new church life: march/april 2017
400th anniversary of the first printing of the King James Version of the Bible,
which celebrated the art and history of Bible making and included a working
replica of a Gutenberg-era printing press.
“Sacred Stories: Scripture, Myth and Ritual.” This is the story of how
religious people communicate stories sacred to them through oral tradition,
scripture and myth, with objects ranging in date from circa 1450 BC to 1960
AD.
“Eden to Eternity,” featuring hand-stitched panels from the San Blas
Islands near Panama, illustrating stories from the Bible.
“Windows into Heaven” using icons in an unbroken tradition developed
during the earliest centuries of Christianity.
“The Apocalypse of John: 25 Paintings by G. Roland Smith,” illustrating
the meaning of imagery in the Book of Revelation.
“Way of the Cross: Sculptures by Thorsten Sigstedt.” In the early 1950s
Sigstedt, a woodcarver with a home and studio in Bryn Athyn, carved the
Stations of the Cross for St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church in Philadelphia.
“Behind the Lens: Raymond Pitcairn and Photography.”
‘A Hill of Unity: The Founding of Bryn Athyn Borough.”
Public tours in Glencairn include an orientation video, the Great Hall, the
tower, the chapel and the master bedroom. A “Time Travelers Family Backpack
Tour” uses the museum like a time machine, where the present meets the past.
Popular festivals include medieval demonstrations, the Sacred Arts
Festival, workshops and Christmas at Glencairn, where the annual display of
World Nativities drew more than 5,000 visitors this year. Regular concerts also
bring in scores of people from Bryn Athyn and surrounding communities.
A large part of Glencairn’s history is preserved in extensive archives,
which are used for several College courses and have been accessed by scholars
around the world.
With Glencairn almost 80 years old a lot of planning and work goes into
regular maintenance and improvements. The well-remembered front terrace
fountain will reopen this spring for the first time in 40 years.
Glencairn Museum has close working and loan arrangements with many
leading museums around the world, including the Louvre in Paris. Brian
emphasized how lucky the museum is that John Pitcairn and Bishop Benade
were so dedicated to amassing their collection when they did because most
countries regret letting these treasures leave and now have restrictions.
Just one of many stories Brian recounted: In 2014 the Gettysburg National
Military Park Museum and Visitor Center spent $70,000 to restore the
Nativity scenes made in Bryn Athyn for the Eisenhower White House. In 1954
Raymond and Mildred Pitcairn commissioned Winfred S. Hyatt to make a
single Nativity scene for President and Mrs. Eisenhower, which was displayed
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