A Historic Bethlehem Museums and Sites Four-Site Showcase

The Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites announces its newest exhibition, Colors, which will present some of the collection’s most vibrant and ornate objects, including fine examples of glass, textiles, furniture, clothing and ceramics. For the first time ever, this exhibition will run across all four of the HBMS museum sites!

This exciting museum experience will run until November 2, 2014 and will feature objects from the Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites collections, as well as items on loan from the Schwenkfelder Library and Heritage Center.

The Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts will display a vivid “spectrum” of artifacts. The Goundie House will feature representations of monochrome design from the HBMS collections, where guests can learn about color symbolism and how the subtext of black and white changed over time. This exhibition is a must see with objects such as deeply saturated blue and red glassware from Eastern Europe, a vivid orange 1920s dress from France, and a stunning Turkey Red signature quilt made right here in Bethlehem!

Next, beginning June 8, the Moravian Museum of Bethlehem will offer a display of objects that will spotlight how multicolored combinations were used in a variety of mediums. Starting the same day at the Burnside Plantation, attendees can discover how color was made and perceived in the 18th and early 19th century! By looking at the relationship between nature and color, learn why colorful objects were once so highly prized.

Historic Bethlehem also announces that this will be the first exhibition by our new Curator of Collections & Exhibits, Caitlin Harvey.  Caitlin began her working career with a Bachelors of Arts degree in History from the University of Washington, Seattle.  A year later she traveled to England to attend the London College of Fashion, where she received a Masters of Arts degree in the History and Culture of Fashion. While working on her Master’s thesis she interned at the Robert and Penny Fox Historic Costume Collection located on Drexel University’s campus.

Following graduate school, she moved to the Lehigh Valley to work at the Allentown Art Museum.  Caitlin was brought on board to assist with their massive renovation, and upon completion, she moved on to a two year joint textile cataloging project with the Mennonite Heritage Center, Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center and the Goschenhoppen Historians.

Throughout the course of the exhibition there will be special programs and interactive elements, including a chance for the public to contribute their own interpretations of color on our curatorial blog, Exploring the Collections, which can be found through the collections section of the Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites website. Guests are welcome to send in questions and contribute to our understanding of color through time by contacting Caitlin or commenting on the blog.

Ther “Pass Into History” admission ticket will allow viewing all four sites for $20. A two-site pass is also available for $12, as well as a three-site pass for $15. Passes are good for a whole year and are available at the Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts, the Moravian Museum of Bethlehem, and historic Burnside Plantation, as well as the HBMS Visitor Center at 505 Main Street, and online at HistoricBethlehem.org.

Historic Bethlehem is a not-for-profit institution that brings to life three centuries of American history. Historic Bethlehem tells the story of a small town of great influence, home to some of our nation’s earliest settlers, to America’s first municipal water pumping system, and to one of the world’s greatest industrial companies. Historic Bethlehem is located in Eastern Pennsylvania, only a 1.5 hour drive from Philadelphia to the North and 2 hours west of New York City. Historic Bethlehem is an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and is distinguished as a National Historic Landmark District for Historic Moravian Bethlehem.