National Museum of Industrial History

Virtual Museum: Lehigh Valley Silk Mills
2020-06-02 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
From 1913 to 1930, Pennsylvania produced more silk goods than any other place in the world. Most silk mills were located in the eastern part of the state: from the coal regions to Philadelphia, and between the main branch of the Susquehanna and the Delaware River. Silk was the first industry drawn to Pennsylvania more for its human resources–young women and children to work in the mills–than for its mineral and natural ones. By the early 1920s, the number of Pennsylvanians working in the silk industry equaled those in iron and steel. The last mill dedicated to silk weaving in Allentown closed in 1989. It was owned and run by Louis Capwell, father of our presenter, Martha Capwell Fox. The Catoir Silk Mill was documented in the 1980s by photographer Ken Bloom and a family video, which forms part of the presentation.

Martha Capwell Fox has been the Historian and Archives Coordinator for the National Canal Museum/Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor since 2012. She was the assistant to the NCM Collections Manager from 2003-2005, and guest curator of the NCM exhibit “Behind the Seams: The Silk Industry in Eastern Pennsylvania.” Martha presented three papers at Canal History and Technology Symposia, on the silk industry in the D&L Corridor, a biographical sketch of 19th century entrepreneur Jose de Navarro, and an industrial history of Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, the site of the first commercially successful anthracite iron furnace. She was a Pennsylvania Commonwealth Speaker from 2004 to 2006. Also a professional writer and editor, Martha worked in magazine publishing at National Geographic and Rodale, Inc. and has published four books on local historical topics and three young adult histories on swimming, auto racing, and the Vatican. Her most recent book, Geology, Geography, and Human Genius: the Industrial History of the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, is newly released. She is a graduate of American University with a dual degree in international relations and U.S. history.

Part of NMIH’s Virtual Museum Live Programs. Get more info at https://nmih.org/virtualmuseum
All live streams will be at https://www.facebook.com/NMIHorg/live_videos/

Virtual Museum: Inside Factory LLC
2020-05-27 14:30 - 15:30
Virtual Museum: Inside Factory LLC
Wednesday, May 27th at 2:30pm
Housed in a 40,000 sq. ft. former Bethlehem Steel building, Factory LLC is a one-of-a-kind innovation and scale-up facility located a short distance from the museum. As founder and managing partner at Factory LLC, Rich Thompson leads the company that, in addition to capital, provides strategic guidance to food, beverage and pet entrepreneurs in areas like marketing, supply chain, new product development and sales. Join us for a conversation about how the company works, how it uses innovative techniques to scale up companies and manufacturing, and more.
In his previous ventures, Rich helped create over $3 billion in enterprise value as CEO of American Italian Pasta Company, The Meow Mix Company and Freshpet. He has deep operational experience across multiple disciplines, including manufacturing, supply chain and distribution, innovation infrastructure, marketing and sales. He has also supervised the design and construction of seven manufacturing facilities. With CPG start-ups, one home run can be a lifetime achievement. Rich has helped achieve three of them.
Part of NMIH’s Virtual Museum Live Programs. Get more info at https://nmih.org/virtualmuseum
All live streams will be at https://www.facebook.com/NMIHorg/live_videos/

Virtual Museum: WWI and Bethlehem Steel
2020-05-25 14:00 - 15:00
Although Charles Schwab had greatly expanded Bethlehem Steel in the prior decade, WWI provided the company with the resources that allowed it to become one of America’s largest corporations. Explore how Bethlehem Steel responded to the opportunities and challenges created by the war in this special presentation with Professor John K. Smith.
Professor Smith, trained both as an engineer and a historian, specializes in the history of technology and business history. His research interests focus on the history of industrial research and development and the chemical industry. He is co-author of Science and Corporate Strategy: DuPont R&D, 1902-1980, and he has published articles in Technology and Culture, and Science. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Delaware and is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at Lehigh University.
Part of NMIH’s Virtual Museum Live Programs. Get more info at https://nmih.org/virtualmuseum
All live streams will be at https://www.facebook.com/NMIHorg/live_videos/

Virtual Museum: Slate Industry
2020-05-22 14:00 - 15:00
How did stone quarried in pits hundreds of feet deep become a standard product installed on roofs? This presentation will look into the slate quarries of Eastern Pennsylvania to trace the general history of the local industry and take a more detailed look at the impressive technology behind it. Learn how aerial cableway systems lifted slate blocks, easily weighing a few tons or more, and transferred them to trains or trucks. See where slate was sawed and then split by hand and further processed into products ranging from stair treads to roofing. Who knew a grey rock could be so interesting?
This lecture is presented by NMIH Historian Mike Piersa. Mike graduated with a bachelor’s in history from Moravian College and a master’s in history from Lehigh University. He has been with NMIH for over 17 years and has been instrumental in the research and interpretation behind the museum’s collections as well as the restoration of historical industrial equipment both at the museum and at outside facilities. His quarry machinery preservation work resulted in him becoming an MSHA Certified Miner and taking leading roles in important restoration and preservation projects across the country, including the Bangor Quarry Hoist Project, a collaboration between the Totts Gap Arts Institute, the American Industrial Mining Company Museum, and the Borough of Bangor, PA. Mike has presented across the country on his work with industrial heritage and in 2019 published The Big Green Machine, a short book detailing the history, preservation, and operational restoration of NMIH’s 115-ton stationary steam engine.
Part of NMIH’s Virtual Museum Live Programs. Get more info at https://nmih.org/virtualmuseum
All live streams will be at https://www.facebook.com/NMIHorg/live_videos/

