Illumination: The History of Electricity
Spring – Summer 2021
Where would we be if humans had not learned to harness electricity? It is not a world many people would like to live in.
Electricity fuels our lives. Computers are essential to most of the work done in any field. Without electricity, our computers are rendered useless.
Come to the Liberty Bell Museum and learn the journey of mankind’s relationship with electricity. From lightning rods to powering whole cities, our current special exhibit will take you on the road to discovery about how humanity has been improved by this natural phenomenon.
Allentown Band Concert
September 19, 2021 at 3:00 p.m.
The Allentown Band, under the direction of Ron Demkee, will present the show “Americans We.” To recognize the Liberty Bell Museum’s exhibit highlighting the history of electricity and celebrating PPL’s 100th anniversary, the concert will feature March Electric by Giuseppe Greatore. The Allentown Band will also perform works by composers such as Walter Piston, Morton Gould, Leonard Bernstein, Henry Mancini, John Philip Sousa, and more.
The concert benefits the Liberty Bell Museum’s educational programs which provide hands-on experiences for every third and seventh-grader in the Allentown School District, teaching them about the brave, patriotic actions of everyday citizens who risked their lives in the cause of liberty.
Tickets are $10 each and may be purchased at the link below or use this form to submit your order. Tickets may also be purchased at the museum.
Sponsorships
Sponsorships are available at the following levels:
Patriot $250: full page ad and 5 tickets
Colonist $100: 1/2 page ad and 3 tickets
Minuteman $75: 1/4 page ad and 2 tickets
Citizen $50: listing in program and 2 tickets
First Defender $25: listing in program and 1 ticket
Sponsorships may be purchased at the link below or contact the museum for more information at 610-435-4232.
Upcoming Exhibit:
“Travelers’ Haven: The Past, Present and Future of the Americus Hotel”
October – December 2021
The Northeast corner of Sixth and Hamilton Streets has been a travelers’ haven for over two hundred years, from the tavern built there in 1810 to the grandest of the downtown hotels, the Americus, built in 1927. The history of the Americus Hotel is the history of 20th Century Allentown. Join us at the Liberty Bell Museum as we explore the 96-year history of this landmark hotel, detail its ups and downs, and celebrate its new renaissance.
This Week in History
September 6, 1901: U.S. President William McKinley was shot and mortally wounded by anarchist Leon Czolgosz at the World’s Fair in Buffalo, New York. It was initially thought that he would recover from his wounds, but he developed an infection and died eight days later, on September 14th.
September 7, 1940: The German Luftwaffe’s eight-month Blitz of the city of London began.
September 8, 1966: Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek debuted on NBC. It ran for two seasons before it was cancelled but was brought back for a third season by fan demand, and spawned a cultural phenomenon that is still going strong 55 years later.
September 9, 1776: The Continental Congress officially adopted the national name of the United States of America.
September 10, 1846: Elias Howe received a patent for the first lockstitch sewing machine.
September 11, 2001: The worst terrorist attack in U.S. history occurred in New York City.
September 12, 1992: Dr. Mae C. Jemison is the first African-American to go into space. She was a mission specialist on the space shuttle Endeavor. Her mission focus was on conducting science experiments.
September 13, 1788: New York City was chosen as the capital of the new American federal government.
September 13, 1814: The Battle of Fort McHenry occurred in Baltimore Harbor during the War of 1812. Lawyer Francis Scott Key witnessed the battle and commemorated it with a poem “The Star-Spangled Banner”, which would later become the lyrics of America’s national anthem.