From the Desk of Hagley's Public Relations

Hagley’s Civil War Education Series Highlights Human Contraband - March 8

2012-02-20T11:52:00.000-08:00

CONTACT: Meg Marcozzi, Marketing Manager

(302) 658-2400, ext. 238 mmarcozzi@hagley.org

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hagley’s Civil War Education Series Highlights Human Contraband

Wilmington, Delaware – March 2012 –Hagley Museum and Library presents the first spring program of its Civil War Education Series, “Human Contraband: African Americans in the Civil War” by Hagley Reference Archivist Lucas Clawson, on Thursday, March 8, 7 p.m. The lecture will be held in the Copeland Room of the Hagley Library. It is free and open to the public. Use Hagley’s Buck Road East entrance off Route 100 in Wilmington, Delaware. Reservations requested, 302-658-2400.

The current Hagley exhibit in the Visitor Center, “An Oath of Allegiance to the Republic: The du Ponts and the Civil War,” will be open and free from 4:30 to 6:45 p.m.

African-American and white soldiers at Morris Island, South Carolina, 1863.

Many ex-slaves became U.S. soldiers beginning in 1862.

The United States government listed escaped and liberated slaves as “contraband of war.” Defining ex-slaves as contraband meant that the government could free slaves in areas occupied by the military and did not have to return them to their masters. It was a way to deal with the influx of former chattels as well as frustrate slaveholders within a legal framework.

“The story of Contraband is often pushed behind the grand narratives of iconic politicians and military leaders who receive the lion’s share of the glory for emancipation and American social change,” says Hagley Reference Archivist Lucas Clawson. “Contraband’s involvement in the Civil War had many long-term effects that set the tone for government policy, race relations, and civil rights for the next 100 years.”

Lucas R. Clawson is the Reference Archivist with Hagley Museum and Library’s Manuscripts and Archives Department. He is a graduate of the Public and Applied History Program at Appalachian State University. Lucas is currently a PhD candidate in the History Department’s Hagley Graduate Program at the University of Delaware.

“An Oath of Allegiance to the Republic: The du Ponts and the Civil War” explores the roles played by several du Pont family members, E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Co., and the local community in response to the Civil War. It also delves into their involvement at the state, national, and international levels in resolving the most devastating conflict Americans have ever seen. The exhibit, located in the Visitor Center, will remain open until 6:45 p.m. the evening of March 8. To access the exhibit, use the main museum entrance off Route 141.

Hagley Museum and Library collects, preserves, and interprets the unfolding history of American enterprise. For more information, call (302) 658-2400 weekdays or visit www.hagley.org

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Hagley Summer Camp Registration Begins

2012-02-07T10:21:00.000-08:00

Hagley is offering two summer camps this year: the Civil War Summer Camp and the Power of Water Summer Camp. Visit http://www.hagley.org/event-summer-camp.html for more information.

Dollar Days at Hagley Begin in February

2012-01-30T08:19:00.000-08:00

CONTACT: Meg Marcozzi, Hagley Museum and Library Marketing Manager

(302) 658-2400, ext. 238 mmarcozzi@hagley.org

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ONE DOLLAR FOR ONE GREAT MUSEUM!

Wilmington, Delaware – February and March 2012 – Admission to Hagley Museum and Library is $1 on Saturdays in February and March. Families can explore Hagley’s current exhibit “An Oath of Allegiance to the Republic: The du Ponts and the Civil War,” explore demonstrations in the Powder Yard, tour the du Pont ancestral home, or enjoy the riverside landscape – for just one dollar. Use Hagley’s main entrance off Route 141 in Wilmington, Delaware.

“Once you’ve experienced Hagley, you’ll want to become more involved,” says Hagley Executive Director Geoff Halfpenny. “Consider a family membership and enjoy Hagley for free throughout the year.”

About the Exhibit

The DuPont Company produced almost half of the gunpowder purchased for use by the Union forces during the Civil War. Hagley’s exhibit, “An Oath of Allegiance to the Republic: The du Ponts and the Civil War,” explores the roles played by several du Pont family members, E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Co., and the local community in response to the Civil War. It also delves into their involvement at the state, national, and international levels in resolving the most devastating conflict Americans have ever seen. On Saturdays in the months of February and March, you can see this exhibit for only $1, or for free if you are a member.

The Visitor Center and Hands-on Exhibits

A stop at Hagley’s visitor center will set the scene for a trip to the entire museum, included in your $1 admission. Exhibits and dioramas document the Brandywine Valley’s early eras, and history of the DuPont Company. In the exhibit “DuPont Science and Discovery,” visitors are welcome to sit in a replica of Jeff Gordon’s #24 DuPont NASCAR, have a close encounter with a space shuttle suit, watch and wonder about the “happy and sad balls,” pick out the polymers and so much more.

Powder Yard

Also included for $1 is the chance to walk along the Brandywine to see how water power was used to run the mills. Stops include a line shaft, dam, millrace, and a restored nineteenth-century machine shop. Learn how gunpowder was tested using a device called an eprouvette – it is an explosive experience!

Hagley Museum and Library collects, preserves, and interprets the unfolding history of American enterprise. The museum is located off Route 141 in Wilmington,Delaware. Call (302) 658-2400 weekdays for more information or visit www.hagley.org.

