Harrisburg, PA – A new exhibit featuring a diverse array of artifacts from the collections of historic sites and museums within the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) will open this fall at The State Museum of Pennsylvania.
“Pennsylvania Icons” tells the story of the commonwealth, its people and the role they played in shaping the nation. An opening reception for the exhibit will be held 2:00 PM Sunday, November 8, at The State Museum. Admission to the museum is free that day.This exhibit will open on the First Floor of the museum in the gallery previously occupied by the “Fine Art of Giving” exhibit, which closed July 29, 2015.
The State Museum is home to the largest Pennsylvania history collection in the world. In the past, only a small percentage of the museum’s 5 million objects have been on display at any given time. However, thanks to a recent initiative known among staff as the "Get-the-Stuff-Out Campaign," more of the artifacts are now on exhibit. “Pennsylvania Icons” comes as the result of this effort.
“Pennsylvania Icons” tells the stories of artifacts from the state’s lumber, iron, steel, coal and oil industries, as well as the importance of railroading across the commonwealth.
Visitors will see artifacts related to Pennsylvania’s founder, William Penn, as well as a large display of 18th-century Pennsylvania German decorative arts including ornately decorated fraktur, pottery and furniture. Art work from Pennsylvania artists ranging from Charles Willson Peale to Andy Warhol will also be on display.
In addition, a flag which crossed the Delaware River with Gen. George Washington in 1776 and was carried by Pennsylvania’s First Continental Regiment during the Revolutionary War will command the attention of each guest.
Delving deeper into the commonwealth’s past, “Pennsylvania Icons” will showcase a variety of Native American artifacts, including 1,000-year-old projectile points.
Rounding out this landmark exhibit will be a broad collection of Pennsylvania products extending from Hershey Kisses to Martin Guitar.
Many of the artifacts featured in the exhibit have been shared with the public through the museum’s Pennsylvania Treasures” initiative. These objects and their stories can be found at www.statemuseumpa.org/news.
The State Museum of Pennsylvania, adjacent to the State Capitol in Harrisburg, is one of 25 historic sites and museums administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission as part of the Pennsylvania Trails of History. The State Museum offers expansive collections interpreting Pennsylvania’s fascinating heritage. With exhibits examining the dawn of geologic time, the Native American experience, the colonial and revolutionary era, a pivotal Civil War battleground, and the commonwealth's vast industrial age, The State Museum demonstrates that Pennsylvania's story is America’s story.
Museum hours are Wednesday through Saturday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Sunday 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Admission is $7 for adults (ages 12-64), $6 for senior citizens (ages 65 and up), and $5 for children (ages 1-11).
For more information about the museum, visit www.statemuseumpa.org.
MEDIA CONTACT: Howard Pollman, 717-705-8639
Editors Note: Members of the media wanting a preview of the opening are encouraged to tour “Pennsylvania Icons” on Monday, November 2 and Tuesday, November 3. Please contact Howard Pollman, PHMC’s director of external affairs, at 717-705-8639 or hpollman@pa.gov.