.219 In 1966, a muse- (72-161.1-19801). Fossils of extinct reptiles dating from um membership group, the Associates of The State Muse- the Triassic Period were uncovered in York County by um, was organized. The Associates ran The State Museum museum staff members in 1973. The fossils, dating back gift shop and coordinated music and movie programs as approximately 195 million years ago, were used to create well as general fundraising for The State Museum. The replicas for display in Geology Hall.215 Associates disbanded about 1979 and another support group, the Friends of The State Museum, took their place The Education Section of The State Museum of Penn- in 1981.220 sylvania also underwent changes during the late 1960s. Despite these innovations, PHMC executive director

28 Peter C. Welsh in 1977 sought to overhaul The State Corner,” a hands-on exhibit for children. Volunteers soon Museum’s education program. He said “the museum edu- taught many of the summer classes and workshops too. 222 cation program of the William Penn Memorial Museum is at least ten years behind current practice.” According to In short, the era from the date of its opening in 1965 Welsh, museum education is not just moving a school until the end of the seventies was a time of “growing into classroom into a museum setting. Rather museum educa- the museum” building. The major galleries or halls—Fine tion is object and specimen oriented and includes interpre- Arts, Geology, Ecology, Mammal, Anthropology, Industry tation. He thought that “museum education is most effi- and Technology—were all installed during this time. cient when it presents thematic material that clearly relates These exhibition areas differed vastly from their counter- objects and specimens to their social, historical and/or parts in the old State Museum building in that they uti- environmental context.”221 lized many materials and formats in delivering exhibit sto- rylines and they reflected the “state of the art” in museum In 1979, museum director Ira Smith III realized the exhibit design. Parallel to the development of the galleries William Penn Memorial needed volunteers. He initiated a was the innovations in the museum’s education section. volunteer recruitment program. Soon Smith was able to Whereas in the past, they confined themselves to circulat- boast that “volunteers in the Education Section are ing lantern slides and giving docent tours, now the staff assigned to assist in providing guide service for school actively educated the public both in the museum and out- groups and to assist with special visits. They work at the side. Orientation films, classes, workshops and public pro- spinning demonstration center and on occasion visit grams especially for students aimed at getting young peo- schools and nursing homes to show motion pictures or ple interested in the museum and in education. The Mobile provide crafts and folklore demonstrations as requested.” Museum was a giant step for the museum education sec- Volunteers also helped out on weekends at the “Activity tion because now they delivered exhibits and programs to virtually every corner of the Commonwealth. Finally, the education section was buoyed by the influx of volunteers who were indispensable for running classes, workshops, and the Activity Corner.

The Fine Arts gallery of The State Museum in 1982.

Chapter 6: The State Museum of Pennsylvania at the Turn of the Century, 1980-2004.

Twenty years before its centennial, The State Museum of Pennsylvania realized that times were changing and that the museum world was changing. It was a time of adapt- ing to change and incorporating those changes within its mission to the Commonwealth. he turn of a century signifies a change—the old and In the 1980s, The State Museum redefined its goals and familiar makes way for the new and unfamiliar. So it objectives, public image, audiences, and internal organiza- Twas with The State Museum of Pennsylvania on the eve of tion. Leadership changed frequently: there were five its centennial. Some of the old was discarded to make way museum directors in the 1980s. The first shakeup in the for the new. The internal organization was redefined and a museum organization was triggered by PHMC Executive new museum name was adopted, The State Museum of Director Larry E. Tise’s 1980 strategic plan for the com- Pennsylvania. Exhibits became more diverse. Collections mission.223 This plan called for the commission “to view underwent change. A new curatorial collection was estab- the pursuit of public history in the Commonwealth of lished and another collection was redefined. Science col- Pennsylvania as an enterprise and employ selected strate- lections moved out of the museum into the Keystone gies and stratagems of the private sector.” Thus The State Building. The education section went into action with Museum would market itself as a “tourist” attraction and innovative programs and partnerships with school districts. devise ways to increase its revenue. As a means of Finally, the museum itself was transformed as a new improving efficient management, the William Penn entrance and lobby symbolized its new face to visitors. Memorial Museum in 1981 was made part of the new

Bureau of Museums.224

Several years later in 1983, The State Museum formed a “blue ribbon committee” to review the problems and issues facing the museum. One of those issues was the public perception among Pennsylvanians and non-Pennsylvanians that the William Penn Memorial Museum was only about the life of William Penn rather than the history of the Commonwealth.225 Former State Museum fine arts curator Donald Winer also thought that people did- n’t realize what a state museum has in its collections. “Some people walk in and expect to see a Van Visitors enter the Mobile Museum to see the exhibition “World War II: The Pennsylvania Gogh hanging here or other fantas- Homefront,” in 1994. tic [art] works,” said Winer. “Oh, the promotion, development, and improvement of The we have some splendid art in here, but it is Pennsylvania State Museum. On May 13, 1987, the PHMC and the art. We are a state museum.”226 To correct this misunder- Friends of The State Museum amended their original standing, the blue ribbon committee recommended chang- agreement so that the PHMC would provide the Friends ing the museum’s name from the William Penn Memorial with a subvention of $57,050 “for the purpose of support- Museum to The State Museum of Pennsylvania. The ing the public programs and expanding and improving name change became official in 1984. Further visibility in services provided by the Friends.”230 Soon the Friends the American museum community was achieved by The operated The State Museum Gift Shop and aided the State Museum through accreditation by the American museum education division and volunteers in offering visi- Association of Museums in 1978, and renewed in 1986 tors public programs and educational workshops. It was and 1998.227 Accreditation gives a museum prestige, sig- partly due to the support of the Friends that in 1988 The nifying that it operates according to the highest profes- State Museum was awarded the largest amount of grant sional museum standards. Furthermore, the positive public and private enterprise funding in its history. The Friends image and credibility resulting from accreditation can were also helpful to the museum in support of the collec- attract volunteers, donors, visitors, and stimulate fundrais- tions. In 1991, for instance, they founded a collection ing. Thus The State Museum reflected the growing trend endowment fund for new acquisitions. This fund, however, among American museums to focus on goal-setting, strate- was not adequate, and during the next several decades vir- gic planning, professionalism, and marketing.228 In July tually all State Museum acquisitions consisted of gifts. A 1990, the PHMC was once again reorganized under Exec- sample list of gifts received in 1981 reveals the width and utive Director Brent D. Glass. Glass took The State Muse- breadth of the museum’s collections. The Fine Arts section um from the Bureau of Historic Sites and Museums and received an oil painting of George Washington by C.H. made it a separate bureau. The Bureau of Museum Ser- Hinckley, an oil painting of Samuel Johnson painted by vices was dismantled and its exhibitions and collection the artist John Sartin, and 363 studies for the Pennsylvania management sections were transferred to the Bureau of Capitol murals by Violet Oakley. The Industry and Tech- The State Museum.229 Leadership of The State Museum nology Section received a lathe, table saw, and jigsaw stabilized when museum directors served longer tenures. from Fulton County used by the grandfather of state Rep- Carl Nold headed the museum from 1984 to 1991 and resentative Gregg Cunningham. The Decorative Arts Sec- Anita Blackaby became museum director in 1992, guiding tion obtained a donation of three pieces of grained painted the museum to the present day. furniture made by Frederick and Mary Ellen Heckart. It also acquired a World War I Victory Parade dress.231 In 1982, the Friends of The State Museum of Pennsylva- nia was founded as a community support group to assist