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Hagley Makes Film on African American Education in Delaware Available Online

2012-01-18T10:29:00.000-08:00

CONTACT: Meg Marcozzi, Marketing Manager

(302) 658-2400, ext. 238 mmarcozzi@hagley.org

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wilmington, Delaware – Hagley Museum and Library announces that its film, A Separate Place: The Schools P.S. du Pont Built (2003), is available for viewing and downloading at www.hagley.org/separateplace/index.html. A Separate Place: The Schools P.S. du Pont Built presents the connection between Pierre S. du Pont’s philanthropy and efforts by African Americans to obtain quality education in Delaware.

“The era of racial segregation is a deplorable episode in our nation’s history,” said Hagley staff member Roger Horowitz, one of the film’s producers. “A Separate Place tells an uplifting story of how P. S. du Pont and the Black community in Delaware came together to create better education for young African Americans during those difficult times.”

The voices of former students and teachers in the du Pont schools provide most of the film’s content, supplemented by commentary from Dr. Jeanne Nutter, the film’s executive producer and herself a product of a du Pont-built school. A shortened 25 minute version of A Separate Place, intended for elementary and middle school students, is available along with the full 53 minute film.

A Teacher’s Guide, produced by Hagley’s Education Department, may be viewed and downloaded from the website. The guide supplements the film, especially for school use, with documents from Hagley’s research collections, such as before and after pictures of African American schools and letters from children to P.S. du Pont written in the 1920s.

Directed by Alonzo Crawford and edited by Kendrick Simmons, A Separate Place is a production of the Hagley Museum and Library. It was generously funded by the Longwood Foundation with partial support from the Delaware Humanities Forum, a state program of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and Hagley.

The Hagley Library is the nation’s leading business history library, archive, and research center. Current holdings comprise 37,000 linear feet in the Manuscripts and Archives Department, 290,000 printed volumes in the Imprints Department, 2 million visual items in the Pictorial Department, and more than 200,000 digital images and pages in the Digital Archives Department. Hagley’s Center for the History of Business, Technology, and Society, which coordinated production of A Separate Place, offers conferences, research seminars, and a public lecture series, and operates a research grant program.

Hagley Museum and Library collects, preserves, and interprets the unfolding history of American enterprise. Hagley is located in Wilmington, Delaware. For more information, call (302) 658-2400 weekdays or visit www.hagley.org

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Victorine’s Valentine’s Day at Hagley Spreads Cheer to Elderly (Feb 2012)

2012-01-16T08:26:00.000-08:00

CONTACT: Meg Marcozzi, Hagley Museum and Library Marketing Manager

(302) 658-2400, ext. 238 mmarcozzi@hagley.org

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wilmington, Delaware – February 2012 – Celebrate Valentine’s Day by enjoying an afternoon of sweets and fun at Hagley Museum and Library on Sunday, February 12, from 12:30 to 4 p.m. Hagley welcomes adults and children to enjoy crafts, snacks, and activities during Victorine’s Valentine’s Day program. This year, Hagley is asking families to create two Victorian-style valentines at its “Scrap” Valentine’s Day Card workshop – one to keep and one to give to a resident of a local nursing home. Program is included in the cost of admission.

Indulge your sweet tooth with freshly baked gingerbread hearts baked from a woodstove and warm up with a cup of hot chocolate complete with toppings like mint, butterscotch, marshmallows, and whipped cream too!

Explore our exhibit on candy-themed treasures including a display of antique Valentines, cookbooks, and vintage candy bar wrappers. Children can decorate a candy bar wrapper of their own to give to their favorite Valentine and write love poems with a quill pen.

This annual event honors the memory of Victorine du Pont Bauduy, the eldest daughter of the DuPont Company’s founder, who spent time as superintendent of the Brandywine Manufacturers’ Sunday School during the nineteenth century. While Victorine lost the love of her life only ten weeks after her marriage, she found love again in her passion for teaching. Learn more about her story, read her love poems, and find out how she fell in love again at Victorine’s Valentine’s Day.

Hagley Museum and Library collects, preserves, and interprets the unfolding history of American enterprise. The museum is located on Route 141 in Wilmington, Delaware. Admission to the entire 235-acre museum is $11 for adults, $9 for students and senior citizens, $4 for children six to fourteen, and free for children five and under. Call (302) 658-2400 weekdays for more information or visit www.hagley.org.

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Interviews with Ed Loper Available Online

2011-12-27T06:45:00.000-08:00

Click here to see interviews with Ed Loper, 1916-2011, in Hagley's documentary film, A Separate Place.

"Christmas at Hagley"

2011-12-13T07:33:00.000-08:00

"Christmas at Hagley" runs through January 1, 2012.

For information on the exhibit and programs, please visit http://www.hagley.org/event-christmas.html.

Admission in December is free for children fourteen and under. Adults are $11, students and seniors $9.

Hagley’s Civil War Education Series Continues with the Story of a Quaker Solider

2011-10-17T07:53:00.000-07:00

Wilmington, Delaware – October 2011 – Henry Gawthrop was one of several Quakers who served as commissioned officers in the 4^th Delaware Volunteer Infantry. Hagley Museum and Library presents the second lecture of its Civil War Education Series, “Quaker Soldier: The Civil War Experience of Henry Gawthrop of the 4th Delaware” by historian Justin Carisio, on Thursday, October 20, 7 p.m. The lecture will be held in the Copeland Room of the Hagley Library. It is free and open to the public. Use Hagley’s Buck Road East entrance off Route 100 in Wilmington, Delaware.

“Late in life, Henry Gawthrop drew upon his wartime diaries and letters to create an extended narrative of his military service,” says Carisio. “Bound as a book, this unique manuscript offers one of the most extensive views we have of a Delaware veteran's experience of the war.”

