PENNY LOTS January-June 2012 Newsletter of the Bucks County Historical Society Vol. 26 Number 1 What is the Fonthill’s 100th Anniversary: 1912 – 2012 here does the time go? Why it seems just like Meaning Wyesterday that it was 1912. Surely you of “Penny remember that year? It was the year the Titanic sank, New Mexico and Arizona became states, the Lots”? Girl Scouts of the USA are founded by Juliette In amassing his Gordon Low and Henry Chapman Mercer moved collection Henry Mer- into his new home, Fonthill. cer was known to Yes, it has been nearly 100 years since Henry scour the countryside Mercer wrote, “May 30, 1912 – Took my first meal in search of objects at Fonthill – Frank at lunch – Band playing in made obsolete by the cemetery – Decoration Day.” With Henry’s note in industrial era. In addi- tion to searching mind we will celebrate this anniversary throughout through barns and 2012. To celebrate the achievement, inspiration and garrets, he acquired imagination of Fonthill we will be holding special many artifacts sold programs and activities throughout the year. A as “penny lots” at special issue of Penny Lots will be devoted to local auctions. Our Fonthill’s 100th Anniversary. In addition keep newsletter’s name checking in with the BCHS website and Henry honors that tradition. Early view of Fonthill; note original spring house in Chapman Mercer Facebook page for updated foreground before Mercer transformed it. information and dates! The Aprons Are Coming – and Other Exhibits very full and diverse slate tecting treasure and the mod- coming! The exhibition, Aof exhibits is scheduled for ern treasure hunt. Through The Apron Chronicles: the Mercer Museum’s new video and hands-on compo- A Patchwork of Ameri- changing exhibition gallery dur- nents, visitors will experiment can Recollections ing 2012. Following Toytime will metal detectors, take part makes its northeastern (now on view), and Alert Today, in a treasure hunt game, learn U.S. debut at the Alive Tomorrow: Living with the how underwater remote oper- Mercer Museum on Atomic Bomb (see accompany- ated vehicles (ROVs) operate, October 12. This unique ing article), the Mercer will try their hands at safe-crack- show explores the present five other shows over ing, and hoist a pirate flag. The American experience as the course of the year, intended Hunt for Treasure opens June seen and read through for a range of audiences. 22 and will be on view through nearly 50 images, text On May 5, the Museum will September 21. An Educator’s in story form, and 155 open a show featuring 19th- Manual is also available. vintage aprons. Writer century Mennonite quilts from Beginning September 8, the and “apron curator” the collection of Paul Flack. The Mercer will present an exhibit EllynAnne Geisel and exhibit will run through the end tentatively titled, Stitches in award-winning photog- of July and will be accompanied Time, featuring needlework rapher Kristina Loggia by a number of quilt-related from the Museum’s collec- MISS ADA FLORENCE ASHFORD, one of the developed the exhibit, programs. tions. The show will include storytellers featured in the exhibit, The which is as much about Apron Chronicles: A Patchwork of American In June, the traveling ex- numerous 18th- and 19th- Recollections, coming to the Mercer Museum life as it is about fabric, hibit, The Hunt for Treasure, century samplers – many this fall. Image © 2005 Kristina Loggia. utilizing the apron as a will arrive at the Mercer. De- acquired over the past several symbol recognizable to veloped by NRG! Exhibits, years and never previously niture and other forms – will everyone. The apron storytellers this highly engaging and inter- exhibited. In addition, the be on view, bringing traditional featured in the show include a active family exhibit features complete Marie Davis Collec- forms of needlework into the 111-year-old mother and her four themed areas: sunken tion of visionary needlework – late 20th century. only child, a Holocaust treasure, buried treasure, de- eccentrically upholstered fur- And, yes, the aprons are …continued on page 2 APRONS EXHIBIT and the exhibit. media. Programming, including The Mercer will round out continued from page 1 The Apron Chronicles has re- an appearance by exhibit cura- the year with a reprise of the survivor, a biology professor ceived much national recogni- tor Geisel, is presently in seasonal exhibit, Under the from Mali, Africa, and a pre- tion, with the work of Geisel and development. The Museum Tree: A Century of Holiday teen and her grandmother. Loggia featured in Time maga- anticipates integrating some Toys. The 2012 version of this Their stories explore the zine, The New York Times, CBS materials from its own collec- show will feature toys and people behind the aprons and Sunday Morning, and NPR’s tions into this showing of The games from