31 During the 1990s The State Museum saw even more facts collected by museums tended to focus upon the lives eclecticism in its acquisitions. The State Museum received of white, upper class people from the eighteenth and nine- a donation of an electric chair from the State Department teenth centuries. In contrast, the popular culture collection of Corrections in 1990. Memorabilia pertaining to Penn- reflects the experiences of ordinary people and everyday sylvania’s governors continued to come in; in 1991, arti- life, particularly in the twentieth century. An example of facts relating to Gov. Arthur H. James (governor from an artifact acquired in 1999 is a neon sign with the words 1939 to 1942) were donated, and in 1992 Gov. Robert P. “Bar” and “Seafood Cafe” that once graced the outside of Casey’s wife Ellen gave The State Museum her inaugural the Locust Street Café in downtown Harrisburg. Popular ball gown. Many artifacts pertaining to military history culture curator Curt Miner says of the art deco neon sign were donated during the 1990s. Perhaps the most valuable that “in its time it was considered generic. If a person acquisition was the Penn Treaty Collection donated by Mr. were to look at photographs from the 1940s of any city in and Mrs. Meyer P. Potamkin. This collection of 109 pieces Pennsylvania or the United States, he or she would find of art and objects featuring images of William Penn’s these kinds of signs. This is how people advertised their Treaty with the Indians, was given to The State Museum businesses.”235 Some of the subjects included within the in 1995 and 1996. The collection was the basis for the scope of popular culture are sports, entertainment—includ- 1996 exhibition and catalog “An Image of Peace: The ing television and amusement parks—and artifacts associ- Penn Treaty Collection of Meyer P. and Vivian Potamkin.” ated with leisure, play, and mass culture.236 In 1995 the Fine Arts section acquired four massive contemporary sculptures made of Vermont marble and Penn- Another curatorial section was also affected by the new sylvania granite. The sculptures, all created by Pennsylva- social history emphasis of the collections. The Decorative nia artists, were placed on the lawn of The State Museum Arts section was renamed Community and Domestic Life facing Third Street and within the courtyard of the State in 1994. Curators realized that it was not enough to exhibit Archives near the corner of Third and Forster Streets.232 Chippendale parlor furniture and other expensive wares Many donations arrived as a result of The State Museum‘s that upper middle class people owned, for example. It was search for artifacts to exhibit in the proposed Hall of His- essential that more mundane artifacts be collected and tory. Maids’ uniforms, K-Mart employees’ uniforms, and exhibited to reflect the diverse domestic life of Pennsylva- the uniform of astronaut Guion Bluford Jr. were acquired nians. Although The State Museum had collected artifacts in 1997 and 1998 mainly for the Hall of History exhibi- relating to the Pennsylvania German lifestyle, the new tion. The same is true of many of the artifacts document- name for the section was intended to include artifacts of ing the Pennsylvania, Western Pennsylvania, Lehigh Val- the folk and working class segments of all Pennsylvania’s ley, Pittsburgh and Lake Erie and Penn Central Railroads people as well as the upper class. in 1998 and 1999. The acquisition of football and bowling uniforms and other sports memorabilia in 1998 and 1999 At the turn of the twenty-first century, The State Muse- would help lay the groundwork for a new curatorial sec- um of Pennsylvania’s collections consisted of 3.2 million tion in The State Museum.233 Among the many donations objects organized and administered by nine sections: to The State Museum in recent years, the painting Birth of archaeology, geology and paleontology, zoology and Our Nation’s Flag, by American artist Charles H. Weisger- botany, fine arts, community and domestic life, industry ber, stands out. Painted in 1893, this huge painting depicts and technology, military history, political history, and pop- Betsy Ross showing her newly-sewn flag to George Wash- ular culture. Since its founding in 1905, The State Muse- ington, Col. George Ross, and the Hon. Robert Morris.234 um’s collections had grown large and diverse in number. Once again, The State Museum was running out of space In 1999, a new curatorial section—Popular Culture— for its collections. Fortuitous circumstances, however, was initiated in The State Museum. Although the museum would produce a solution to this problem. had long collected children’s toys and recreational artifacts like bicycles, the creation of the new section represented On June 16, 1994 there was a fire in the Transportation the first time The State Museum made an official commit- and Safety Building next door to the museum.237 Subse- ment to collect in this area. The Popular Culture section quent inspection by authorities disclosed a huge amount of emerged because of collection initiatives generated by the PCBs and asbestos within the structure, prompting the Hall of History project and the need for The State Muse- Commonwealth to tear down the building in August 1998. um to incorporate a social history approach to history. Construction of a new building on the site, named the This approach erased long-standing collecting biases; arti- Commonwealth Keystone Building, began soon after-

mission was competing with many other state agencies for the available space. After the Key- stone Building was completed in 2000, The State Museum moved the curatorial offices and collections of archaeology, zoology and botany, and paleontology and geology into the building. According to State Museum Director Anita Black- aby, “this was a truly a major undertaking for us.” Thousands of artifacts and science specimens were packed, moved, and unpacked during the move of the curatorial sections. The last zoology specimens were moved from The State Museum’s former fourth floor collections storage space to its new area in the basement of the Keystone Building in early 2004. As of this writing, the move is not yet complete–part of the biology collection has yet to The “Art of the State” exhibit is a perennial favorite. be moved to the Keystone Building, according to Blackaby. wards. Because the museum needed more room for its staff and collections, PHMC executive director Brent D. During the 1980s and 1990s, the exhibits in The State Glass spearheaded the commission’s drive to acquire Museum were more interesting and exciting than ever. On space for The State Museum in the Keystone Building. the heels of the success of the motion picture about This was a significant accomplishment because the com- dinosaurs, Jurassic Park, the exhibition “The Dinosaurs,”

The kitchen from “Levittown: Building the Suburban Dream” exhibition that opened in 2002.

opened in 1988. More than 103,000 visitors enjoyed the animated exhibit. Guests also participated in a black-tie dinner for longtime museum supporters, three performanc- es of the children’s theater production, Dino Rock, a planetarium program about the demise of dinosaurs, and related special events. During an eight-week period, the museum planetarium was completely sold out, as were the three per- formances of Dino Rock, and Saturday children’s workshops. At the peak of the exhibit, the museum successfully responded to over nine hundred phone calls in one day and over fifteen hundred visitors per hour. Some visitors were forced to wait in line for as long as two and a half hours to get in.238 “The Dinosaurs” is arguably the most successful temporary exhibition in the history of The State Museum. Daisy Myers (right) at the opening of the exhibit “The Daisy Myers Other memorable exhibitions of the 1980s were “Chair, Story,” 2002. Chest and Table” (1981), “With the Stroke of a Pen: Ter- “Flight 93 Remembered” was an unusual exhibit for The centenary Documents” (1981), “The USS Pennsylvania State Museum in that it displayed items that visitors left and Her Silver” and the art of “Charlotte Dorrance Wright” behind as personal memorials to those lives lost on Sep- (1989).239 tember 11, 2001 in Schwenksville, Somerset County, Pennsylvania. During the first weekend of the exhibit, In the 1990s and early twentieth-first century, The State more than nine hundred people visited the museum.243 Museum continued to provide exhibitions focusing on the fine arts, social history, popular culture, ethnic history, and During this period, The State Museum began a tradition young people. “Art of the State” is a yearly art exhibition of Black History Month exhibits, at first commemorating co-sponsored by The State Museum and the Greater Har- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and then celebrating African risburg Arts Council. The exhibition series began in 1967 American achievements. One such exhibit in 1991 was under the name “Juried Museum Exhibition of the Greater “Five from Philadelphia: Works on Paper,” featuring Harrisburg Arts Festival.” But in 1990 museum director African American artists, and another was the 1995 exhi- Carl Nold changed the name of the show to “Art of the bition “Famous Faces: The Photography of John W. State.” In “Art of the State,” as many as 148 artists com- Mosley” borrowed from the Charles L. Blockson Collec- pete for first, second, and third place in five categories. In tion at Temple University. Beginning in 2002, The State addition, artists compete for the Pennsylvania Purchase Museum offered exhibits about the civil rights movement Award in which The State Museum of Pennsylvania in Pennsylvania: “The Daisy Myers Story” (2002), “Test- selects an artwork in the show for the fine arts collection. ing the Waters: Integrating Pittsburgh’s Public Pools” The exhibition is probably the longest running, regular, (2003), and “Overcoming Barriers: The Integration of temporary exhibition of The State Museum.240 Girard College” (2004).244 In 2005 “The Civil Rights photographs of Jack T. Franklin,” borrowed from the African Besides fine arts, The State Museum had temporary American Museum in Philadelphia, opened. exhibits about Pennsylvania history. In July, 1990, The State Museum mounted the exhibit “Pennsylvania’s New Other exhibits looked at ethnic groups in Pennsylvania, Deal: Jobs, Art, and Politics.”241 Another outstanding such as the 1992 exhibit, “Discovering America: The Peo- exhibition dealing with history was “Levittown: Building ples of Pennsylvania” cooperatively developed with the the Suburban Dream” (2002). The exhibit coincided with Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies. It explored the lifestyles the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of Levittown in of various nationalities and ethnic groups. The Latino Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Curator Curt Miner said that experience was depicted in several fine art exhibitions Levittown is presently “the largest planned community including “La Expression de un pueblo en Pensilvania: constructed by a single builder (Levitt and Sons) in the Artistas Latinos Contemponeas,” also called “The Expres- United States.” A highlight of the exhibit was a full-scale sion of a People in Pennsylvania: Contemporary Latino reconstruction of a pink General Electric kitchen from a Artists.”(1998) and the mural series “Artistas del Verano,” 1958 Levittown “Jubilee” model home.242 The exhibition created with assistance from the Pennsylvania Department