Virtual Museum: Engineering America - The Life and Times of John A. Roebling
2020-05-15 14:00 - 15:00
John Roebling was one of the nineteenth century’s most brilliant engineers, ingenious inventors, successful manufacturers, and fascinating personalities. Raised in a German backwater amid the war-torn chaos of the Napoleonic Wars, he immigrated to the US in 1831, where he became wealthy and acclaimed, eventually receiving a carte-blanche contract to build one of the nineteenth century’s most stupendous and daring works of engineering: a gigantic suspension bridge to span the East River between New York and Brooklyn. In between, he thought, wrote, and worked tirelessly. He dug canals and surveyed railroads; he planned communities and founded new industries. Horace Greeley called him “a model immigrant”; generations later, F. Scott Fitzgerald worked on a script for the movie version of his life. This talk will be conducted by Richard Haw, author of Engineering America: The Life and Times of John A. Roebling, just released earlier this month via Oxford University Press.
Richard Haw is Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY. He is the author of The Brooklyn Bridge: A Cultural History and Art of the Brooklyn Bridge: A Visual History.
Part of NMIH’s Virtual Museum Live Programs. Get more info at https://nmih.org/virtualmuseum
All live streams will be at https://www.facebook.com/NMIHorg/live_videos/

Virtual Museum: Blowing Engines
2020-05-13 14:00 - 15:00
Where does the blast for blast furnaces come from? For many furnaces, the blast of air was supplied by “blowing engines.” This presentation will describe how massive engines once ran around the clock to pump the requisite two tons of air required for every ton of iron produced. We will trace the evolution of air pumping devices associated with blast furnaces and do a deep dive into the “Gas Blowing Engine House” in Bethlehem, Pa, which is the largest surviving facility of its type in the world.
This lecture is presented by NMIH Historian Mike Piersa. Mike graduated with a bachelor’s in history from Moravian College and a master’s in history from Lehigh University. He has been with NMIH for over 17 years and has been instrumental in the research and interpretation behind the museum’s collections as well as the restoration of historical industrial equipment both at the museum and at outside facilities. His quarry machinery preservation work resulted in him becoming an MSHA Certified Miner and taking leading roles in important restoration and preservation projects across the country, including the Bangor Quarry Hoist Project, a collaboration between the Totts Gap Arts Institute, the American Industrial Mining Company Museum, and the Borough of Bangor, PA.
Part of NMIH’s Virtual Museum Live Programs. Get more info at https://nmih.org/virtualmuseum
All live streams will be at https://www.facebook.com/NMIHorg/live_videos/

Virtual Museum: Blast Furnaces
2020-05-11 14:00 - 15:00
Did you ever wonder how the massive SteelStacks, a block away from the Museum, worked? Did you know that they never made steel? This presentation will explore the inner workings and history of “blast furnaces” with a special focus on the Bethlehem, PA, “blast furnaces.” We will trace the evolution of the furnaces themselves, as well as the raw materials going into them, and how the hot metal emerging from them was handled. Listen closely to discover what words like Monkey, Pig, Salamander, and Submarine mean to blast furnace workers.
This lecture is presented by NMIH Historian Mike Piersa. Mike graduated with a bachelor’s in history from Moravian College and a master’s in history from Lehigh University. He has been with NMIH for over 17 years and has been instrumental in the research and interpretation behind the museum’s collections as well as the restoration of historical industrial equipment both at the museum and at outside facilities. His quarry machinery preservation work resulted in him becoming an MSHA Certified Miner and taking leading roles in important restoration and preservation projects across the country, including the Bangor Quarry Hoist Project, a collaboration between the Totts Gap Arts Institute, the American Industrial Mining Company Museum, and the Borough of Bangor, PA.
Part of NMIH’s Virtual Museum Live Programs. Get more info at https://nmih.org/virtualmuseum
ALL LIVE STREAMS WILL BE AT https://www.facebook.com/NMIHorg/live_videos/

