A Vintage Christmas: A new exhibit of antique toys, cards and ornaments
is on display at Westchester Twp. Historical Museum, located on the lower
level of Westchester Library Service Center on the northwest corner of
Calumet and Indiana Ave. The museum has extended hours to coincide with the
Hometown Christmas Celebration. Museum Curator Jane Walsh-Brown is pictured
decorating the antique feather tree on display.
(Tribune photo by Alexandra Newman)
Westchester Township Historical Museum will join the festivities of the
Hometown Christmas Celebration with expanded hours to enable town visitors
to visit the new temporary exhibit A Vintage Christmas: Antique Toys,
Christmas Cards and Ornaments.
Operated by Westchester Public Library, the museum will be open from noon-8
p.m., Friday, Nov. 23, and from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 24, and from
noon-5 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 15. Regular museum hours will resume Tuesday, Nov.
27.
The exhibit features a feather tree with original ornaments, bought in 1905
by Louisa Malchow, a teacher in a one-room school in Jackson Twp. The
exhibit also includes a wide variety of antique toys.
The display marks the debut of “Margaret,” a blond little girl mannequin
made in Austria in the early part of the twentieth century and named in
honor of longtime local resident Margaret Larson. The horizontal case in the
museum will be used to display local Christmas tree ornaments and vintage
Christmas cars as well as historic “false face” masks.
Also available on Friday will be the museum’s new wooden replica of the
Chesterton Bandstand. The new production is an original design which was
commissioned early this fall by the library. The bandstands were designed
and produced by Sheila’s, a nationally recognized producer of architectural
miniatures, located in Charleston, S.C. The history of the bandstand is
included on the back and the replica will be packaged in a green
presentation box. The bandstands will be available for $16 each beginning
Nov. 23, from noon-8 p.m. at the Westchester Twp. Historical Museum, 100W.
Indiana Ave. Entrance is through the courtyard on Calumet.
Call the museum at 921-0963 to reserve a prepaid bandstand. Proceeds benefit
Westchester Public Library.
Posted 11/23/2001
