Museum Hosts “Seafarers and Stargazers” After-Hours Event, May 21

The stars align at the Museum of the American Revolution on Tuesday, May 21, 2019 from 5 – 8 p.m.for a “Seafarers and Stargazers” after-hours event. The stellar evening will include beer-tasting with local breweries and exploring the role of the “sciences of the stars” – including astrology and astronomy – in 18th century life.

The event is part of the Museum’s series of monthly History After Hours events which feature extended evening hours, special themed programs, happy hour food and drink specials in Cross Keys Café, and full access to the Museum’s exhibits. Tickets for History After Hours are $10 and can be purchased online in advance here or at the door.

From 5:15 – 6 p.m., grab a drink and find out how Philly built its reputation as a brewery town and seaport from beer historian and author of Philadelphia Beer: A Heady History of Brewing in the Cradle of Liberty Rich Wagner during his talk “From Beer to the Stars.” Learn how – as the largest seaport in the colonies and second largest English-speaking city in the world at the time – Philadelphia formed a natural partnership between its maritime and brewery traditions.

From 6:30 – 7:30 p.m., learn about daily life and shared beliefs about science during the 18th and 19th centuries during “Almanacs, Stars, and the Popular Press” from Dr. Darin Hayton, Associate Professor of History of Science and Chair of the History Department at Haverford College, whose research focuses on the sciences of the stars, including astronomy, astrology, mathematics, and medicine.

Throughout the evening, enjoy free beer tastings from La Cabra Brewing Company and Conshohocken Brewing Company in the Museum’s Cross Keys Café. On the outdoor plaza (weather permitting), get a glimpse of the cosmos with a telescope operated by a representative from the Philly Moon Men, who use their high-powered telescopes to help city-dwellers experience the night sky (UPDATE: skygazing has been cancelled).

In the Museum’s galleries, climb aboard the privateer ship for knot-tying activities, storytelling, and cannon drills and view artifacts like the telescope of Revolutionary War Naval Commander John Paul Jones. At a Constellation Station, make a sextant, a celestial navigation instrument, to take home.

In the Museum’s first-floor Rotunda, meet representatives from the Philadelphia Brewing Museum, Rittenhouse Astronomical Society, and the Independence Seaport Museum, who will provide information on their latest exhibit The British Mistake. And try out a survey compass from the American Philosophical Society, which can be seen along with other artifacts in their latest exhibition, Mapping a Nation: Shaping the Early American Republic.

In the upcoming months, History After Hours will include Pride on Paper on Tuesday, June 18, 2019and Bros and Foes on Tuesday, July 23, 2019.

About Rich Wagner
Rich Wagner has led bus tours and self-published a number of guidebooks about Pennsylvania’s brewing history. In the mid-1990s, he constructed his own brewing system from cypress logs and often takes it on the road to perform demonstrations. After early retirement as a science teacher, Wagner received a diploma in brewing technology from Siebel Institute of Technology 1994. He worked in Philadelphia’s craft breweries over a seven-year period and continues to do demonstrations, write, and lecture. In addition to his guidebooks, Wagner is the author of Philadelphia Beer: A Heady History of Brewing in the Cradle of Liberty (The History Press 2012) and is a frequent contributor to publications aimed at the craft brewing industry and breweriana collectors

About Darin Hayton
Darin Hayton is Associate Professor of History of Science and Chair of the History Department at Haverford College. His research focuses on sciences of the stars — including astronomy, astrology, mathematics, and medicine — in the context of medieval and early-modern court politics and culture. His first book, The Crown and the Cosmos, explored the role of astrology at the court of the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I. Hayton is currently finishing an edition and translation of Claudius Ptolemy’s collection of astrological aphorisms as part of a larger study of the revival of astrology and mathematics in 14th-century Constantinople.

About Museum of the American Revolution
The Museum of the American Revolution explores the dramatic, surprising story of the American Revolution through its unmatched collection of Revolutionary-era weapons, personal items, documents, and works of art. Immersive galleries, powerful theater experiences, and digital touchscreens bring to life the diverse array of people who created a new nation against incredible odds. Visitors gain a deeper appreciation for how this nation came to be and feel inspired to consider their role in the ongoing promise of the American Revolution. Located just steps away from Independence Hall, the Museum serves as a portal to the region’s many Revolutionary sites, sparking interest, providing context, and encouraging exploration. The Museum, which opened on April 19, 2017, is a private, non-profit, and non-partisan organization. For more information, visit www.AmRevMuseum.org or call 877.740.1776.