Virtual Museum: Snow for the Steam Rally - The Snow Corliss Engine at NMIH
2020-05-09 14:00 - 15:00
As antique engine shows, threshing bees, tractor pulls, and other popular mechanically inclined events are put on hold, a fascinating virtual steam rally #TwitterSteamRally is shaping up for this coming Saturday, May 9th, 2020. Join NMIH at 2PM EST for a presentation about the 115-ton stationary steam engine at the center of the Museum. The illustrated talk will detail the history and operational restoration of the engine, built in 1914 by the Snow Steam Pump Works in Buffalo, N.Y. for use at the York Water Company in York, Pennsylvania, USA. Once capable of pumping eight million gallons of water per day, the engine is now most powerful operating water works steam engine in America.
Stay tuned for upcoming operational days to be scheduled following the museum’s reopening. A short book about the history and restoration of the engine can be purchased here.
This lecture is presented by NMIH Historian Mike Piersa. Mike graduated with a bachelor’s in history from Moravian College and a master’s in history from Lehigh University. He has been with NMIH for over 17 years and has been instrumental in the research and interpretation behind the museum’s collections as well as the restoration of historical industrial equipment both at the museum and at outside facilities. His quarry machinery preservation work resulted in him becoming an MSHA Certified Miner and taking leading roles in important restoration and preservation projects across the country, including the Bangor Quarry Hoist Project, a collaboration between the Totts Gap Arts Institute, the American Industrial Mining Company Museum, and the Borough of Bangor, PA.
Part of NMIH’s Virtual Museum Live Programs. Get more info at https://nmih.org/virtualmuseum
ALL LIVE STREAMS WILL BE AT https://www.facebook.com/NMIHorg/live_videos/

Virtual Museum: Chief Engineer – Washington Roebling – The Man Who Built the Brooklyn Bridge
2020-05-07 14:00 - 15:00
Erica Wagner wrote the first full biography of a crucial figure in the American story–Washington Roebling, builder of the Brooklyn Bridge. His father conceived of the Brooklyn Bridge, but after John Roebling’s sudden death, Washington Roebling built what has become one of America’s most iconic structures–as much a part of New York as the Statue of Liberty or the Empire State Building. Yet, as recognizable as the bridge is, its builder is too often forgotten–and his life is of interest far beyond his chosen field. It is the story of immigrants, of the frontier, of the greatest crisis in American history and of the making of the modern world.
Erica Wagner has been fascinated by the Brooklyn Bridge and its builder since she first set foot on its span as a girl. Chief Engineer: Washington Roebling, The Man Who Built the Brooklyn Bridge, was published by Bloomsbury in 2017. Born in New York, she lives in London; she was the literary editor of the London Times for seventeen years and is now a contributing writer for the New Statesman and consulting literary editor for Harper’s Bazaar. Her work has appeared in the Guardian, the Economist, the Financial Times, and the New York Times, among others. She is also the author of Ariel’s Gift, Seizure, and the short story collection Gravity; she is the editor of First Light: A Celebration of Alan Garner. She was the recipient of the Eccles British Library Writer’s Award in 2014, and she is a lecturer in creative writing at Goldsmiths, University of London.

Virtual Museum: Quakers, Guns and the British Industrial Revolution
2020-05-05 14:00 - 15:00
The biggest gun manufacturing firm in 18th century Britain was owned by a Quaker family, the Galtons of Birmingham. Quakers, as a tenet of their beliefs, do not participate in war or war training, so how did the Galtons manage to become massive industrialists in the arms business while maintaining their status in their religious community? the answers reveal how difficult it was in eighteenth-century British industrial society to extricate oneself entirely from participating in warfare, regardless of principles. War was integral to the Industrial Revolution. This captivating piece of industrial history will explore the complex relationship between the Quaker Community and gun makers during the British Industrial Revolution.
Priya Satia is the Raymond A. Spruance Professor of International History at Stanford University. A graduate of Stanford, London School of Economics, and UC Berkeley, she Priya Satia specializes in modern British and British empire history, especially in the Middle East and South Asia. Her two books, Spies in Arabia: The Great War and the Cultural Foundations of Britain’s Covert Empire in the Middle East (OUP, 2008), and Empire of Guns: The Violent Making of the Industrial Revolution (Penguin Press, 2018), have won the AHA-Herbert Baxter Adams Book Prize, Pacific Coast Conference on British Studies Book Prize, and the Wadsworth Prize in Business History. Prof. Satia’s third book, “Time’s Monster: How History Makes History,” is forthcoming in 2020 (Harvard University Press; Penguin UK). It is an account of the British empire that focuses on the role of the modern historical imagination in its unfolding, while also recovering alternative ethical visions embraced by anticolonial thinkers.

SouthSide Community Day
2020-04-18 10:00 - 17:00
Join us on April 18th for a free community day in appreciation of our South Side friends and neighbors. In addition to free admission all day, today’s young dreamers can get inspired to engineer tomorrow’s future during free screenings of Dream Big: Engineering Our World. A heartfelt story of human ingenuity narrated by Jeff Bridges, Dream Big: Engineering Our World is a first of its kind film that will transform how we think about engineering. From the Great Wall of China and the world’s tallest buildings, to underwater robots, solar cars and smart, sustainable cities, Dream Big celebrates the human ingenuity behind engineering marvels big and small, and reveals the heart that drives engineers to create better lives for people around the world. Screening times at 11am and 2pm.