Mr. Carisio will share key episodes from this work including Gawthrop's decision to enlist, his account of the regiment's role in the June 1864 Assault on Petersburg, and the challenges he faced coping with his wounds in the war's immediate aftermath.

The last lecture of the Hagley Civil War education series will be December 1, 2011, with Jane Peters Estes. Her presentation of “Christmas Past” will explore the origins of many of our holiday traditions and highlights Christmas customs observed during the Civil War.

The current Hagley exhibit in the Visitor Center, “An Oath of Allegiance to the Republic: the du Ponts and the Civil War,” explores the roles played by several du Pont family members, E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Co., and the local community in response to the Civil War. It also delves into their involvement at the state, national, and international levels in resolving the most devastating conflict Americans have ever seen.

Hagley Museum and Library collects, preserves, and interprets the unfolding history of American enterprise. Hagley is located on Route 141 in Wilmington, Delaware. For more information, call (302) 658-2400 weekdays or visit www.hagley.org

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Lecture on Philanthropy Highlights du Pont Family Influence

2011-10-17T07:51:00.001-07:00

Wilmington, Delaware – November 2011 – Hagley Museum and Library welcomes Dr. Olivier Zunz, Commonwealth Professor of History at the University of Virginia, to speak about his just-published book, Philanthropy in America: A History, on Wednesday, November 9, 7 p.m. in the Soda House auditorium. Zunz’s lecture will focus on the role played by the du Pont family in the development of modern philanthropy, especially during the Great Depression. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and to be signed by the author. This program is partially funded by a grant from the Delaware Humanities Forum. The lecture is free. Registration requested. Call (302) 658-2400, ext. 243.

In his lecture, Zunz will discuss how the du Ponts mobilized local resources, including their own, to stem economic decline. Additionally, they supported the coordination of local governments, local business, and local charity into a significant response to the downturn. Through these and other activities, Zunz will show how the du Ponts’ efforts contributed greatly to making philanthropy such a powerful force in American society.

Philanthropy in America: A History looks at the ways in which American philanthropy emerged, not as charity work, but as an open and sometimes controversial means to foster independent investigation, problem-solving, and the greater good. Zunz’s book ranges widely, examining the influential large-scale foundations established by tycoons such as John D. Rockefeller, Sr., and the mobilization of small donors by the Red Cross and March of Dimes, as well as the recent social advocacy of individuals like Bill Gates and George Soros.

Dr. Zunz used the collections of Hagley Library for research for Philanthropy in America: A History. The Hagley Library is the nation’s leading business history library, archives, and research center. Current holdings comprise 36,000 linear feet in the Manuscripts and Archives Department, 290,000 printed volumes in the Imprints Department, 2 million visual items in the Pictorial Department, and more than 100,000 digital images and pages in the Digital Archives Department.

This program is partially funded by a grant from the Delaware Humanities Forum, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Hagley Museum and Library collects, preserves, and interprets the unfolding history of American enterprise. For more information, call (302) 658-2400 weekdays or visit www.hagley.org.

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Hagley Opens Records of Woodlawn Trustees for Research

2011-09-28T06:16:00.001-07:00

Wilmington, Delaware – September 2011 – Hagley Museum and Library announces the records of the Woodlawn Trustees, Inc., are open for research. The Woodlawn Trustees have been influential in the development of Concord Pike, building the Wilmington neighborhood “The Flats,” and providing open space to the City of Wilmington, New Castle County, and the State of Delaware for the purpose of creating public parks. The collection includes ledgers and journals, correspondence, meeting minutes, maps, photographs, and promotional materials. A finding aid is available online at http://www.hagley.org/library/collections/manuscripts/woodlawn_abst.html. Access to the collection is onsite only.

Hagley received the Woodlawn Trustees collection in 2008. The Woodlawn Trustees, Inc., dates to 1901 when it was formed by William Poole Bancroft and called “The Woodlawn Company.” Woodlawn’s mission has three initiatives: preserve green space, encourage planned development to benefit the community and support Woodlawn’s activities, and provide affordable rental housing to residents with modest means.

William Poole Bancroft was born in 1835, son of Joseph Bancroft, the founder of Joseph Bancroft & Sons Company, and Sarah Poole, daughter of William Poole, the silversmith and miller. When Bancroft was seven years old, he began working in his father’s cotton mills. At age 14, he went to work full time and by 1865, at the age of 30, was made a partner in the business. It was through the successful operation of these mills that William Bancroft acquired the means to give of his time, money, and energy to housing, orderly development, and parks.

The Hagley Library is the nation’s leading business history library, archives, and research center. Current holdings comprise 36,000 linear feet in the Manuscripts and Archives Department, 290,000 printed volumes in the Imprints Department, 2 million visual items in the Pictorial Department, and more than 100,000 digital images and pages in the Digital Archives Department.

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Sunday Hayrides at Hagley

2011-09-26T11:31:00.000-07:00

CONTACT: Meg Marcozzi, Marketing Manager

(302) 658-2400, ext. 238 mmarcozzi@hagley.org

Wilmington, Delaware – October 2011 – Hagley Museum and Library is offering family hayrides Sundays in October (2, 9, 16, 23, and 30). From noon to 4 p.m., visitors can take a half hour hayride, sip apple cider, and make fall crafts. The rides are sponsored by Hagley’s Golden Pheasants (Hagley’s membership group for the young and young-at-heart) and are included in regular admission.. Use Hagley’s main entrance off Route 141 in Wilmington, Delaware.

