Neversink museum opens new exhibit on bridge builder J.A. Roebling'

Cuddebackville — The Neversink Valley Area Museum will debut a new exhibit, “From Muhlhausen to the New World: The Bridge Builder J.A. Roebling,” from 4 to 6 p.m. on Saturday June 16. This exhibit will trace the life of Roebling, most famous as the engineer and designer of the Brooklyn Bridge, as well as works from his student days in Muhlhausen, Germany to his death in Brooklyn. Created by Dr. Nele Guntheroth of the Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin in celebration of the 200th anniversary of Roebling’s birth, the posters that make up the majority of the exhibit were produced at the Muhlhauser Mussen, in Roebling’s hometown, where the original exhibit premiered. The exhibit will feature the original posters, as translated by Deerpark Town Historian Norma Schadt; original artifacts from the Roebling Family Archives at the Alexander Library at Rutgers University; and photographs of items from the Folsom Library at Renssalaer Polytechnic Institute. Steve Skye, president of the Neversink Valley Area museum explained that the exhibit is curated by Seth Goldman, the museum’s executive director. “We are thrilled that our small museum in rural Orange County, through Seth’s efforts, was able to work with Dr. Guntheroth and the staff of the museum in Muhlhausen to make this exhibit happen,” Skye observed. “It could also not have been done without the cooperation of Dr. Fernanda Perrone at the Alexander Library and Tammy Gobert at R.P.I.” According to Goldman, as the designer and engineer of the aqueducts on the Delaware and Hudson Canal, Roebling is a very important part of the region’s history. “The Canal was a major source of commerce as it moved coal from the fields around Scranton, Pennsylvania, through our region up to Kingston, New York, where it could reach the New York City markets from 1828 through 1898,” said Goldman. “Roebling’s suspension bridges were a major part of this infrastructure.” In addition to this exhibit, Goldman has re-mounted “Movies Before Hollywood,” a look at the early film making industry along the D & H Canal in Cuddebackville. Visitors to the museum can also see their working blacksmith shop and the permanent exhibit on the D & H Canal. The Neversink Valley Area Museum is open from noon to 4 p.m., Thursday through Sundays, and by appointment. Admission is $3 adults, $1.50 children 12 and under and free to members. For more information, call 754-8870 or log on to www.neversinkmuseum.org.