Girl Scout Program: Rosie the Riveter Day
2020-03-21 11:00 - 13:00
Brownies (2nd and 3rd)
Rosie Day will be celebrated at The National Museum of Industrial History on March 21st as part of our month-long commitment to unearthing the stories of women inventors in our collection. Inspired by the women inventors of our past, Girl Scouts will put on their own inventor’s hats and discover how the inventing process works. Together we will consider real world problems, experiment with solutions, and get creative designing solutions. Completion of the Girl Scout activity that day will earn Juniors an inventor badge.
Troops or individual scouts can reserve a spot for this program by emailing Amber Emory, Director of Education and Community Partnerships, at aemory@nmih.org

Family TinkerTime for All Ages
2020-03-08 11:00 - 13:00, 2020-01-12 06:00 - 08:00
NMIH hosts the new Family TinkerTime the second Sunday of each month from 11AM-1PM. Tinker together with activities designed for full family fun. Big and small hands will learn and experiment with the concepts of industrial innovation while working through the creative process. Join us in our efforts to inspire the next generation of innovators!

International Women’s Weekend
2020-03-07 10:00 - 2020-03-08 17:00
International Women’s Weekend
March 7 – 8, 2020

The National Museum of Industrial History will kick-off a month-long commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of Women’s Suffrage in March with International Women’s Weekend on March 7th and 8th. Women’s Weekend will celebrate the voices and stories of women in industry through a full schedule of youth educational activities, guided tours and exhibit enhancements, live historical reenactments, Girl Scout badge programs, film screenings and lectures.
All events are included in regular museum admission

Saturday, March 7th
Sunday, March 8th

10:30 a.m.
Story Time
Story Time

11:00 a.m.
“No F.E.A.R. Just Progress.”
Presentation by Veronica Moore
Owner & Curator—Alma & Eve
“Thinking Courageously About Entrepreneurship”
Debrah Cummins Stellato
President—The Think Good Company

11:30 a.m.
Re-enactment of Emma Allison from the 1876 Centennial Exhibition
Re-enactment of Emma Allison from the 1876 Centennial Exhibition

12:30 p.m.
Re-enactment of Rebecca Lukens, the first woman industrialist
Re-enactment of Rebecca Lukens, the first woman industrialist

1:00 p.m.
“Victorian Fake News and Feminine Trash Talk: How I Studied Emma Allison, Centennial Steam Engineer”
Dr. Louise Krasniewicz
Department of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania
“Packaging with PEEPS®!”
Charlotte Edwards, CPP
Senior Packaging Engineer—Just Born

1:30 p.m.
Re-enactment of Emma Allison from the 1876 Centennial Exhibition
Re-enactment of Emma Allison from the 1876 Centennial Exhibition

2:00 p.m.
Guided Tours
Guided Tours

2:30 p.m.
Youth Activity
Youth Activity

3:00 p.m.
“Changing Lives”
Lisa Scheller
President & CEO Silberline Mfg Co
“Modern Day Sheroes: Women of Color Creating a Better Future through Manufacturing”
Constance Thompson
CCDP Senior Director Women’s Engagement
The Manufacturing Institute

3:30 p.m.
Re-enactment of Rebecca Lukens, the first woman industrialist
Re-enactment of Rebecca Lukens, the first woman industrialist