Each Sunday will feature a theme and craft (chart below). Families may play nineteenth-century games each week and color fall pictures. Hayrides will alternate between the upper and lower property each week. The last hayride begins at 4 p.m.

	Theme	Craft	Location
October 2	Dolls and Dolls	Corn husk and clothespin dolls	Wheelwright Shop
October 9	Apples	Apple wreaths	Barn
October 16	Leaves are FALLing	Fall leaf prints and rubbings	Wheelwright Shop
October 23	Frame It!	Fall frames	Barn
October 30	Pumpkins	Jack o’Lantern pouch	Wheelwright Shop

The museum is located on Route 141 in Wilmington, Delaware. GPS Address: 200 Hagley Road. Admission to the entire 235-acre museum is $11 for adults, $9 for students and senior citizens, $4 for children six to fourteen, and free for members and children five and under.

Hagley Museum and Library collects, preserves, and interprets the unfolding history of American enterprise. For more information, call (302) 658-2400 weekdays or visit www.hagley.org.

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Hagley Film Showcase Airs New Documentary about the Most Famous Entrepreneur You’ve Never Heard Of

2011-09-02T06:25:00.000-07:00

CONTACT: Meg Marcozzi, Marketing Manager

(302) 658-2400, ext. 238 mmarcozzi@hagley.org

Wilmington, Delaware – September 2011 – Join Hagley Museum and Library at 3 p.m. on Friday, September 23, for a viewing of a new documentary on the life of Bill McGowan ,“Long Distance Warrior.” Film will be shown in the Auditorium of the Hagley Soda House. Use Hagley’s Buck Road Entrance off Route 100. This program is free and open to the public. “Long Distance Warrior” is a presentation of WTTW Chicago, American Public Television and the Hagley Museum and Library.

Bill McGowan transformed long distance service from a luxury to a cheap commodity as he built a tiny company called MCI into a telecommunications powerhouse. He took on the most powerful monopoly of his time—AT&T, and its Bell System of local phone companies—and won against all odds. He helped usher in the Information Age by unleashing the forces of competition and change.

Hagley received the records of MCI in August of 2000. The collection contains approximately 750 linear feet of material including annual reports, correspondence, photographs, and interviews. Hagley’s online exhibit, “William G. McGowan’s MCI 1968-1991” is accessible at http://www.hagley.org/library/exhibits/MCI/.

The Hagley Library is the nation’s leading business history library, archive, and research center. Current holdings comprise 36,000 linear feet in the Manuscripts and Archives Department, 290,000 printed volumes in the Imprints Department, 2 million visual items in the Pictorial Department, and more than 100,000 digital images and pages in the Digital Archives Department. The Library operates a research grant program, and offers conferences, research seminars, and a public lecture series.

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CONTACT: Meg Marcozzi, Marketing Manager

(302) 658-2400, ext. 238 mmarcozzi@hagley.org

About “Long Distance Warrior”

“Long Distance Warrior” a new one-hour film directed by Sarah Holt and produced by Holt and Bestor Cram, is a colorful portrait of a man whose vision and enthusiasm inspired so much loyalty that his former employees still hold annual reunions 25 years after his death. Fast-paced, dramatic and imbued with McGowan’s famous sense of humor, the film will premiere on public television beginning in September 2011 (check local listings).

And yet Bill McGowan’s extraordinary story is now largely forgotten. His company, once analyzed and dissected daily by the media, has disappeared. Only his legacy remains: the dazzling world of information technology, lightning-fast communications, and inexorable innovation we now take for granted.

It’s a world that was the stuff of science fiction and fantasy just fifty years ago, when everyone had a black telephone they rented from Ma Bell and thought twice about calling long distance because of its cost. Progress was stymied by a risk-averse corporate behemoth, and competition was stifled at every turn.

“Long Distance Warrior” chronicles McGowan’s rise from his hardscrabble Pennsylvania roots to Harvard Business School to the CEO of MCI. A risk-taking, rule-breaking workaholic who delighted in a challenge, McGowan refused to accept the status quo and dared to take on AT&T when no one else would.

Told through interviews with former colleagues, historians, and journalists, “Long Distance Warrior” is a compelling film that is long overdue. It brings a major figure in American business history back into the public spotlight and presents a gripping case study of the kind of vision, determination, and calculated risk-taking it takes to spark real progress. But above all, it shows us how we got to the present by taking us back to the past, so we can follow the path of a man who saw the future, and then made it happen.

It is, in essence, a classic American success story.

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The Libby Prison Minstrels will perform Civil War Era music at Hagley

2011-09-02T06:20:00.000-07:00

CONTACT: Meg Marcozzi, Marketing Manager

(302) 658-2400, ext. 238 mmarcozzi@hagley.org

What: The Libby Prison Minstrels will perform Civil War Era music at Hagley

Where: The Soda House at Hagley Museum and Library (Buck Road Entrance off Route 100)

When: 7 pm. On Thursday, September 29, 2011

Admission: Free

Briefly:

The Concert by the Libby Prison Minstrels is the first program in Hagley’s Civil War Education Series. The Civil War Education Series complements Hagley’s exhibit, “An Oath of Allegiance to the Republic: The du Ponts and the Civil War.”