youngsters included “Percy Platypus” (1997), and “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” (2001) which attracted visitors who were fans of the popular children’s television show.248 Children had a lot to choose from in terms of summer workshops at The State Museum in the 1980s. During the summer of 1980, for instance, visitors enrolled in courses such as “American Folk Music,” “Pennsylvania Pottery,” and a geology class called “Rivers, Rocks and Ridges.” There were also educational programs relating to African Americans. For instance, in February 1981 there were three Black History Month programs: Black History Month Jazz and Gospel Music,” “Black History Month Films,” and “Black History Month Children’s Activities.” Charles Hicks introduces the exhibit “Overcoming Barriers: The Inte- During the 1987 holiday season, the Pennsylvania Her- gration of Girard College.” in 2004. itage Affairs Commission sponsored a program of events of Education, Migrant Education (2000–3). The exhibition entitled “Christmas . . . An Ethnic Experience.” It cele- of photographs of two major Pennsylvania football brated holiday traditions of different nationalities such as teams—the Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steel- Irish, French, German, Italian, African American, and others—in December 2003 may represent one of the few ers. Production of these programs and workshops was not times The State Museum has mounted an exhibit about possible without the contributions of many museum vol- sports. The exhibit consisted of more than twenty color unteers. In June 1983, The State Museum had forty volun- photographs taken by State Museum photographer Don teers who accounted for 30 percent of the teachers of sum- Giles.245 In September 2004, another photography exhibit mer classes and summer workshops. By the end of the featuring Harrisburg native and environmentalist J. Horace decade, volunteers contributed over almost ten thousand McFarland opened. Based on the McFarland collection at hours in aiding The State Museum’s education section.249 the Pennsylvania State Archives, “Horace McFarland’s Harrisburg” offered a rare glimpse of old Harrisburg cap- In 1992, The State Museum inaugurated an educational tured through the camera lens of a leader of the national program, “Highlights Tour,” in order to personalize the “City Beautiful” movement.246 museum experience for students. School groups were broken up into smaller sections or “classes” in which museum Provocative exhibits created to attract young people guides taught them about the museum’s exhibits and were popular in the 1990s. “aMaze and Beyond: A Playful Experience about Seri- ous Stuff,” was an unusual exhibition that opened in 1999. It was unusual for several reasons: 1. it had no artifacts, 2. the exhibit was planned by a community advi- sory committee, and 3. the exhibit was about dealing with prejudice, stereotypes, and discrimination. It was designed for mainly eight to fifteen-year-olds and for parents and teachers. One teacher, Danielle Walt, expressed how she thought her students benefited from the exhibit. “We found that the students were afraid to talk about some of these issues and we felt this [the exhibit] would give them tools to know how to handle certain situa- 247 tions.” Other exhibitions of interest to Mr. McFeely greets young fans at the opening of “Mr. Rogers’Neighborhood,” in 2001.

Museum educator Christine Yanick leads a nature class during a museum summer workshop. answered the students’ questions. State Museum director lums, with the help of archivists, curators, and historians. Anita Blackaby reported that “the ratio of student per At the conclusion of the project, these materials were dis- guide has been reduced by 50 percent and the time spent seminated throughout the Commonwealth as learning tools with the guides has doubled.”250 The “Highlights Tour” to teach Pennsylvania and American history.253 received high marks from students, teachers, and docents. In April 2002 the first phase of The State Museum reno- In addition, two new fall programs were offered: “Contact: vations began. The Pennsylvania Department of General Conflict and Compromise,” offered to grades four through Services repaired and re-roofed The State Museum’s dome six, and “Nature at Night,” developed for children ages ring and high roof areas.254 The ground floor galleries fac- five to eight. ing North Third Street were closed down to make way for a new lobby, exhibit gallery, student orientation area, In 1994 The State Museum partnered with the Northern learning area for youngsters—“Curiosity Connection”— Tier Rural Distance Learning Consortium to create a dis- and a new entrance for The State Museum. When The tance-learning project that would link school children to State Museum building was originally built, it was antici- State Museum collections and exhibits through interactive pated that the entrance off the museum plaza would func- audio and video technology. The program began with tion as the main entrance to the building. After the build- seven counties and was later expanded to include more ing opened in 1965, however, it was clear that the public counties. Over sixteen thousand visitors enjoyed the “Stop preferred the entrances off of Third and Forster Streets. and Learn Program” in 2000 at The State Museum. Therefore, it was decided that The State Museum would Docents used hands-on objects to help participants explore construct a new main entrance on Third Street to attract exhibits located throughout The State Museum.251 Anoth- visitors. The entrance is framed by four pillars featuring er educational program started in the new century was banners bearing the name of the museum and the Ameri- “Partners in History.” It was a three-year joint project of can and the Pennsylvania state flags. In front of the The State Museum, the State Archives, and the Central entrance doors is a large stone map of Pennsylvania fea- Susquehanna Intermediate School Unit.252 The project turing all the counties. On April 28, 2004, an official rib- was funded by a $1 million dollar grant from the U.S. bon-cutting ceremony for the new entrance and lobby of Department of Education’s Teaching American History The State Museum was held and several days later on (TAH) program. The project began in 2002 and will con- May 1, 2004, “Curiosity Connection” officially opened to tinue through 2005. During this period, forty-five teachers the public.255 will utilize The State Museum and the State Archives in developing educational materials for their school curricu- Curiosity Connection occupies twenty-three hundred 36 The Curiosity Connection opened in 2004. square feet on the ground floor adjacent to the new muse- Connection. State Museum Director Anita Blackaby said: um lobby. Since the 1970s, The State Museum had piloted “The response to Curiosity Connection from children, par- places in the museum for children under the names such ents, grandparents, and educators has been phenomenal. as Learning Resource Center and Curiosity Corner. But Everyone who has visited has said it was truly a remark- the Curiosity Connection is the first interactive environ- able experience and that they can’t wait to return.”256 ment for children age seven and under that orients them “Curiosity Fest,” an all day event on June 19, 2004, toward exhibits in The State Museum. It was designed by brought in families, the media, and the general public to the architectural firm of Krent, Paffett, Carney Inc. There enjoy events and programs celebrating the official opening is the “Living Forest” where sound and light cycles reveal of Curiosity Connection and the completion of the first day and night critters that inhabit Pennsylvania’s forests. phase of The State Museum renovation program. There is also the “Industry and Transportation Zone” where a miniature vehicle assembly line allows kids to The second phase of The State Museum’s renovation create trucks while introducing them to the Common- plan called for construction of a Hall of History. Prelimi- wealth’s rich industrial heritage. Plus there is the “Penn- nary planning for the Hall of History began in 1985 In sylvania Farmland” where an apple orchard and garden, 1987 State Museum director Carl Nold announced that the complete with life-sized (and sometimes larger than life- museum had received a $100,000 grant from the National sized) animals offer a chance to discover what lives on a Endowment for the Humanities. Nold envisioned that the farm both above and below ground. These are just a few Hall of History would profile noted historical figures as of thefeatures and attractions found within the Curiosity well as lesser-known Pennsylvanians. “Through these peo- 37

