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State Museum to Honor World War I Centennial with Veterans Day Bell Ringing and Uniform Display Opening

10/22/2018

Harrisburg, PA - The State Museum of Pennsylvania will honor the centennial of the end of World War I on Sunday, November 11 with a ceremonial bell ringing and the opening of a new display.

The museum will host a Bells of Peace ceremony at 11:00 A.M. on the ground-floor outdoor promenade, adjacent to North Street, with the tolling of its full-size replica Liberty Bell, originally exhibited at the 1964 World’s Fair. This public event will coincide with other Bells of Peace ceremonies, a collaborative program that invites citizens and organizations across the country to toll bells in their communities 21 times on Veterans Day. The State Museum will host this event in conjunction with the United States World War I Centennial Commission.
 
The State Museum tolling will be accompanied by brief remarks and readings commemorating the service of Pennsylvanians in World War I.
 
At 12:00 noon, the museum will open Dressed for Service: Pennsylvanians in the Great War, a display that spotlights the contributions and sacrifices of six Pennsylvanians who volunteered for service during World War I. Located on the first floor of the museum, the display tells the volunteers’ stories of service through their uniforms, clothing and personal effects. A uniform defines the wearer’s mission and provides a sense of belonging as well as unity of purpose and appearance.
 
The display will feature the 1919 uniform worn by Philadelphia-native Helen Behal, who took on the role of relief worker for the Jewish Welfare Board in France. The Montgomery County Volunteer Home Defense Police uniform of Loretto Venditti, an emigrant from Italy, is also part of the display, illustrating how those who were exempt from being drafted in military service could still contribute to the war effort.
 
Dressed for Service: Pennsylvanians in the Great War augments the museum’s Pennsylvania at War gallery, which features Pennsylvania at War: World War I Posters from the Pennsylvania State Archives, a display of recruitment and public mobilization posters of the era, and Pennsylvania at War: The Saga of the USS Pennsylvania, an exhibit depicting the history of the flagship of the U.S. Navy in the Pacific during World War II.
 
ABOUT THE STATE MUSEUM OF PENNSYLVANIA
 
The State Museum of Pennsylvania, adjacent to the State Capitol in Harrisburg, is one of 24 historic sites and museums administered by the Pennsylvania Historical & 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 eras, 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).
 
The State Museum has joined other museums across the country in Museums for All. This program enables low-income families to visit participating museums for a nominal fee of $2 per person with the presentation of an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card and identification. This offer is for general admission only and excludes special programs or events.
 
For more information about the museum, visit www.statemuseumpa.org or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
 
MEDIA CONTACT: Howard Pollman, 717-705-8639
 

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