The Libby Prison Minstrels is a five-piece band with guitars, banjo, mandolins, bass, harmonica, whistles and percussion that feature three-part harmony. It is modeled after a group of Union prisoners who performed in the infamous Libby Prison in Richmond, Virginia, during the Civil War. The band’s repertoire includes soldier songs (North and South), Irish-American ballads, sea shanties, spirituals, period fiddle tunes, and Early American dance music.

The Hagley Civil War education series will continue in October with historian Justin Carisio, and his lecture, " Quaker Soldier: The Civil War Experience of Henry Gawthrop of the 4^th Delaware;" and December with Jane Peters Estes, and her presentation of “Christmas Past,” which will explore the origins of many of our holiday traditions and highlights Christmas customs observed during the Civil War.

Hagley Museum and Library collects, preserves, and interprets the unfolding history of American enterprise. For more information, call (302) 658-2400 weekdays or visit www.hagley.org.

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Hagley Concert Features Civil War Era Music

2011-08-10T07:12:00.000-07:00

Wilmington, Delaware – September 2011 – Hagley Museum and Library welcomes the Libby Prison Minstrels to the Soda House on Wednesday, September 29, 2011, at 7 p.m. to perform music from the Civil War era. Admission is free. Use Hagley’s Buck Road East entrance off Route 100 in Wilmington, Delaware.

Hagley Museum and Library collects, preserves, and interprets the unfolding history of American enterprise. For more information, call (302) 658-2400 weekdays or visit www.hagley.org.

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Explore the Brandywine with Hagley’s Creek Kids

2011-08-10T07:05:00.000-07:00

Wilmington, Delaware – August 2011 – Join Hagley’s Creek Kids for two afternoons along the Brandywine, Tuesday, August 16, and Sunday, August 21, from 1 to 4 p.m. Today we can access power with a flip of a switch, run to the grocery store to pick up food for dinner, and stop by the shopping mall if we need new socks or a shirt. Life in the nineteenth century was not the same. Come watch, learn, and experience how the people who lived and worked along the Brandywine depended on natural elements for their daily tasks. From growing fruits and vegetables in gardens to using water from the Brandywine to power the mills, the environment of the Brandywine was a vital part of this community. Activities are included in admission and free for members.

The afternoons’ activities will explore the natural world of the Brandywine. Parents and children can try their hands at fishing with a bamboo pole or take a walking tour of the water power process. Local artisans will be discussing textile arts and demonstrating the use of old-fashioned spinning and weaving wheels. Other activities will include making lavender sachets, peeling willow branches, and learning about the Workers’ Garden.

Hagley's Creek Kids is a youth leadership and development program. High school students undergo extensive training from November through August to learn how to develop and implement a public program. Training includes lessons on leadership, instruction in history and science content, brainstorming and planning session, and hands-on exercises. Students apply this training during public programs at Hagley.

The Creek Kids program is supported, in part, by Capital Growth Management, LP., and Mercer Health & Benefits Company.

The museum is located on Route 141 in Wilmington, Delaware. Admission to the entire 235-acre museum is $11 for adults, $9 for students and senior citizens, $4 for children six to fourteen, and free for members and children five and under.

Hagley Museum and Library collects, preserves, and interprets the unfolding history of American enterprise. Call (302) 658-2400 weekdays for more information or visit www.hagley.org.

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My Classic Car’s Dennis Gage to Attend 2011 Hagley Car Show

2011-07-21T05:38:00.000-07:00

CONTACT: Meg Marcozzi, Hagley Museum and Library Marketing Manager

(302) 658-2400, ext. 238 mmarcozzi@hagley.org

Wilmington, Delaware – September 2011 – Host of My Classic Car television series Dennis Gage will attend the 2011 Hagley Car Show on Sunday, September 18. Gage and his crew will film the car show and interview car owners for a program that will air in 2012. The Hagley Car Show, which runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on September 18, will feature automobiles with rumble seats in addition to the more than 500 cars, trucks, and motorcycles that illustrate American automotive history. Parking for the Car Show is on site. Advance wristbands at a discount may be purchased in the Hagley Store or www.hagley.org beginning August 15.

Dennis Gage began hosting the My Classic Car television program in 1996 when it aired on TNN. The show, now in its sixteenth year, airs on the SPEED channel, which has a viewership of 80 million households. Gage is also the executive producer of the motorcycle television programs, Corbin’s Ride On and Trippin’ on Two Wheels, and a reality series, Texas Hardtails. He also produced an independent film called Novem.

Hagley Car Show Coordinator John McCoy says, “We are very excited to have Dennis here providing international exposure to our world-class show.”

In addition to perusing the antique cars on display, visitors can also try pedal-powered go-kart racing and NASCAR simulator, watch vehicle parades, enjoy motoring music and festival food, and delight in walking around a room full of fabulous operating vintage jukeboxes.

Parking for Hagley’s Car Show will be on site. Visitors can enter through Hagley’s main entrance off of Route 141. Wristbands to the show will be offered in advance. Wristbands are available at the Hagley Store or www.hagley.org from August 15 through September 15 (online) or September 17 (store). Pre-event wristbands are $8 adults and $4 children six through fourteen. Wristbands purchased at the Car Show will be $10 adults and $5 children six through fourteen. Admission is free for Hagley members and children five and under. The event will be held rain or shine.

The Hagley Car Show is sponsored, in part, by Aircrafters, Inc.; Chubb Insurance; Delaware Cadillac-Saab-Subaru; Homsey Architects, Inc.; ING Financial Partners; 21^st Century Insurance, and Weymoth, Swayze, and Corroon Insurance, Inc. with the support of the following car clubs: Brandywine Region Antique Automobile Club of America, Chester County Antique Car Club, Historical Car Club of Pennsylvania, Historical Vintage Car Club of Delaware, Yesterdays Chevrolet, First State Corvair Club, and First State Ford Mustang Club. The display of antique juke boxes is made possible by the American Historic Jukebox Society.