ple’s words and what we know about them, we will tell nately excluded Ridge’s proposed funding for The State the story of Pennsylvania’s past.”257 Shortly thereafter, Museum and the Archives. Lawmakers reached a compro- museum curators started making plans for the gallery. This mise with the governor on the issue, deciding that the state turned out to be an unexpectedly complicated task. The should float bonds or borrow money in order to pay for history of Pennsylvania is a long one, stretching back to The State Museum renovations.259 The Boston architec- the seventeenth century. Given the richness of the state’s tural design firm of Krent, Paffett and Carney Inc. was history, museum staff debated what aspects of Pennsylva- commissioned to design both the “Curiosity Connection” nia to include in the gallery and in what exhibit format. and the new history gallery.

Meanwhile, the project was given a boost in January Barbara Franco became the new PHMC executive direc- 2001, when Governor Tom Ridge briefly toured The State tor in 2004, and with State Museum staff input she crafted Museum and witnessed the interior problems such as the a master planning process that began in September 2004. old escalator, installed when the museum was built in State Museum director Anita Blackaby said “this process 1964. After touring the museum, Governor Ridge said that will consider the entire interpretation of the museum and his 2001–2 state budget would include $80 million for its collections for the public; from this we will then deter- renovation of the museum and the State Archives.258 In mine the final form of the History Galleries.”260 2001, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed a $20.7 The changes that The State Museum underwent in the billion state budget “that largely delivered on Governor 1980s and the 1990s should be interpreted in light of what Tom Ridge’s spending and tax-cut priorities,” but unfortu- was happening nationally in American museums.

A new entrance and lobby for The State Museum opened in 2004.

38 State Museum director Anita Blackaby points out a fossil to First Lady Judge Marjorie O. Rendell.

Throughout the nation, museums were striving to become whites is one sign of becoming more “visitor-centered.” “more socially responsive cultural institutions in service to The new orientation is also symbolically represented by the public.” For many museums this entailed “a shift from The State Museum’s new entrance and lobby. Finally, it is collection-driven institutions to visitor-centered muse- mirrored in the museum’s new master plan, which The ums.”261 The museum’s new focus on neglected aspects State Museum hopes to put in place in cooperation with of its audience, such as pre-school age children and non- the administration of Governor Ed Rendell. This plan will revolutionize the way The State Museum documents the heritage of all Pennsylvanians.

39 ment-funded geological survey of the Erie Canal in the 1830s. In Endnotes 1843, “the State Legislature appropriated additional funds to continue the Survey and established the ‘State Cabinet of Antiquities’ with John Gehard Jr. as curator. Further legislation in 1845 placed the State Cabinet under the aegis of the State Board of Regents. John W. Taylor became its first curator. This was, in essence the birth of The State Museum, even though it was not officially so proclaimed until 1870.” Robert H. Fakundiny, “The New York State Museum: Child of All record group citations refer to Record Group 13, Records of the the Geological Survey that grew to be its Guardian,” Earth Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, unless otherwise Sciences History 6 no. 1 (1987): 128. In Illinois, “the muse- noted. um in Springfield was created to house and care for the collections of the Illinois Natur- al History Museum at Normal.” 1. For instance, the Harrisburg Telegraph in a May 18, 1887 editorial Milton D. Thompson, The Illinois State Muse- said the desire for a new state capitol building, not preservation of um: Historical Sketch and Memoirs. (Springfield: Illinois artifacts was the motivation for the legislation. State Museum Society, 1988): 8. 2. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Vetoes. Bills Returned to the Leg- 17. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Legislative Record for the islature by the Governor, with his objections thereto, during its regu- session of 1905. lar session, ending May 19, A.D. 1887: 88. The proposed appropria- 18. Report of the State Librarian of Pennsylvania 1907. tion was for $235,000. 19. Report of the State Librarian of Pennsylvania 1904. 3. Harrisburg Telegraph, 4 June 1887. 20. “Pennsylvania at the World’s Fair, St. Louis, 1904.” In: RG 25. 4. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Journal of the House of Represen- Records of the Special Commission, Louisiana Purchase Exposition tatives for the session of 1887: 1667. Ironically, Boyer wanted the of 1904, Pennsylvania State Archives. library/museum to be not an annex to the state capitol but a separate 21. Ibid; Pennsylvania Commission to Louisiana Purchase Exposition, building because “if one of the other buildings should catch fire they Pennsylvania Exhibits at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, St. would not by any means endanger the new library.” In fact, ten years Louis, Mo. 1904. (Harrisburg: Pennsylvania Commission to Louisiana later in 1897 when the 1825 state capitol burned down the Purchase Exposition, 1904): 46–63. library/museum was saved. 22. Division of Education, Pennsylvania State Museum, [1909 report] 5. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Vetoes of 1887: 88; Harrisburg (Harrisburg: Evangelical Press,1910); Harrisburg Patriot-News, 23 Telegraph, 4 June 1887. April 1908. 6. The building today is known as the Speaker Matthew J. Ryan Leg- 23. Report of the State Librarian of Pennsylvania 1907. islative Office Building. 24. Report of the State Librarian of Pennsylvania 1909, 1912, 1916. 7. John T. Windrim, in Biographical Dictionary of Philadelphia 25. Mark A. McConaughy, “Effects of Cultural Resource Management Architects: 874. on Collection Strategies at the Section of Archaeology, The State 8 “The New Library and Executive Building in Harrisburg,” Philadel- Museum of Pennsylvania.” A paper presented at the 58th annual phia Inquirer, 4 November 1894. meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, April 14-18, 1993, 9. Ibid. St. Louis, Missouri. Stephen G. Warfel, interview by the author, 9 10. George Swetnam, The Governors of Pennsylvania, 1790–1990. March 2004; Stephen G. Warfel, “An Overview of Collections in the (Greensburg, Pa.: McDonald/Sward Publishing Co., 1990): 47; Sally Section of Archaeology, The State Museum of Pennsylvania, 4 Sep- F. Griffith, Serving History in a Changing World: The Historical tember 1987.” Soci- ety of Pennsylvania in the Twentieth Century. 26. Report of the State Librarian of Pennsylvania 1913. (Philadelphia: Histori- cal Society of Pennsylvania and 27. Boyd P. Rothrock to Pennsylvania Graphic Company, 7 August University of Pennsylvania Press, 2001): 47. 1916. 11. Griffith: 51. 28. Information supplied by Linda A. Ries, archivist at the Pennsylva- 12. Report of the State Librarian of Pennsylvania 1904. nia State Archives. 13. Ibid. 29. Alicia M. Zierden, “The Division of Education, Pennsylvania State 14. H.A. Surface to Samuel Pennypacker, 17 March 1905. In: MG 171, Museum,” 1910. Papers of Samuel W. Pennypacker, Executive Correspondence, Box 30. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania State Museum, 10, Pennsylvania State Archives. Division of Education. “Catalogue of Lantern Slides,” Harrisburg, 15. Laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 1905, Act 43. The 1909 and 1918. At the State Library of Pennsylvania. bills were introduced by Republican State Representative 31. Division of Education, Pennsylvania State Museum [1909 report]. John Huhn of Philadelphia and Democratic State 32. Luther K. Kelker to Thomas L. Montgomery, 2 February 1906. See Representative Patrick F. Calpin of Lackawanna County. Com- also Luther K. Kelker to John W. Jordan, 8 September 1905 and monwealth of Pennsylvania, Legislative Record, Luther K. Kelker to Samuel W. Pennypacker, 25 August 1905. The Session of 1905. latter letters are in The State Museum collections management files. 16.“In 1869, the Indiana General Assembly enacted a law which pro- 33. Report of the State Librarian of Pennsylvania 1918. vided ‘for the collection and preservation of a Geological and Miner- 34. Personal communication to the author from Lee Stevens, Fine Arts alogy Cabinet of the Natural History of this State.” Donald F. Carmo- Curator, State Museum of Pennsylvania. ny, “The New Indiana State Museum,” Indiana Magazine of History 35. “Huge, Much-Traveled Work of Art Depicts Story of Pickett’s 64 no.3, (September 1968): 191; The New York Museum owes its ori- Charge,” Lancaster New Era, 20 January 1977. gins to a small geological collection acquired as a result of a govern-