4:00 p.m.
Hello Girls Film Screening
Hello Girls Film Screening

About the Programs
Saturday, March 7th at 11:00am – “No F.E.A.R. Just Progress.” -Veronica Moore, Owner & Curator—Alma & Eve
Sometimes there are self limiting beliefs that hold us back from moving forward with a goal or dream that we have in our lives. What if you became a bold believer and dreamer of the intrinsic ability and motivation inside of you to follow your passion and purpose? Come to this interactive session to learn how to start moving past the false ideas you may have convinced ourselves of and into action.
Saturday, March 7th at 1:0opm – “Victorian Fake News and FeminineTrash Talk: How I Studied Emma Allison, Centennial Steam Engineer” – Dr. Louise Krasniewicz, Department of Anthropology— UPenn
At first glance, Miss Emma Allison seemed the perfect New Woman when she was working as a steam engineer at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. Accounts of her unusual work combined with her pleasant appearance and demeanor seemed to signal new and exciting possibilities for working women in the late 19th century. She was briefly celebrated in newspapers across the country but beneath the surface was a complex tale of feminist infighting, fabrications of history, and complex tales of oppression and political machinations. Emma’s story, which I have researched for 10 years, reveals the thrills and pitfalls of studying historic women, especially with new archives available online. We just have to be ready for what we find.
Saturday, March 7th at 3:00pm – “Changing Lives” – Lisa Scheller, President & CEO—Silberline Mfg Co
Silberline is a third-generation family-owned and operated business since 1945. It is a world leader and global supplier of high-quality special effect and performance pigments with world headquarters located in Tamaqua. Lisa possesses a Master of Science Degree in Manufacturing System Engineering from Lehigh University and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Math from the University of Colorado. On a personal level, Lisa participated in the Women’s Entrepreneur’s Group in the Lehigh Valley and currently participates in the World Presidents Organization.
Sunday, March 8th at 11:00am – “Thinking Courageously About Entrepreneurship” – Debrah Cummins Stellato, President—The Think Good Company
Deb brings robust experience to organizations as a success coach, facilitator and speaker. She specializes in igniting potential in people and organizations. A certified professional iPEC Coach, Deb has extensive experience around leadership coaching for both profit and non-profit leaders and has worked in diverse business sectors including non-profit, higher education and corporate consulting. Deb is passionate about developing leadership mindsets for emerging leaders.
Sunday, March 8th at 1:00pm – “Packaging with PEEPS®!” – Charlotte Edwards, CPP, Senior Packaging Engineer—Just Born
Learn how an obsession with simulation computer games as a kid and go karts tied to office chairs led to a career in engineering. You’ll hear how the science of packaging combines mechanical and industrial engineering, materials science, robotics, and physics to deliver a product into the hands of a consumer. The presentation will conclude with a packaged egg drop demonstration, sure to be a “smash hit.”
Sunday, March 8th at 3:00pm – “Modern Day Sheroes: Women of Color Creating a Better Future through Manufacturing”- Constance Thompson, CCDP Senior Director, Women’s Engagement —The Manufacturing Institute
Women of Color have played groundbreaking, life saving and often pivotal roles in improving the design and manufacturing of vehicles, aircraft and life-saving medical equipment that make the world a better place for us now and in the future. Join us as we introduce you to three modern day Sheroes who work each day to improve the cars that we drive, the way we design and manufacture aircraft and save lives through the design of life saving medical equipment. What were they like as kids? Who/What inspired them? What did they invent or help to manufacture to help make the world a better place for us now and in the future? How can girls today start to make a better future through manufacturing?
Saturday, March 7th and Sunday, March 8th at 4:00pm – Hello Girls film screening
In 1918, the U.S. Army Signal Corps sent 223 women to France as telephone operators to help win the Great War. They swore Army oaths, wore uniforms, held rank, and were subject to military justice. By war’s end, they had connected over 26 million calls and were recognized by General John J. Pershing for their service. This documentary features rare 100-year old film footage of America’s first female soldiers courtesy of the National Archives and never-before-seen photos from family archives.
About the Speakers
Debrah Cummins Stellato specializes in igniting potential in people and organizations. A certified professional iPEC Coach, Deb has extensive experience around leadership coaching for both profit and non-profit leaders. She has worked in diverse business sectors including non-profit, higher education and corporate consulting. In her tenure as CEO of Habitat for Humanity of the Lehigh Valley, Deb provided the vision to launch the Habitat Lehigh Valley Re-Store and Neighborhood Revitalization program. As interim Executive Director of Meals on Wheels Lehigh County, Deb’s experience as a change management agent helped move the agency forward in forging strategic partnerships.
Charlotte Edwards is the Senior Packaging Engineer at Just Born Quality Confections, makers of PEEPS® Brand Marshmallow and MIKE AND IKE® Brand Candies. She earned her B.S. in Packaging Science from Rochester Institute of Technology in 2015, and most recently obtained the Certified Packaging Professional (CPP) designation from the Institute of Packaging Professionals. In her role, she oversees the structural packaging development and graphic design team, responsible for ensuring each package type processes through production automation, protects the product in the distribution stream, and meets customer expectations on shelf. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, cooking, auto enthusiast events, and convincing her two lazy dogs to quit watching TV and go play outside.

Dr. Louise Krasniewicz is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania and a Consulting Scholar in the Penn Cultural Heritage Center at the Penn Museum. Her areas of research include American popular culture and visual media, women’s history, and issues of narrative and representation. She has published biographies of cultural figures including Walt Disney as well as an account of the feminist anti-nuclear protest know as the Women’s Peace Camp (available free at: https://cornellopen.org/9781501727979/nuclear-summer/)