Hagley Museum and Library collects preserves, and interprets the unfolding history of American Enterprise. For more information, call (302) 658-2400 weekdays or visit www.hagley.org.

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Media Advisory: Hagley Creek Kids Organizing Care Packages for Members of Delaware National Guard Unit 126

2011-07-07T12:44:00.000-07:00

Contact: Meg Marcozzi, Hagley Museum and Library Marketing Manager

(302) 658-2400, ext. 238 mmarcozzi@hagley.org

What: Hagley is offering visitors $1 off admission for donating items for care packages at the Hagley Creek Kids event, “Gunpowder and the Civil War.” Care packages will be sent to Delaware National Guard Unit 126 stationed in a remote area of Afghanistan.

When: Sundays, July 12 and 17, 1 to 4 p.m.

Location: Hagley Museum and Library just off Route 141 in Wilmington, Delaware

Admission:$11 for adults, $9 for students and senior citizens, $4 for children six to fourteen, and free for members and children five and under (these prices do not reflect the discount if items for the care packages are donated)

Brief: The Hagley Creek Kids invite families to learn about the Civil War through hands-on activities. “Gunpowder and the Civil War at Hagley” will examine the role of DuPont Company and its employees played in producing almost half of the gunpowder used by the Union Army. Think ramped-up production, espionage scares, and Delaware Militia. Visitors will be able to create care packages for soldiers, drill with Civil War re-enactors, and become apprentices in Hagley’s nineteenth-century Machine Shop.

Suggested Items for Care Packages:

Packaged Snacks

Lance Crackers

Sugarless gum

Twizzlers

Ground Coffee

Flavored teas

Sweetener (blue, yellow or pink)

Ramen noodles, instant oatmeal, hot chocolate mix

Fruit roll ups

Powdered Milk

Prepackaged, Non-Perishable Microwavable meals

Packets of flavored drinks

Baby Wipes

Tooth Brushes, Tooth paste (travel size)

Shampoo (travel size)

Gold Bond Powder (Coveted) modest size bottles

Lip Balm

Lotions (travel size)

Athletic Socks

Local publications

DVD Movies

Fun Hand games, puzzles

AVOID:

· Chocolate & Perishable items (They do not do well in Transit and Heat)

· We are not able to accept home baked items

Hagley Announces New Director of Library Services

2011-06-15T13:06:00.000-07:00

CONTACT: Meg Marcozzi, Hagley Museum and Library Marketing Manager

(302) 658-2400, ext. 238 mmarcozzi@hagley.org

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wilmington, Delaware – June 2011 - Hagley Museum and Library Executive Director Geoff Halfpenny has announced the appointment of a new director for the Hagley Library. Taking over the leadership as Director, Library Services, on July 1, 2011, is Erik P. Rau, Ph.D. Dr. Rau comes to Hagley from Drexel University where he was an assistant teaching professor in the Department of History and Politics.

According to Mr. Halfpenny, “The Hagley Library is the nation’s leading business history library and archive. With collections that include 36,000 linear feet of archival material, 290,000 printed volumes, more than 2 million pictorial images, and a growing digital repository, the Hagley Library has international recognition. As a historian of technology, information, and organizations, Dr. Rau brings to Hagley a keen understanding of the issues now facing independent research libraries and the insight to guide the Hagley Library into the future.”

Dr. Rau serves on the board as vice chairperson of the Delaware Humanities Council and is project director of their Delaware Industrial History Initiative, a digital humanities program of the Delaware Humanities Forum. The initiative includes Hagley’s “Industrial Brandywine” project. He earned a Ph.D. and M.A. in the Department of History and Sociology of Science from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.S. from Stanford University.

Hagley Museum and Library collects, preserves, and interprets the unfolding history of American enterprise. The Hagley Library is a member of the Independent Research Libraries Association. For more information, call (302) 658-2400 weekdays or visit www.hagley.org

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Vote for Hagley as a Family Favorite Place

2011-05-26T08:54:00.000-07:00

Reader-recommended attractions will be featured in the July 2011 issue of MetroKids. To nominate or vote for a location, follow the link below.

MetroKids Family Favorite Places

Don't forget, this summer there is Creek Kids programs in June, July, and August, and Bike and Hike in July and August.

Brandywine Valley Attractions Offer Military Personnel and Families Free Admission as part of the Blue Star Museums Initiative

2011-05-23T13:12:00.000-07:00

Brief: Seven cultural attractions from the Brandywine Museums & Gardens Alliance offer free admission for military personnel and families from Memorial Day through Labor Day 2011

Wilmington, DE, May 23, 2011—Media Contact: MaryLynn Mack, 302-295-2390; mlmack@dehistory.org. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—Seven Brandywine Valley museums are joining institutions all over the United States to thank our military personnel and their families for their service and sacrifice by offering them free admission from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The program represents a broad range of art, history, science, and culture for children and adults. More than 1,300 museums are participating.

"Military families deserve our appreciation for the challenges they face," said MaryLynn Mack, president of the Brandywine Museums & Gardens Alliance. "We are delighted to join the rest of the country in welcoming them to our extraordinary cultural attractions, and by waiving the admission fees this summer."