40 36. State Museum staff members of the AAM were cited in member- vania State Muse - um from July 1, 1937 to June ship lists in the American Association of Museums Proceedings, Vol. 30, 1938.” 1 (1907), Vol. 3 (1909), Vol. 5 (1911) Vol. 6 (1912). 63. Biennial Report of the State Library and Museum, 1921–1922. 37. Report of the State Librarian of Pennsylvania 1907. 64. Anna A. McDonald to John A. H. Keith, 2 December 1927. 38. Report of the State Librarian of Pennsylvania 1912. 65. Frederic A. Godcharles to Dr. John A. H. Keith, 4 June 1928. 39. Report of the State Librarian of Pennsylvania 1918. 66. Museum News 6 no. 14, January 1, 1929. 40. Boyd P. Rothrock to Thomas Lynch Montgomery, 1 December 67. Names of the education section staff were verified by consulting the 1918. Pennsylvania Manual for the years 1906–1949 and the Capitol Tele- 41. Harrisburg Patriot-News, 2 April 1908. phone Directory (Harrisburg: Department of Property and Supplies, 42. Report of the State Library and Museum, 1921–1922. Bureau of Publications) for the years 1928–1949. 43. Philip S. Klein and Ari Hoogenboom. A History of Pennsylvania. 68. Frederic A. Godcharles to John A. H. Keith, 3 February 1928. Second and Enlarged Edition. (State College: Penn State University 69. Frederic A. Godcharles to John A. H. Keith, 5 March 1928; Boyd P. Press, 1980): 443. Rothrock to Frederic A. Godcharles, 31 January 1929. 44. Biennial Report of the State Library and Museum from June 1, 70. Frederic A. Godcharles to John A. H. Keith, 14 October 1930. 1924 to May 31, 1926. 71. “Replica of Berks Indian Quarry in State Museum,” Pennsylvania 45. Biennial Report, 1924–1926. Biennial Report of the State Library Archaeologist 5 no. 3 (October 1935): 71; Coleman, vol. 263. and Museum, June 1, 1926 to May 31, 1928. 72. Gertrude B. Fuller to Joseph L. Rafter, 3 May 1937. 46. Frederick A. Godcharles to Dr. John A. H. Keith, 4 July 1928. 73. Brent D. Glass, “Expanding a Vision: Seventy-five Years of Public 47. Smull’s Legislative Hand Book and Manual of the State of Pennsyl- History,” In: The Commonwealth’s Memory: A Symposium on the vania, 1931, 1933, 1935–36, 1937, 1939 editions. Occasion of the 75th Anniversary of the Pennsylvania Historical and 48. Frederic A. Godcharles, “Editorial,” Pennsylvania Archaeologist 3 Museum Commission, November 14, 1988. no. 2 (September 1932): 20. 74. L. Hubbard Shattuck, “Wartime Duties of Historical Museums,” 49. Robert S.. McElvaine, The Great Depression: America, 1929–1941. Museum News 20, no. 7, 1 October 1942:6. (New York: Three Rivers Press, 1993): 268–69. 75. Mabel E. Bitner to Lillian F. Bly, 17 September 1941. 50. Gertrude B. Fuller to K. C. Banks, 2 February 1938; “Production of 76. Pennsylvania at War, 1941–1945 (Harrisburg: PHMC, 1946): 25. Activity Report for [W.P.A.] Museum Project #15024 from October 77. Ibid: 23–24. 13, 1937 to June 30, 1938. 78. Biennial Report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, 1942– 51. Laurence Vail Coleman, The Museum in America: a Critical Study. 1944. 3 vols. (Washington, D.C.: American Association of Museums, 1939): 79. Shattuck: 7. vol. 2: 260–61. 80. See for example, “Three Museums Carry on Special Programs of 52. Biennial Report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction for the Wartime Activity,” Museum News. 19, no. 14 ( 14 January 1942): 1; Two-Year Period Ending May 31, 1938. “More Wartime Activities of the Museums,” Museum News 20 no. 53. Report of the State Library and Museum, 1921–1922. 18 ( 15 April 1942): 5; “Museum Wartime Activities and Some 54. Collection statistics for the years, 1927, 1928, and 1929 were not Changes,” Museum News 20 no. 9 (1 November 1942): 1. compiled. But statistics were reported for the period 1924–1926. 81. Biennial Report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, 1940– Report of the State Library and Museum, 1924–1925; Report of the 1942. State Library and Museum, 1925–1926. 82. “Report of the Activities of the PHMC for the month of October 55. Biennial Report of the State Library and Museum from June 1, 1945.” 1924, to May 31, 1926; “Statistical Summary, State Museum, July 1, 83. Biennial Report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, 1942– 1935 to June 30, 1936” and “Statistical Report of the Pennsylvania 1943. State Museum from July 1, 1937 to June 30, 1938.” The latter reports 84. Museum News, 15 November 1941. are in the files of the Collection Management section of The State 85. First Biennial Report of the Activities of the PHMC for 1945–1946. Museum. 86. Roy F. Nichols, The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commis- 56. Pennsylvania Archaeologist 3 no. 4 (April 1933): 2. sion: A History. (PHMC: Harrisburg, 1967): 24. 57. Gerald B. Fenstermaker, “The Fenstermaker Collection,” Pennsyl- 87. Sylvester K. Stevens to Edward Martin, 26 February 1945. vania Archaeologist 2, no. 1 (June 1931): 16–17. 88. Nichols: 24. 58. Mark A. McConaughy, “Effects of Cultural Resource Management 89. Minutes of the PHMC, 4 June 1947. The lantern slides were even- Strategies at the Section of Archeology, The State Museum of Penn tually transferred to the State Archives. sylvania.” Unpublished paper presented at the 58th Annual Meeting 90. See for example, Carla Conrad Freeman, “Visual Media in Educa- of the Society for American Archaeology, April 14–18, 1993, St. tion: An Informal History,” Visual Resources vol. VI (1990): 327–40; Louis. Robert P. Spindler, “Windows to the American Past: Lantern Slides 59. H.K. Landis, “State Museum Indian Collection,” Pennsylvania as Historical Evidence,” Visual Resources 5 (1988): 1–15. Archaeologist 5, no. 2 (July 1935): 44. 91. Minutes of the PHMC, 3 June 1948. 60. Henry K. Deisher vitae; Laws of Pennsylvania for the session of 92. Minutes of the PHMC, 3 February 1949; “Report of Activities of 1917. the PHMC for the month of February 1949.” 61. Gertrude B. Fuller to Joseph A. Rafter, 6 January 1938. 93. “The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Report for 62. Biennial Report of the State Library and Museum, 1921–1922; the Decade, 1952–1962.” Although the document is unsigned, it Biennial Report of the State Library and Museum, June 1, 1926 to appears to have been written by S. K Stevens, PHMC executive May 31, 1928; “Statistical Summary, State Museum, July 1, director. 1935 to June 30, 1936”; “Statistical Report of the Pennsyl- 94. “PHMC Activities Report for 1953.” 41 95. “PHMC Activities Report for 1954.” tee. 96. Minutes of the PHMC, 2 October 1947. 123. Appropriation Acts of the General Assembly of the Common- 97. Minutes of the PHMC, 3 June 1948; Charles Steese to Kenneth wealth of Pennsylvania Passed at the Session of 1945: 56–57. Dearolf, 23 June 1948, PHMC Activities Report for 1947. 124. C. M. Woolworth to Edward Martin, 15 November 15, 1946. In: 98. Minutes of the PHMC, 4 March 1948. RG 20, Records of the Department of General Services. 99. Minutes of the PHMC, 3 June 1948; “Report on Activities for the 125. Donald A. Cadzow to Edward Martin, 13 November 1945. In: MG month ending June 22, 1948.” 156, Edward Martin Papers; Sandra L. Tatman, Roger W. Moss and 100. Charles Steese to Kenneth Dearolf, 23 August 1948. the Athenaeum of Philadelphia, Biographical Dictionary of Philadel- 101. Frank Melvin to David Randall, 15 February 1956; Frank Melvin phia Architects: 1700–1930. (Cambridge, Ma.: G. K. Hall & Co., to George Leader, 8 March 1956. In: MG 207, George M. Leader 1985): 898. Papers. 126. Minutes of the PHMC, December 6, 1945. 102. Nichols: 30. 127. Appropriations Acts of the General Assembly of the Common- 103. “PHMC Report for the Decade 1952–1962.” wealth of Pennsylvania Passed at the Session of 1947: 40–41. 104. Henry K. Deisher to Mrs. F.B. Appleby, 5 October 1939; Mabel E. 128. “Analysis of Commitments and Expenditures, Act 80-A-1945 as Bitner to Louise Albright, 17 November 1939. amended by Act 41A-1947, as of February 25, 1948.” In RG 20, 105. Minutes of the PHMC, 6 December 1947. Department of General Services. A search of the Pennsylvania State 106. Minutes of the PHMC, 6 October 1948; Laws of Pennsylvania for Archives also revealed no contract for Zantzinger and Borie. It is the session of 1949. also not clear whether Zantzinger and Borie were ever paid for 107. Minutes of the PHMC, 2 May 1946. the work they did perform. The Athenaeum of Philadelphia, which 108. Museum News 38 no. 3 (November 1959): 36. has a notable archival collection on archives, has no information on 109. Minutes of the PHMC, 4 November 1948. Zantzinger and Borie. Email to the author from Michael Seneca, 14 110. Charles M. Steese, “The Pennsylvania State Museum,” unpub- May 2004. lished mss, circa 1948. 129. Act 34. In: Appropriation Acts of the General Assembly of the 111. Minutes of the PHMC, 19 March 1959; Harrisburg Evening News, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Passed at the Session of 1949: 6 May 1958. 382–88. 112. Report of the State Librarian of Pennsylvania, 1914. In 1939 the 130. General State Authority Board Minutes, September 19, 1949. In: head of the Department of Public Instruction attempted to merge the RG 9, Records of the General State Authority. 131 Charles J. Biddle State Archives with The State Museum . Memo, Lester K. Ade to to James Duff, 26 September1949; Duff to Biddle, 27 September Joseph L. Rafter, 19 May 1939 and Rafter to Ade, 22 May 1939, In: 1949. In MG 190, James H. Duff Papers. MG 156, Edward Martin Papers. 132. See Fairfax Leary Jr. to N. L. Wymard, 20 January 1950, MG 190, 113. Roy F. Nichols, The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Com- James H. Duff Papers. Leary notes that Duff does not seem to favor mission, A History (Harrisburg: PHMC, 1967): 40. I cannot verify the building. Nichols’ claim about the WPA blueprints since he does not cite his 133. Charles Biddle to James H. Duff, October 10, 1949, In: MG 190, sources. James H. Duff Papers; ; Donald H. Kent to William Gehron, October 114. A Summary of the Recommendations of the Pennsylvania Post- 10, 1949; Donald A. Cadzow to William Gehron, December War Planning Commission to the Governor Concerning Education, 9, 1949 In RG 13, Records of the PHMC. January 1945. In MG 190, James H. Duff Papers. 134. There are twenty-four blueprints drafted by Gehron dated March 115. The Pennsylvanian 2 no. 1 (August 1944). 29, April 5, June 22, July 31, and December 1950 and November 15, 116. “A Summary of Recommendations of the State Post-War Planning 1952. Construction Plans and Specifications, Capitol Park Commission to the Governor, January 1945.” MG 190, James H. Extension, William Penn Memorial Museum and Archives, Duff Papers. William Gehron, Architect.” In RG 20, Records 117. Minutes of the Thirty-sixth Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania of the Department of General Services. Federation of Historical Societies, 20, May 1944. MG 135. Ibid, Blueprint A9. 156, Edward Martin Papers. 136. Ibid, Blueprint A-11. 118. Ibid. 137. Minutes of the PHMC, October 1950; Construction Plans and 119. S.K. Stevens to Stanley R. Yarnall, 22 November 1944. In: RG 25, Specifications, Capitol Park Extension, William Penn Memorial Special Commissions, William Penn Tercentenary Committee. Museum and Archives, William Gehron, Architect”, Blueprint 4-R-1 120. In his autobiography, Rosenberger says it was Governor Martin’s 138. S.K. Stevens, “Background Purposes and Need for the William notion of a William Penn Memorial that he was opposed to: “the Penn Memorial Museum and Archival Building,” 18 March 1960. very thought of an archives building for Pennsylvania’s military 139. Frank Melvin to Henry Leader, 13 February 1956. In: MG 207, records and calling it a William Penn Memorial was as repulsive as it George M. Leader Papers. was ridiculous.” Homer Tope Rosenberger, Adventures and Philoso- 140. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, “Operation Heritage: Preserving phy of a Pennsylvania Dutchman: An autobiography in a Broad Set- Our Past, An Investment in Our Future,” published by the PHMC ting. (Bellefonte: Pennsylvania Heritage Inc., 1971): 538. circa 1956; Minutes of the PHMC, April 12, 1956. 121. Message to the General Assembly of Pennsylvania by Major 141. Frank W. Melvin to George M. Leader, 7 June 1956. In MG 207. General Edward Martin, Governor of Pennsylvania, January 2, George M. Leader Papers. 1945, Harrisburg, Pa.: 11. 142. Frank W. Melvin to George M. Leader, 17 July 1956. In MG 207, 122. S. K. Stevens to Stanley Yarnall, 22 November 1944. In RG 25, George M. Leader Papers; S. K. Stevens to Frank G. Thompson, 11 Special Commissions, William Penn Tercentenary Commit- October 1956, S. K. Stevens to Earle W. Newton,11 October 1956.