Veronica Moore is the Owner & Curator of Alma & Eva. Her gift in life is helping others to address False Evidence Appearing Real (F.E.A.R.) and actively pursue and discover their passion and purpose in life.With over 13 years of experience coaching and mentoring others, I help women to take ACTION to strategically achieve their goals, build their confidence and gain more fulfillment in work, life and business.
Lisa Jane Scheller is currently the Chairman and President of Silberline Manufacturing Co., Inc. Silberline is a third-generation family-owned and operated business since 1945. It is a world leader and global supplier of high-quality special effect and performance pigments with world headquarters located in Tamaqua, Pennsylvania. Silberline has manufacturing facilities in the United States, Scotland, and China, with sales and representative offices in Brazil, Mexico, and India, and employs over 600 employees worldwide. Lisa possesses a Master of Science Degree in Manufacturing System Engineering from Lehigh University and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Math from the University of Colorado.
Constance Thompson, CCDP/AP serves as the Senior Director of Women’s Engagement for The National Manufacturing Institute (NMI) the non-profit workforce and education-focused affiliate of The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM)- the nation’s largest industrial trade association. Thompson is responsible for partnering with The VP of Strategic Engagement and Manager of Women’s Engagement to lead the Institutes’ rapidly expanding work with The STEP Women’s Initiative and support the overall growth of diversity and inclusion solutions in the manufacturing sector. Thompson is noted for her considerable expertise in the development, integration, measurement, and sustainment of successful D&I workforce, strategic partnership and culture change focused initiatives.

Presented in partnership with

Funding for this event is generously provided by:

This event was funded in part with funding from the Hotel Tax Grant Program through the County of Northampton Department of Community & Economic Development.

Girl Scout Program: International Women's Day
2020-03-07 10:00 - 2020-03-08 17:00
The National Museum of Industrial History is celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Women’s Suffrage throughout the month of March by unearthing the stories of women inventors in our collection. Opening weekend, March 7-8, will bring to life the changemakers of our past through live interpretation, and celebrate local women leaders of the Lehigh Valley with hands-on activities, performances, and story times throughout the day. Girl Scouts can follow a museum curated activity sheet and receive a Women’s History Month fun patch on their way out.
Troops or individual scouts can reserve a spot for this program by emailing Amber Emory, Director of Education and Community Partnerships, at aemory@nmih.org

How It Works: How Precise Can You Get?
2020-02-23 14:00 - 15:00
In this special tour and hands-on demonstration, visitors will go on a guided walk through the Centennial Gallery to learn the intricacies of the machine tools on display, then move on to try their hand at creating a precision surface the same way that machinery builders have for generations. Guests will use a power hacksaw to cut a piece of metal, then place it on a granite surface plate to assess how flat it it. Using blue dye, files, and scrapers, participants will take the rough metal and create a surface that, if all goes well, varies no more than 1/8 the thickness of a human hair. Anyone wishing to participate in the hands-on portion should wear clothes that can tolerate blue staining and metal shavings.
This talk, part of the museum’s ongoing “How It Works” series that takes place on the fourth Sunday of every month, is designed to help patrons further understand of specific facets of industrial history. Admission for the “How It Works” tour is $5 in addition to regular museum admission.

Free Family TinkerTime: Candy Casting
2020-02-09 11:00 - 13:00
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
I like chocolate,
How about you?
Join NMIH for this fun family activity that will teach participants the basic concepts of industrial casting while making tasty treats to take home for their loved ones.
NMIH hosts the new Family TinkerTime the second Sunday of each month from 11AM-1PM. Tinker together with activities designed for full family fun. Big and small hands will learn and experiment with the concepts of industrial innovation while working through the creative process. Join us in our efforts to inspire the next generation of innovators!
NMIH’s Family TinkerTime is a free event that coincides with our Family Days, offering free admission for all children 17 and under accompanied by a parent/guardian.

Charter Arts Creativity Fair
2020-02-07 18:00 - 20:00
What is creativity? Join the Charter Arts Production Arts Department as they explore the concepts of the creative process and invite the public to participate in the experiment. The Creativity Fair will be open to the public at NMIH from 6pm to 8pm a with suggested donation and will be on display for throughout the weekend on regular museum hours (10am to 5pm Saturday and Sunday).