About Blue Star Museums

Blue Star Museums is a partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, and museums across the country. The program runs from Memorial Day, May 30, through Labor Day, September 5, 2011. Free admission is available to any bearer of a Geneva Convention Common Access Card (CAC), A DD Form 1173 ID Card, or a DD Form 1173-1 ID Card, which includes active duty military and their immediate family members, Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, National Guard, and Reserve. Some special or limited-time museum exhibits may be excluded. For specific questions, please contact the museum directly.

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Participating Museums

Brandywine River Museum, U.S. Route 1, Chadds Ford, PA 19317; www.brandywinemuseum.org. Lora Englehart, 610-388-8337; lenglehart@brandywine.org.

Delaware Art Museum, 2301 Kentmere Parkway, Wilmington, DE 19806; www.delart.org. Molly Keresztury, 302-351-8515; mkeresztury@delart.org.

Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts, 200 S. Madison St., Wilmington, DE 19801; www.thedcca.org. Sara Monserrat Teixido, 302-656-6466, x. 7110; steixido@thedcca.org.

Delaware Historical Society (includes Delaware History Museum in Wilmington and George Read II House and Gardens in New Castle), 504 Market St., Wilmington, DE 19801; www.hsd.org. MaryLynn Mack, 302-295-2390; mlmack@dehistory.org.

Delaware Museum of Natural History, 4840 Kennett Pike, Delaware Route 52, Wilmington, DE 19807; www.delmnh.org. Teresa Messmore, 302-658-9111, tmessmore@delmnh.org.

Hagley Museum and Library, DE Route 141, Wilmington, DE 19807; www.hagley.org. Meg Marcozzi, 302-658-2400, ext. 238; mmarcozzi@hagley.org.

Winterthur Museum & Country Estate, DE Route 52, Winterthur, DE 19735; www.winterthur.org. Holly Victor, 302-888-4803; hvicto@winterthur.org.

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Hagley Civil War Exhibit Receives Attention from Local Media

2011-05-03T06:05:00.000-07:00

Delaware Backstory by robin brown on "An Oath of Allegiance to the Republic: The du Ponts and the Civil War"

Crushing Mill, DuPont Powder Yards, ca. 1865

Mellany Armstrong (WDEL) discusses exhibit

Chester County Press

The Civil War Trust

One-of-a-Kind Gifts for your Unique Mom at Brandywine Valley Museums, Gardens, and Historic Sites

2011-04-26T13:10:00.000-07:00

Brief: Gift shops at Brandywine Museums and Gardens Alliance (BMGA) cultural attractions have exquisite merchandise at excellent prices, just right for Mother's Day; shop in person or online

Wilmington, DE, April 26, 2011—Media Contact: MaryLynn Mack, 302-295-2390; mlmack@dehistory.org. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—Mother's Day is coming up May 8, 2011, and cultural attractions in the Brandywine Valley make it easy for you to find the perfect gift!

For a gift that keeps on giving all summer, select the $35 Treasure Trail Passport good for one-time admission at all ten Brandywine Valley Museums & Gardens sites. Your mom will enjoy world-class art collections, dazzling gardens, rich history, and much more from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. Order online at http://www.visitwilmingtonde.com/Passport/.

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Start Mother's Day at the Brandywine River Museum (www.brandywinemuseum.org) with a relaxing breakfast and a breathtaking view for only $5 per person; kids' menu available. Museum admission is free on Sunday mornings! After touring the galleries, visit the Museum Shop and let Mom choose from among the jewelry, books, and art reproductions. And don't forget the Wildflower, Native Plant and Seed Sale, May 7 & 8, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., with volunteers on hand to answer questions. Proceeds benefit the Brandywine Conservancy's diverse and beautiful Wildflower and Native Plant Gardens.

Dress your best for an elegant afternoon with tea and art to celebrate Mother’s Day at the Delaware Art Museum! Begin with a buffet of teas, scones, tea sandwiches and pastries at the noon or 1:30 seating, followed by a family-themed gallery tour; families with young children can do an art project afterwards. Stop by the Museum Store where you'll find works from local artists, including jewelry by Olga Ganoudis, glass by Deb Appleby, and ceramic birds by Jacqueline Jrolf, or pick up a Baggallini handbag or luxurious silk scarf.

The Alternatives Museum Shop at the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts (www.thedcca.org) is a unique source for contemporary handmade craft items created by regional and national artisans. Estelle Lukoff jewelry (Landenberg, PA) combines antique brass with fine metal elements, natural gemstones, glass, and Swarovski crystals; her limited production handbags express the artist's unique design vision. Arin Arthur (Boise, ID) transforms patterns into hand-printed and sewn silk scarves. A glass vase by Deborah Appleby of Studio 24 (Lewes, DE) accentuates nature's harmony within the physical tendencies of glass—the ideal vessel for Mother's Day flowers.

For a mother who values history, The Delaware Historical Society (www.dehistory.org) offers Fine Historic Reproductions. High-quality reproduction maps, broadsides, and images from the Society’s collections are available matted and/or framed. The documents and photographs are beautiful and fascinating pieces of the past. Prices start at $39. Visit the website or call 302-295-2390.

The Museum Store at The Delaware Museum of Natural History (www.delmnh.org) isn't just for kids! Take the whole family to the Museum, then tap into your nature-loving mom's interest with jewelry, items for the home, an umbrella, or a book from the Museum Store. (And maybe she's not too old for that adorable stuffed animal after all.)