42 William N. Richards, “Historic Sites and Museums.” In: The Com- ing.” monwealth’s Memory: A Symposium on the Occasion of the 75th 162. Yates, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Anniversary of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commis- 163. Linda A. Ries and Louis Waddell, “Pennsylvania State Archives sion, November 14, 1988. (Harrisburg: PHMC, 1988): 37. Provenance of Basic Documents,” 12 February, 2004. unpublished 143. Legislative Journal of the House of Representatives for the session document. of 1957: 1254. 164. Mary G. Stephenson, “Remarkable Charles Rudy 1904-1986,” 144. Clearfield Progress, p. 34. Penn’s ship—the Welcome—arrived on York Sunday News, 11 January 1987; Peter Hastings Falk ed. Who October 29, 1682. See Jean Soderlund ed., William Penn and the Was Who in American Art 1564–1975: 400 Years of Artists in Ameri- Founding of Pennsylvania, 1680–1684, (Philadelphia: University of ca, 3 vols. (Madison, Connecticut: Soundview Press, 1999): Vol. 3: Pennsylvania Press and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania 2852. 1983):185. 165. PHMC, “Facts about the William Penn Museum and Archives 145. S.K. Stevens to the Pennsylvania Heritage Committee, 17 May Building”: 8. 1957. 166. Paul F. Simpson to S. K. Stevens, 31 January 1963. 146. Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph, 17 April 1957; Centre Daily Times 167. Vincent Maragliotti to Paul F. Simpson, 10 July 1962. (State College), 24 April 1957. 168. Paul A. W. Wallace, The Vision of William Penn: The Mural of the 147. S.K. Stevens to Andrew M. Bradley, September 25, 1957. Stevens William Penn Memorial Museum, (Harrisburg: PHMC, 1965): to A.J. Caruso, 23 September 1957. In: RG 20, Records of the 12–13. Department of General Services. 169. Vincent Maragliotti to John J. Lynam, 9 October 1962. 148. Minutes of the General State Authority Board, September 19, 170. Ibid. 1957. In: RG 9, Records of the General State Authority. Harrisburg 171. Maragliotti’s contract with the General State Authority was for Patriot-News, 22 September 1957. $115,000. He was paid an extra $11,500 for additional work in 1964 149. Harrisburg Sunday Patriot-News, 22 December 1957. but it is not known what the total amount he was paid by the Com- 150. Henry Howard Eddy to William Gehron, 31 July 1957; William monwealth. See A.F. Jones to Robert S. Davis, 7 January Gehron to Frank Melvin, 24 September 1957. In: MG 139. 1964 and Maragliotti to Jones, 3 January 1964. Frank Melvin Papers. 172. PHMC, “Facts about the William Penn Museum and Archives 151. A. J. Caruso to Lawrie and Green, 20 January 1958. RG 13, Building.”6–7. Records of the PHMC. Richards concurs that no “architectural 173. Dan G. Deibler, “The Public Records & Museum Building 1957– contest” was held and that the architects were “appointed.” It is 1962, Lawrie and Green, Architects,” 25 August 2001: 3. Unpub not clear who made that decision. William N. Richards, “The lished manuscript. William Penn Memorial Museum and Archives Building,” Curator 174. Ibid. 10, no. 3 (1967):184. 175. Frank M. Matthews, “State’s New Museum and Archives Build 152. M. Edwin Green to S.K Stevens, 17 October 1958. ing,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 20 August 1962. 153. Frank W. Melvin to M. Harvey Taylor, 9 March 1959. In: MG 176. Deibler: 1–2. 139, Frank Melvin Papers. Pennsylvania State Archives. 177. Richards, The Commonwealth’s Memory: 36. 154. Laws of Pennsylvania for the session of 1959; “Background 178. S. K. Stevens, “The William Penn Memorial Museum and Purposes and Need for the William Penn Memorial Museum and Archives Building,” Pennsylvania History 29 no. 3 (July 1962): 6. Archival Building, March 18, 1960.” There is no author named but 179. Richards, Curator: 186. it is likely that S.K. Stevens is the author. 180. Minutes of the Pennsylvania State Art Commission, July 29, 1958. 155. Curator: 183; Richards, The Commonwealth’s Memory: 35; Obit- 181. Richards, The Commonwealth’s Memory: 36. uary, William N. Richards, Harrisburg Patriot News, 15 September 182. Vincent P. Connelly to Lawrie and Green, 31 July 1959. 1999. 183. “Scranton Puts Time Capsule in Place, Dedicates Museum,” Har- 156. “Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Project No. GSA 901-00, 1949 risburg Patriot-News, 20 May 1964. Program;” “Survey, General Plan and Location Site for Public Build- 184. PHMC press release, 3 August 1965; S.K. Stevens to the Officers ings, Capitol Park Extension Area, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Depart- and Members of the Executive Committee, Pennsylvania Federation ment of Properties and Supplies.” of Historical Societies, 17 September 1965; Program, 25th Annual 157. “Facts about the William Penn Memorial Museum and Archives Meeting American Association for State and Local History, Harris- Building.” burg, Pennsylvania, October 13–15, 1965. 158. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Breaking Ground for the William 185. Stevens, “A New Museum for Pennsylvania:” 169–70. Penn Memorial. (Harrisburg: PHMC, 1962): 5. 186. Ibid. 159. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, “Facts about 187. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, The Commonwealth’s Memory: the William Penn Memorial and Archives Building,” January 1965. A Symposium on the Occasion of the 75th Anniversary of the Penn- Edward D. Yates, “Penn Neglected, Sculptress Thinks.” Pittsburgh sylvania Historical and Museum Commission. (Harrisburg: PHMC, Post-Gazette, 20, August 1962. 1991). 160. Yates, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Alvin Rosensweet, “William Penn 188. Eric De Jonge to W. Fred Kinsey III, 25 July 1962. Statue Model Okayed by State.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 9 October 189. Board of the PHMC to General State Authority, 21 May 1963. 1964. 190. Report of Activities, PHMC, 1965. 161. Yates, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Rosensweet, Post-Gazette. PHMC, 191. Eric De Jonge to W. Fred Kinsey III, 25 July 1962. “Facts and General Information about the William Penn 192. Museum catalog, N.C. Wyeth and the Brandywine Tradition, Memorial Museum and Archives Build- October 13-November 28, 1965, William Penn Memorial Museum,

