Made up of four separate complexes: Science Museum, D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts, G.W.V. Smith Art Museum, and Museum of Springfield History. I found some very interesting objects at each complex.
The Science Museum holds the
Seymour Planetarium which houses the Korkoz Starball:
The projector is the oldest operating American-built planetarium projector in the world.
Surprisingly, old technology is what runs the show as NASA still sells 35mm slides at a fraction of the cost for digital media.
At the D’Amour I found this Verré eglomise (underpainted glass).
The process involved gold leaf being applied to the glass and used for the highlights, while black paint is used for the outline of the elements with
colored pigments filling the forms. It doesn't come across on this photo but the detail was incredible…hard to imagine someone in the 15th century being able to reverse paint on glass such small images with perfect facial details.
Love, American Style: The Art of Lisa Hoke covered two walls down a hall with several pieces of varying colors.
Made of every day paper goods including cardboard, packaging, paper plates, plastic cups, matchbook covers, printed advertising material and all sorts of discarded flotsam and jetsam.
I also got to take a walk down memory lane, viewing Beatles pictures from my youth.
The Smith Art Museum was the private collection of George Walter Vincent Smith (1832-1923) who was rich enough to retire at the age of 35 and then spend his life traveling and collecting art.
It has an eclectic assortment of Italian paintings, American paintings and drawings, European and Far Eastern textiles and furniture, Oriental arms and armor, cloisonné, ceramics lacquer ware, metalwork, ivories and carpets.
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| Netsukes |
At the Springfield History Museum I learn about many people and companies that came from Springfield: Ted Geisel (Dr. Seuss), Louise Scherbyn (founder of the
Women’s International Motorcycle Assoc), Knox Automobile Co, Atlas Car Co, Indian Motorcycle Co, Smith and Wesson and Peter Pan Bus Line, to name a few.
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| 1899 Knox |
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| 1910 Atlas Model H |
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| 1928 Rolls-Royce Phantom I |
This car was owned by M. Allen swift who put 172,000 miles on it over a 77 year period.
Just before his death in 2005, he gave the car to the Springfield Museums along with a major donation that helped purchase the building that now displays it. Check out its tail pipe:
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| 1928 Pierce Arrow – Brougham 81 Opera |
Check out the light on the roof:
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| 1929 Indian Scout 101 |
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| Wicker Basket Sidecar |
Returning to the hotel, I saw this sign:
Just before his death in 2005, he gave the car to the Springfield Museums along with a major donation that helped purchase the building that now displays it. Check out its tail pipe:
