Purple electric chair from the Heinz History Museum. We failed to note its significance, but that color scheme cries out for more accessories.
Previously on Midlife Crisis Crossover: we guided you through our seven-day trip through Ohio, upstate New York, and Pennsylvania in fifty episodes —- July 7-13, 2018, with stops along the way at nine museums or museum-like historical structures. Here in our penultimate chapter we present a selection of additional exhibits from those museums. Their fascinating exhibits could’ve kept us going for several more chapters albeit with increasingly diminishing returns. I tried to be choosy when curating the previous chapters, so the following gallery represents the honorable mentions, some of which were perhaps unfairly cut. Enjoy!
First up: a bonus round of paintings from Utica’s Munson Williams Proctor Arts Institute, whose chapter was the most-Liked among our WordPress readers.
Edward Hopper, “The Camel’s Hump”, 1921.
Salvador Dali, “Cardinal, Cardinal!”, 1934.
Mark Rothko, “Number 18”, 1951.
Mike Watt, “Fire Hose”, 1986. Wait, no, this was an actual fire hose.
Kasamatsu Shiro, “Remains at the Checkpoint at Shitomae”, 1956.
A “Tilt-Top Table” designed for Tiffany’s by Frank Shaw circa 1885-1893. Electroplated silver over copper and mahogany, this furnishing was displayed at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago.
Near the end of our trip was the Heinz History Museum, featuring a wealth of artifacts from throughout Pittsburgh history.
Near the civil rights section stood abolitionist Martin R. Delany.
A pretty paisley dress for which I failed to take any notes.
Happy the dog and Tommy Molar, costars of Happy’s Party, which taught local kids about dental hygiene.
A 2008 model (designed by students at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh) of the Ferris wheel at the aforementioned 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition.
Days earlier we’d kicked off our week with a visit to the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library and Museums at Spiegel Grove, or the ol’ RBHPLMSP for short.
A wider shot of the rotunda where Hayes’ bust stands.
Gear and accessories that once belonged to Hayes himself.
Inspirational quote of sorts from Teddy “Bear Puncher” Roosevelt.
On the lower level was the largest museum arsenal I’ve ever seen outside Chicago, including a Chinese cannon front-and-center.
The weapons in this display belonged to his son Webb Hayes, co-founder of Union Carbide.
For extra credit, a pair of one-offs from other locales steeped in history and government.
Eleanor Roosevelt’s suitcase, courtesy of Hyde Park.
A selfie station in front of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia encourages passersby to exercise their right to plug them on social media.
To be concluded!
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[Link enclosed here to handy checklist for other chapters and for our complete road trip history to date. Follow us on Facebook or via email sign-up for new-entry alerts, or over on Twitter if you want to track my TV live-tweeting and other signs of life between entries. Thanks for reading!]
Midlife Crisis Crossover! 