43 1965; PHMC Minutes, 18 November 1965. 216. PHMC Activities Report, September 15, 1967 to April 30, 1968. 193. “Youth Arts: State Fete Enriched Our City,” Patriot-News, 3 217. PHMC Activities Report, September 1968–August 1970. March 1972. 218. Donald H. Kent to William J. Wewer, 31 August 1973. 194. Eric De Jonge to W. Fred Kinsey III, 25 July 1963. 219. Minutes of the PHMC, 10 April 1974. 195. S. K. Stevens to M. Edwin Green, 18 April 1963. 220. PHMC staff reports, November 11 1966 to February 21, 1967; 196. S. K. Stevens to A. J. Caruso, 4 January 1964. Biennial report of the PHMC, July 1, 1966 to June 30, 1966; 197. “Planning, Construction, and Installation of a Geology-Earth Sci- “William Penn Memorial Museum Annual Report, July 1,1981–June ences-Botany Hall in the William Penn Memorial Museum, May 21, 30, 1982. The activities of the Friends of The State Museum are dis- 1964. In: Winslow M. Shaughnessy files, natural science curator’s cussed in depth in the next chapter. office. 221. Peter Welsh to James R. Mitchell, 8 August 1977. 198. Winslow M. Shaughnessy to Richard Rush, 20 November 1966; 222. Ira Smith III to William J. Wewer, 27 March 1979. S.K. Stevens to A. J. Caruso, 9 December 1966. In: Winslow M. 223. Robert Siebert interview by the author, 9 September 2004. The Shaughnessy files, Natural Science curator’s office. museum directors were Ira F. Smith III, 1979–80; Pete Welsh, 1981- 199. “Outline for G.S.A. Project 946-3, Nature Museum-Geology Hall 84, Robert Siebert (acting director) 1984–85, Cathryn J. McElroy Complex, William Penn Memorial Museum, November 1966” In (acting director), 1985; Robert Siebert; Carl Nold, 1984–91. Winslow M. Shaughnessy files, natural science curator’s office. 224. Tise reported on the details of his strategic plan in an article in 200. Richard Rush Studio, Inc., “Hall of Pennsylvania Geology, 1982. See: Larry E. Tise, “Coping with the Great Declension,” Phase IV, Final Design, Plans, and Specifications, 28 May 1975. In: History News 37 no. 10 (October 1982): 13–18. Geology drawer, exhibits management section, State Museum of 225. Larry E. Tise to all field staff, 11 May 1984. Pennsylvania. 226. Cal Turner, “State Curator Frames New Lifestyle,” Harrisburg 201. Ibid. Patriot-News, 27 June 1988. 202. “Mastodon Featured at Museum,” Danville, [Pennsylvania] News, 227. “American Association of Museums Accreditation Visiting Com- 12 February 1977. mittee Report for The State Museum of Pennsylvania, 203. “New Hall of Geology Opens at William Penn Museum,” Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 1987 and 1998”; Mildred S. Compton to Williamsport [Pennsylvania] Grit, 8 August 1976. Mr. James Mitchell, 19 May 19, 1978. 204. Donald Hoff to William N. Richards, 30 June 1972. 228. Kotler and Kotler: 169. 205. “Anthropology Hall is Ready for Dedication,” Harrisburg Evening 229. Brent D. Glass to all staff, 2 July 1990. News, 8 December 1975; Dedication program for Anthropology Hall, 230. Amendment to Agreement between the Pennsylvania Historical 9 December 1975. and Museum Commission and the Friends of The State Museum , 206. Irwin Richman, “Exhibits Preparation Project Number IT-3, July Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, “as executed May 13, 1987.” 22, 1965.” Files in the office of the industry and technology curator, 231. Ira F. Smith III, “William Penn Memorial Museum Annual Report State Museum. for 1981–1982.” 207. John Tyler to Richard Getz, 17 November 1971, Files in the 232. Sandy Cullen, “A Gift Set in Stone,” Harrisburg Patriot-News, office of the industry and technology curator, State Museum. August 30, 1995. 208. Revised Script for Transportation Gallery., 12 February 1972. In 233. PHMC Annual Reports, 1990 to 1999. files of the industry and technology curator, State Museum. Curators 234. Amy Worden, “ A home for the work that made Betsy Ross during the early years of the William Penn Memorial Museum some famous,” Philadelphia Inquirer, 16 December 2001. times referred to the Hall of Industry and Technology as “Transporta- 235. Mary O. Bradley, “A Sign of its Time,” Harrisburg Patriot-News, tion Hall.” 2 February 1999. 209. Transcript of recorded meeting of 10 June 1975 and letter, Otis 236. Personal communication from Curt Miner to the author, 11 Morse to John Tyler, 10 June 1975. August, 2004. 210. Caron N. Ehehalt to Leone J. Keene, 29 September 1975. Files in 237. “Penndot recovering from fire,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 18, the office of the industry and technology curator, State Museum. 1994. Ehehalt was the president of MarkeTects. 238. Sandy Cullen, “Dinosaurs Turn Crowds into Profit,” Harrisburg 211. Dedication invitation, State Museum Bureau director’s files. Sunday Patriot-News, 13 March 1988. 212. Cal Turner, “New Hall of Science and Technology Is a Real Grab- 239. See the PHMC Annual Reports from 1981 through 1989. ber,” Harrisburg Evening News, September 21, 1978; Susan Fitzger- 240. Personal communication to the author from N. Lee Stevens, 26 ald, “Lively Museum Exhibit Traces State’s Technological Develop- August 2004. ment,” Lancaster New Era, 21 October 1978. 241. PHMC Annual Report for 1990. 213. The summary of The State Museum’s collections here is based 242. Curt Miner, “A Blueprint for Suburbia,” At the Museum, Spring upon the author’s survey of museum artifact and specimen collection 2002, (Harrisburg: State Museum of Pennsylvania, 2002). files in The State Museum’s collection management section. 243. Anita Blackaby, “Report to the Commission, Bureau: State Muse- 214. Other Pennsylvania first ladies followed Mrs. Martin’s example. um, Reporting Period, August 2002”; Martha Raffaele, “Flight 93 For instance, the wife of Governor Dick Thornburgh donated her Tributes on Display; State Museum Shows Crash-Site Memorials,” inaugural gown to The State Museum in 1986. See Cal Turner, “Pre- Harrisburg Patriot News, 29 August 2002. sentation of gown to museum occasions memories for Ginny,” Harris 244. Eric Ledell Smith, “The Daisy Myers Story,” At the Museum, burg Evening News, 4 December 1986. Winter 2001–2 (Harrisburg: State Museum of Pennsylvania, 2001); 215. Cal Turner, “Museum bones up on Past,” Harrisburg Evening Eric Ledell Smith,“Testing the Waters: Integrating Pittsburgh’s Pub News, 14 November 1975. lic Pools,” At the Museum, Winter 2003, (Harrisburg: State Museum