At the Hagley Museum Store (www.hagley.org) the hand-patinaed bronze with freshwater pearls “Peapod,” a symbol of life and its beginnings, is available in a necklace, earrings and pin; prices start at $40.00. Hagley's $58 custom silk scarf, blue with roses, was inspired by a painting by Sophia Madeleine du Pont (1810-1888), the youngest daughter of Eleuthère Irénée and Sophie Dalmas du Pont. $58.00. Or choose a charming porcelain or china teapot with matching cups in floral, toile, or rooster design, available as a standard teapot and tea-for-one; cups start at $11.95, teapots at $22.95.

Honor your mother with a Longwood Signature Gift from The Gardens Shop and Greenhouse at Longwood Gardens (www.longwoodgardens.org). Choose a fleece hoodie with a beautiful swirly tree graphic on the back, or perhaps a flowerpot mug. The Shop has top-notch bath & body items, stationery, and home accessories; the Greenhouse side of the store has books, tools, pots, wind chimes, and live plants your mother will love.

Check out the website of Mt. Cuba Center (www.mtcubacenter.org), a horticultural treasure dedicated to the study, conservation, and appreciation of plants native to the Appalachian Piedmont, and sign your mother up for a tour or class she would enjoy.

Rockwood Park and Museum (www.rockwood.org) has a jewel-box of a shop that feels a lot like an antiques store. Located in the Gothic Revival mansion, the store sells unique jewelry, textiles, and home décor items. Vintage-look products are featured.

Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library (www.winterthur.org) has a wide range of Mother's Day gifts. Known for heartwarming designs from traditional to shabby chic, Alice's Cottage features textiles including scented sachets, petite pillows, towels, mugs, mats, and totes. Or choose a 100% wool hand-embroidered belt by Jenny Krauss in assorted colors and designs, $70. A unique China back stamp bracelet is available for $59. Liven things up with a colorful silk tissue holder for $14 or a four-inch high blown glass mini vase for just $9. ________________________________________________________________________________

The Brandywine Museums & Gardens Alliance promotes the art, culture, history, and beauty of the Brandywine Valley, and provides a central resource for journalists. For more information, visit www.brandywinetreasures.org or contact MaryLynn Mack, 302-295-2390; mlmack@dehistory.org

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Hagley Exhibit Examines Civil War through the Eyes of du Pont

2011-04-21T07:37:00.000-07:00

CONTACT: Meg Marcozzi, Marketing Manager

(302) 658-2400, ext. 238 mmarcozzi@hagley.org

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wilmington, Delaware – April 2011 – The DuPont Company produced almost half of the gunpowder purchased for use by the Union forces during the Civil War. An exhibit at Hagley Museum and Library, “An Oath of Allegiance to the Republic: the du Ponts and the Civil War” presented by Wilmington Trust explores the political, military, and business environments during the war through the experiences of du Pont family members. Letters, stereopticons and photographs, journals, artifacts, and memorabilia will be featured. “An Oath of Allegiance to the Republic: the du Ponts and the Civil War” presented by Wilmington Trust opens on Saturday, April 30, 2011, and will be displayed through Sunday, July 22, 2012. Exhibit hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., daily, closed Christmas.

“An Oath of Allegiance to the Republic: the du Ponts and the Civil War” presented by Wilmington Trust parallels the very real, personal experiences of the du Ponts to the local, national, and international context. The exhibit discusses Henry du Pont as he rallied for Delaware to remain part of the Union, led Delaware’s militia, and protected the powder yards. Henry A. du Pont, a then-recent graduate of West Point, was conflicted as his fellow classmates chose sides, but he went on to have a distinguished career in the Union Army. Samuel Francis Du Pont, was a decorated admiral in the Navy and successfully took Port Royal, South Carolina, as one of the Union’s first victories. Lammot du Pont skillfully negotiated the end of an embargo on military exports to the United States by England. Learn these stories and more at “An Oath of Allegiance to the Republic: the du Ponts and the Civil War” presented by Wilmington Trust.

“Telling some of the du Ponts’ stories provides a valuable and insightful glimpse into the complex world of a nation at war with itself,” says Hagley Reference Archivist Lucas Clawson who curates the exhibit.

A Civil War Education Series complements this exhibit featuring a concert by the Libby Prison Minstrels, September 29, 2011; a lecture called "Delaware at Antietam" by Justin Carisio, the DuPont Company’s manager of leadership engagement, October 20, 2011; and a lecture by lecturer Jane Peters Estes on holiday celebrations during the war, December 1, 2011. An online exhibit provides an in-depth view of the powder yards and company during the Civil War: www.hagley.org/exhibits/brandywine.

Additional support provided by Lyons Companies.

Admission

Admission to the entire 235-acre museum, including the exhibit, is $11 for adults, $9 for students and senior citizens, $4 for children six to fourteen, and free for children five and under. Exhibit only admission is $5 for adults, $2 for children six through fourteen, and free for children five and under. Free for members.

About Hagley

Hagley Museum and Library collects, preserves, and interprets the unfolding history of American enterprise. The museum is located on Route 141 in Wilmington, Delaware. Call (302) 658-2400 weekdays for more information or visit www.hagley.org.

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Caption: Citizens of Delaware commissioned this ceremonial sword in recognition of Samuel Francis DuPont's Civil War naval victory at Port Royal, South Carolina. That victory also led to his promotion to Rear Admiral. The gold, brass, and silver sword was manufactured by Ames Manufacturing Company for Schuyler, Hartley and Graham in 1862.