Anthracite Workers Today: A Lifetime Calling
2020-01-26 14:00 - 15:30
For generations, photographers have been drawn to the unique social and visual landscape of northeast Pennsylvania. Australian native Dane Rhys will illustrate his recent journeys into the modern anthracite coal industry. Going into underground mines that almost appear unchanged from a century ago to open pit mines with machines larger than most buildings, Dane has set out to tell the story of older workers in coal mines and many other industries. His captivating presentation will literally put faces to the modern anthracite industry to help define its past, present, and future. Joining Dane will be members of the Independent Miners Association to give patrons a view into the modern coal mining industry from those who still toil underground.
This event coincides with Anthracite Mining Heritage Month, an annual observance that begin in 1999 with the 40th anniversary of one of the northeast region’s largest infamous mining disasters at the Knox Mine in Pennsylvania. Starting with a program at the Anthracite Heritage Museum in Scranton, the annual event now encompasses the entire month with programming and exhibits that span the region. Find the entire slate of Anthracite Mining Heritage Month programs at https://ahfdn.org/mining-history-month-schedule-of-events-january-2020/.
About the artist
Dane Rhys is a New York-based photographer and producer originally from Fremantle, Western Australia. He documents the people and workspaces of heavy industry in America with a focus on the aging workforce, de-industrialization of America and the rapidly changing energy sector.
While completing his studies in Human Resources, Business Management he started his mining career, working as a process technician at a metallurgical processing plant in Western Australia, building, operating and maintaining pilot plants for various mines. He subsequently worked on the commissioning, operation, and closure of large-scale mining projects in Canada, Australia, and the United States.
In 2013, he became the HR Manager for the largest new gold mine in Canada and for the next 4 ½ years he lived and worked at two remote mines in British Columbia with regular travel to NYC to develop his photographic practice. Since 2017, he has worked at the International Center of Photography (ICP) as the Teen Academy Summertime Program Coordinator, Alumni Engagement Intern, Image Archive Assistant and Lead Curator for the 2018 Alumni Exhibit. In 2018 he graduated, from the Creative Practice program at ICP and in 2019 he graduated from the Visual Journalism and Documentary program.
Admission to this presentation is free with regular museum admission.
For more information on his broader project, please visit: https://www.danerhys.com/industrialage

Chris Bathgate Artist Talk and Exhibit Opening
2020-01-11 09:00 - 10:00
Coinciding with an exhibit featuring his gorgeous works of precisely machined sculptures, Baltimore-based self-trained machinist and sculptor Chris Bathgate will present on his work and process at the exhibit opening on Saturday, January 11th at 2pm. His talk is included in museum admission and free for members.

He utilizes handmade tools and automated CNC (computer numerical control) milling and drilling machines to create precisely-crafted elements that assemble into complex sculptures. Machining is his method of artistic expression. He has spent more than fifteen years adapting metalworking machinery from salvaged and repurposed equipment. Bathgate’s aesthetic considerations stem from the very machines that he uses to create his sculptures. Each piece that he makes is informed by the one it is preceded by, and he modifies his machinery accordingly—not for improved practical function but for the aesthetic developments that can be produced.
Bathgate is unique in his formalist approach to precision machining as an art form. His entire body of work is an ongoing investigation into this concept. Process lies at the heart of his practice and it serves as the primary catalyst for his ideas. He evaluates his sculptures for form and visual composition in a continuous cycle of ideation, problem solving, fabrication, analysis, and revision, similar to systems engineering. Bathgate’s carefully composed technical diagrams are evidence of his gestaltist outlook in which the whole may be deconstructed into its elements.
Playing with the tension between aesthetic vs. utility, form vs. function, and industrial vs. handmade, Bathgate’s interdisciplinary work lies at the intersection of art, craft, and design. It serves as an example of how computer-mediated fabrication may bridge the divide between art, craft, and industrial production in the Digital Age.
Bathgate’s NMIH exhibit runs now through May 31st, 2020.

How It Works: Casting Iron Toys
2019-12-22 09:00 - 10:00
Coinciding with NMIH’s holiday cast iron toy exhibit is a special “How It Works” presentation with NMIH Historian Mike Piersa on the process of casting toys and other products. Created by skilled workers using a foundry method called sand casting, the toys became popular in the latter half of the 19th century as they used ingredients that were inexpensive at the time, similar to today’s plastic toys. This illustrated presentation will trace the process from furnace to finished product and will feature a small live demonstration, melting tin, to show how the foundry process uses patterns and sand molds to create goods.
A special guest, Bill Winecker, a volunteer with the Black River Railroad Historical Trust, will also join us to describe how the average person can have their own castings made in modern times. He made a pattern and coordinated the casting of reproduction builder’s plates for Black River & Western Railroad steam locomotive #60. By combining one of the 150 foundries operating in Pennsylvania, some basic knowledge, skills, and a modest investment, anyone can bring their idea to life.
This demonstration, part of the museum’s ongoing “How It Works” series that takes place on the fourth Sunday of every month, is designed to help patrons further understand of specific facets of industrial history. Admission for the “How It Works” tour is $5 in addition to regular museum admission.

The Corliss Comes Alive
2019-12-15 08:00 - 08:30
Following its extremely successful debut earlier this year, NMIH is hosting an encore demonstration of its massive 115-ton Corliss water pumping engine.
For more than a decade the museum’s staff, volunteers, and community partners worked to restore the engine to working order, 105 years after being built by the Snow Steam Pump Works in Buffalo, N.Y. The engine was used by the York Water Company and pumped eight million gallons of water per day. Today the engine, the most powerful operating water works steam engine in North America, is a focal point of the museum’s 13,000 square foot exhibit space, where it has painstakingly been mechanically restored to its former glory and repainted its original color.