additional private give life to both the fabric Weekend Edition, among other Apron Chronicles as well. collections in the area. Alert Today, Alive Tomorrow! his year, 2012, marks the U.S., it was the T50th anniversary of the mission of the Cuban Missile Crisis – ar- Nike missile guably the closest we have ever batteries come to full-scale nuclear war. to shoot Over the summer of 1962, in them an attempt to strengthen its down. position in the Cold War, the Ringing nu- Soviet Union secretly estab- merous Ameri- lished nuclear missile installa- can cities and tions in Cuba. In October, the industrial centers, as existence of these missile bases well as key military bases was discovered, and revealed to and targets, the Nike a public already deeply anx- system was the world’s first ious about the dangers of the widely deployed, surface to air Atomic Era. After a tense missile system. However, as stand-off marked by threats, the strategic emphasis shifted difficult negotiations, and a from aircraft-delivered nuclear naval blockade of the island of weapons to intercontinental Cuba, war was averted and the ballistic missiles, the Nike bat- Soviets ultimately removed the teries became less important. missiles. The anniversary of By the early to mid-1960s, the Missile Crisis seems a per- ATOMIC CHIEF GAME AND ATOMIC ROCKET KITE. Two of the artifacts to be Nike sites began close, and in fect moment to recall and featured in the traveling exhibit, Alert Today, Alive Tomorrow: Living with 1974 with the signing of the the Atomic Bomb, 1945-1965, coming to the Mercer Museum in April. re-focus attention on the first SALT Treaty with the Soviet two decades of the Atomic atomic annihilation eventually War II victory dance, an Atomic Union all remaining batteries Age, from the dropping of the drifted to the background of film series, a “Ladies’ Night were decommissioned. bombs on Hiroshima and American consciousness in the Out” event featuring 1950s There were three Nike Nagasaki in 1945, through the late 1960s, the Atomic Age left chic, an origami program, and missile bases located in lower mid-1960s. a legacy of governmental re- musical performances. Bucks County – in Northamp- On April 6, the Mercer sponse and civic infrastructure Here in Bucks County, one ton, Bristol and Warrington Museum opens a traveling that remains relevant today. of the manifestations of the Townships. As was typical of exhibit exploring the ways in In addition to the artifacts Atomic Age was a group of Nike batteries, each of these which Americans experienced and stories accompanying the Nike missile bases that dotted bases consisted of two sites, the Atomic threat as part of traveling exhibit, the Mercer the landscape in the lower end Integrated Fire Control (IFC) their daily lives—at school, in Museum is also looking of the county – part of a ring of and Launcher areas. The IFC the home, and even at play. The for intersections between the defenses surrounding Philadel- site contained the radar and show, titled Alert Today, Alive exhibit’s content, its own phia. The Nike missile pro- computer guidance systems Tomorrow: Living with the collections and aspects of gram, named for the mythic necessary to detect an attack, Atomic Bomb, 1945-1965, regional history. The exhibit Greek goddess of victory, was coordinate a launch, and pro- features more than 75 original will be supplemented with a response to serious concerns vide missile guidance. The objects from the era, as well as items from Museum and in the early 1950s about the ex- launcher area featured an large-scale graphics, radio Library collections, as well as panding capabilities of Soviet underground bunker in which broadcasts, and film. Visitors with programs highlighting aircraft to reach the United the missiles were stored, an will experience how Ameri- both the deeply serious and States and drop nuclear elevator to bring them to the cans were flooded with mes- sometimes comical character payloads on American cities. surface, a rail system to move sages in images and media that of America in the Atomic Age. Should Soviet bombers man- them to the launchers, and the depicted the dangers of atomic Among the programs under age to get past American inter- launchers themselves. energy. Although the threat of development are a 1945 World ceptor aircraft and reach the …continued on page 3 2 Alive Tomorrow is curated by Michael Scheibach, an The Museum is very interested to learn of independent collector in Inde- pendence, MO, and Leslie any home or community fallout shelters from Przybylek, Curator of Human- the early nuclear era which may still survive. ities Exhibitions at Mid- America Arts Alliance. The ALERT TODAY, exhibition is toured by ALIVE TOMORROW role as Buck Barrow in anyone with direct information ExhibitsUSA, a national continued from page 2 Bonnie and Clyde.