TRENTON, N.J. – The ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ State Museum is pleased to announce the opening of ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ on Display, an exciting new exhibition chronicling ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ’s involvement in seven world’s fairs held between 1876 and 1964. At these spectacular, international events, ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ promoted itself to the world by juxtaposing its revolutionary past with a modern, innovative present and promise for the future. The exhibit features the stories of pioneering entrepreneurs such as Thomas Edison, the Roebling Family, and David Sarnoff, who promoted their products at world’s fairs, as well as political innovators, including Alice Paul, who used the world’s fair phenomenon as a platform to earn women the right to vote. NJ on Display opens June 21 and runs through January 4, 2015 in the Museum’s Riverside Gallery.
The exhibition was developed as part of this year’s celebration of ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ’s 350th birthday; the anniversary of the English land grant creating “³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ.” The state is celebrating with the themes of Innovation, Diversity and Liberty. “After its founding in 1895, the Museum became a repository for a number of objects exhibited at these events.” said Anthony Gardener, NJSM Executive Director. “Telling the story of how ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ was represented at world’s fairs over time is a natural extension of our collections and highlights ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ’s long history of innovation, diversity and liberty.” The Museum’s Cultural History Curator, Nicholas Ciotola, will be leading guided tours of the new exhibition as part of the featured activities of NJ350: A Capital Celebration, being held on June 22. For more information on June 22 festival and the year-long celebration visit .
At world’s fairs, ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ also promoted itself as an innovator in the decorative arts. The exhibition is the first to reunite four stellar examples of ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ’s ceramic arts – the monumental porcelain vases created by the Trenton Pottery company for the Saint Louis World’s Fair – all designed, fired, painted, glazed, and gilded in ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ. After the fair ended, the vases became separated and one, the Woodland Vase, went missing and was presumed lost for 107 years. Discovered at auction in California in 2011, the vase was immediately purchased by the Trenton City Museum. The other vases as owned by the ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ State Museum, the Newark Museum, and the Brooklyn Museum.
³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ on Display will also reunite Isaac Broome’s much-heralded Baseball Vase – a decorative arts masterpiece in the permanent collection of the NJSM – with its identical twin, now housed in the collection of the Detroit Historical Museum. Commissioned by the Trenton ceramics firm Ott & Brewer, the pair of magnificent parian porcelain vases first went on display to the world at the 1876 Centennial in Philadelphia.
The exhibition also features light-hearted world’s fair trivia, such as who really invented the “Ferris” wheel, the discovery of the ice cream cone, and the origin of Hires Root Beer – all of which are connected to the Garden State.
The Museum is open six days a week from 9:00 am – 4:45 pm; closed Mondays and state holidays. For more information about the ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ State Museum, its collections and special exhibits, visit or call 609-292-6464.
About the ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ State Museum
Established in 1895, the ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ State Museums serves the life-long educational needs of residents and visitors through its collections, exhibitions, programs, publications and scholarships in science, history and the arts. Within a broad context, the Museum explores the natural and cultural diversity of ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ, past and present. The ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ State Museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.
The ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ State Museum, located at 205 West State Street in Trenton, is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9 am to 4:45 pm. The Museum is closed Mondays and all state holidays. For more information, please visit the Museum’s website at or call the recorded information line at (609) 292-6464. On weekends, free parking is available in lots adjacent to and behind the Museum. Please visit www.trentonparking.com for a number of options for parking in downtown Trenton during the week.
About the Friends of the ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ State Museum
The Friends of the ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ State Museum was founded in 1968 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) to support the Museum's collections, exhibitions and programs through fundraising, volunteerism, advocacy and marketing. Through the Friends, the State Museum has received generous support for its exhibitions and programs from the AT&T, the ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Historical Commission; NJM Insurance Company; and the PNC Foundation. The Friends also operate a gift shop selling merchandise related to the Museum's exhibitions and ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ history and culture. Proceeds support the Museum's collections, exhibitions and programs.