Family TinkerTime for All Ages: GingerBuilding
2019-12-15 06:00 - 08:00
Get into the holiday spirit and exercise your creativity, problem solving and critical thinking skills as you design your tasty constructions! GingerBuilding supplies will be provided for each family unit to build and work together in creating their ginger structure. All participants will receive the Architect Award pin for completing their GingerBuilding.
NMIH hosts the new Family TinkerTime the second Sunday of each month from 11AM-1PM. Tinker together with activities designed for full family fun. Big and small hands will learn and experiment with the concepts of industrial innovation while working through the creative process. Join us in our efforts to inspire the next generation of innovators!
NMIH’s Family TinkerTime is a free event that coincides with our Family Days, offering free admission for all children 17 and under accompanied by a parent/guardian.

Tracing the History of Dent Hardware Co
2019-12-14 09:00 - 10:00
The Dent Hardware Company from Fullerton, PA was the nation’s leading manufacturer of refrigerator hardware and one of the largest producers of cast iron toys in the state!
To coincide with NMIH’s holiday cast iron toy display, brothers Peter Dent and Charlie Dent will share the story of their family’s innovative spirit and legacy. From the determination of Henry Dent and the genius of Charlie C. Dent, come learn more about one remarkable family’s inspiration that began in an Iron foundry!
Free with museum admission.

50% Off Admission - Holiday Toy/Food Drive
2019-12-11 05:00 - 2019-12-30 12:00
NMIH has several events throughout the holiday season, from our holiday toy display to family activities and industrial demonstrations. Not only can you get half off of your museum admission, you can benefit our community as well. NMIH is privileged to serve a community that is so generously invested in preserving its history and working together to improve the lives of its residents. In the spirit of non-profit collaboration and giving back , NMIH will offer 50% off individual admission to any museum visitor who presents a non-perishable food item or new, unwrapped toy between now and December 31st. Donations will benefit the Second Harvest Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley and The Children’s Home of Easton.

How It Works - Building with Steel: Where Was it Made?
2019-11-24 09:00 - 10:00
Did Bethlehem Steel build the Empire State Building? How about other famous landmarks created in the 20th century? The answer may not be as simple as you think. At 2 PM on Sunday, November 24th, we’ll dive into archival material and history books to learn where steel came from and who fabricated it. We will trace the family trees of Bethlehem Steel, subsidiary companies, and sometimes the competition to show how the company grew, changed, and sourced steel products from plants throughout the nation.
This lecture is presented by NMIH’s Historian, Mike Piersa. Mike graduated with a bachelor’s in history from Moravian College and a master’s in history from Lehigh University. He has been with NMIH for over 17 years and has been instrumental in the research and interpretation behind the museum’s collections as well as the restoration of historical industrial equipment both at the museum and at outside facilities.
This talk, part of the museum’s ongoing “How It Works” series that takes place on the fourth Sunday of every month, is designed to help patrons further understand of specific facets of industrial history. Admission to November’s “How It Works” lecture is free with regular museum admission.

Veterans Day: Radio’s Major Role in Winning WWII
2019-11-10 09:00 - 10:00
World War 2, the most significant event of the 20th century, was the first world-wide conflict where the use of technology played an overwhelming factor in victory. Guest lecturer Mike Lobus will present some of the technology and events that show how radio played a major role in the Allies winning the war effort.
Mike Lobus, a self-proclaimed “old timer in electronics”, will be sharing the fascinating story of radio technology during WW2. Tracing its foundations back to the turn of the century, radio in the war effort was a culmination of many factors. Come learn more about how radio won the war and see a display of WW2 period authentic military radio equipment!
This event is free with museum admission. Museum admission is free for veterans on November 9th and 10th.
Brought to you by the generosity of Joanne & Hank Barnette.

Free Admission for Veterans
2019-11-08 - 2019-11-10
Thank you to the generosity of Joanne & Hank Barnette, museum admission will be free for all veterans on Saturday, November 9th and Sunday, November 10th.
On Sunday attendees can enjoy our special presentation at 2pm titled, “Radio’s Major Role in Winning WWII,” which coincides with our Don’t Touch That Dial: 100 Years of Radio exhibit on view now through December 1st. Guest lecturer Mike Lobus will present some of the technology and events that show how radio played a major role in the Allies winning the war effort.
NMIH will also be running its massive 115-ton Corliss steam engine at 1pm on Sunday. This engine, restored by museum staff for over a decade, is the most powerful operating water works steam engine in North America.

In Pod We Trust: How digital audio is reinvigorating and democratizing journalism
2019-11-07 13:00 - 15:00
Prize-winning journalist Chris Satullo will present “In Pod We Trust: How digital audio is reinvigorating and democratizing journalism,” on Thursday, November 7, at 7 p.m. at the National Museum of Industrial History, 602 E. 2nd Street, Bethlehem, PA. A 6 p.m. reception precedes the lecture. This event, open to the public and free of charge, is presented and sponsored by Northampton Community College.
