Side view illustration of the Corliss steam engine which powered
Machinery Hall at the Philadelphia Centenneal Exhibition in 1876.
Courtesy of Hagley Museum
The impact of steam power on the lives of Americans is shown in
an exhibition at the Hagley Museum, Wilmington, Delaware, through
April 5.
The show is titled, ‘Loose the Mighty Power: Impressions of
the Steam Engine in America.’
The influence of steam power on American industry,
transportation, literature, leisure activity, and home life is
depicted through a presentation of lithographs and engravings,
operating models of steam engines and locomotives, decorative art
objects and vintage photographs.
A portion of ‘Loose the Mighty Power’ was provided by
the Smithsonian Institution’s Traveling Exhibits Service.
Hagley Graduate Program students, training for careers in the
fields of museum studies and the history of technology, have
prepared the remaining part of the exhibit.
The Hagley Museum, founded on the site of a 19th-century
industrial community is located on the Brandywine River, three
miles northwest of Wilmington, Delaware, via Routes 52, 100 and
141. An admission fee is charged. Hours are Tues. Sat., 9:30-4:30;
Sun. 1-5.
