Sunday, August 24, 2008

“Going Places” exhibit opens Labor Day weekend at the Old Red Museum of Dallas County History & Culture

By Pegasus News wire

Image provided by the Old Red Museum

Going Places, a National Endowment for the Humanities exhibit about modes of transportation, will open on Friday August 29th at the Old Red Museum of Dallas Country History & Culture. The exhibit coincides with the 150th anniversary of the Butterfield Trail. "What a wonderful way to celebrate the trail's legacy by bringing this exhibit to Dallas." says Terrell Falk, Old Red Museum President. She continues, "With the environmental and monetary costs of today's transportation making headlines, it is important understand the transition from carriages to autos as we look toward future advancements in transportation." Carriages-not cars-once ruled the road. These forerunners of automobiles and trucks were absolutely essential to American life in the 1800s. Carriages came in an amazing assortment of sizes, shapes, and finishes, from the buckboard phaeton to the sidebar buggy to the booby hut.

Visitors to the Old Red Museum will experience diverse artifacts-including a full-sized carriage, children's carriages, and assorted harnesses and tack- that speak volumes about our insatiable desire for travel, speed, and new technology. The exhibition also covers a broad range of questions: How were carriages made and repaired? Where were they sold, and who could afford them? The answers are surprising, and frequent parallels to today's car culture make Going Places a fascinating journey. Going Places explores the culture, evolution, and eventual demise of horse-drawn transportation, from the early nineteenth century, through the industrial revolution, and into the 1900s and the dawn of the automobile age.

Image provided by the Old Red Museum

While today's mini-van offers much more comfort than some carriers of yesteryear, they don't have near as many seats. (And let's not forget the old-school van like vehicles emitted much less gas, depending on what its occupants had for dinner)

To kick-off opening weekend of the Going Places exhibit, the Old Red Museum will host a Transportation Fair. "Stagecoaches to Segways" will celebrate transportation in Dallas County of the past, present and future. The fair will be on Saturday, August 30th from 11am to 3pm and will feature an authentic 19th century stagecoach, antique car, motorcycles and segways. Other activities include travel tips presented by local travel agents, segway demonstrations, crafts for the whole family, talks on stagecoach travel of the 19th century, music to travel by from Russ Warman and to get things revved up the H.O.G.s (Harley Owners Group of Dallas) will roar into the courthouse square at 11:30am. Don't miss the opportunity to win a $50 gift certificate from Southwest Airlines. Drawings will be at 1pm and 2:30pm. Need not be present to win. General Admission will be only $5.00 for everyone the entire Labor Day weekend from Friday, August 29th - Monday, September 1st.

Going Places was curated by William F. Ayres, director of collections and interpretation at the Long Island Museum of American Art, History, and Carriages. The exhibition has been made possible by NEH on the Road, a special initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities. It is toured by Mid-America Arts Alliance. Founded in 1972, Mid America is a nonprofit regional arts organization based in Kansas City, Missouri.

The Old Red Museum of Dallas County History & Culture is located in the West End of downtown Dallas at 100 South Houston Street in the beautifully restored Old Red Courthouse built in 1892. Dedicated to inspire and educate visitors about the rich and varied cultural, economic, political and social history of the Dallas County Area, the 2nd floor of Old Red is filled with exhibits, 41-touch screen computers, an educational learning center and four mini theatres. The special exhibit gallery is located on the first floor. Admission to the Going Places exhibit is included in general admission. General admission is $8, Children ages three to sixteen are $5 and Seniors are $6. Admission to the Going Places exhibit without general admission is $3 for adults and $1 for children. The museum's hours are 9-5 p.m. seven days a week. Early Bird admission pricing of $5 is offered on Sundays from 9-12 p.m. For group reservations, corporate meetings/outings or weddings call 214-745-1100.

Source: The Old Red Museum

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