The Berks History Center celebrated the opening of the new World War I & Berks exhibit, a special temporary exhibit located in the Palmer Gallery. The exhibit is part of the World War I & Berks project, a year-long commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of World War I that examines Berks County’s contributions to the Great War and the effects the war had on our local community.
The project began online on the BHC blog earlier this year with monthly articles written by the World War I & Berks project leader, Richard Polityka. Each article was inspired by specific artifacts from the BHC collection, telling how Reading and Berks County responded to the First World War.
About 50 visitors attended the grand opening event where time-period refreshments such as trench cake and hot bologna were served. During the event Executive Director Sime Bertolet announced that the exhibit contained a 100-year old time capsule, an artifact that was discovered during the organizations recent collections inventory. The time capsule was assembled in Berks County in 1918 and has specific instructions that it should not be opened until 2018.
The Berks History Center will continue to share these stories about WWI on the Berks History Center’s blog and social media until November 2018. The exhibit will be open to the public now through November 2018. The project will conclude with a county-wide celebration and a day of special programs at the Berks History Center on November 10, 2018 for the 100th Anniversary of Armistice Day. Mark your calendars because you won’t want to miss this historic event. Your Berks history will come to life as we open the 100 year old time capsule!