44 of Pennsylvania, 2003); “Overcoming Barriers: The Integration of 2002.” Girard College,” At the Museum, Spring 2004, (Harrisburg: State 253. Personal communication to the author from Rhonda Newton. Museum of Pennsylvania, 2004). 254. “Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission Infrastructure 245. PHMC press release, 12 December 2003. Renovations and Update,” Department of General Services, State 246. PHMC press release, 26 July 2004. Museum and Archives-Phase 1, DGS Project 948-54 (946–12).” 247. Barry Fox, “Interactive, Fun Exhibit Challenges Stereotypes,” 255. Howard Pollman, “Curiosity Connection Opening Events Sched- Harrisburg Patriot-News, 24 October 1999; Buffy Andrews, “Maze ule,” State Museum of Pennsylvania, 29 March 2004. more than just Twists and Turns,” York Daily Record, 5 February, 256. Anita Blackaby, “Welcome to Curiosity Connection,” At the 2000. Museum, Summer 2004, (Harrisburg: State Museum of Pennsyl- 248. PHMC Annual Reports for 1998 thru 2001. vania, 2004). 249. PHMC Annual Report for 1981, 1987, 1990. 257. Sandy Cullen, “State Museum gets grant for gallery,” Harrisburg 250. Minutes of the PHMC, July 8, 1992. Patriot-News, 27 December 1987. 251. PHMC Annual Report for 2000. 258. Ellen Lyon, “Investing in History: Ridge proposes spending $80 252. “Temple University Laboratory for Student Success, December million on upgrades,” Harrisburg Patriot-News, 23 January 2001. 2002”; “Report to the PHMC on the Bureau of The State Museum’s 259. “Ridge calls for budget tightening in face of projected revenue Major Projects and Events for the Reporting Period of November shortfall,” Lancaster New Era, 1 June 2001; Charles Thompson, “Spending plan passes Legislature,” Harrisburg Patriot-News, 21 June 2001. 260. Personal communication from Anita Blackaby to the author, 27 August, 2004. 261. Gail Anderson ed. Reinventing the Museum: Historical and Con- temporary Perspectives on the Paradigm Shift. (Walnut Creek, Ca.: Alta Mira Press, 2004): 1