Tag: #museum

Clubs

Framingham ARA Members Tour Museum of Broadcast History in Woonsocket, RI

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

On November 9, 2019, members of the Framingham Amateur Radio Association (W1FY) made a field trip to the Museum of Broadcast History in Woonsocket, Rhode Island.  Photos from the tour can be found on the club’s Facebook page.

From the Museum of Broadcast History’s web page:
 

“The Museum’s first floor is dedicated primarily to videotape systems. It also features an early audio/radio control area.

“The second floor features a wide variety of vintage television cameras and related production equipment displayed in an operational studio setting. Sets and live production elements typical of the early TV era will fill out the display in the future.
 
“The Museum exhibits are housed in a 15,000 square foot building in the heart of downtown Woonsocket, Rhode Island.”
 
The museum is open to the public on a ‘by appointment’ basis. Appointments can be made by contacting them at maindesk@wmbt.org.
 
 
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International Museum of World War II in Natick Abruptly Closes

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

The September 3, 2019 Boston Globe published a story reporting the International Museum of World War II in Natick “closed down abruptly over the weekend amid a legal battle with billionaire Ronald S. Lauder, with whose help the museum had planned to relocate eventually to Washington, D.C.

“’This was sudden and very unexpected,’ director Kenneth W. Rendell, who founded the museum 20 years ago, said Monday. ‘I’m extremely disappointed and bewildered.’

“In May, Rendell had revealed that he was working with donors to move the museum to Washington. At the time, however, he did not disclose that he had sold Lauder the core of the museum’s holdings for $25 million in March 2018. The contract called on both parties to keep the deal secret.

“The thousands of purchased artifacts, owned by Rendell and his wife, Shirley McNerney Rendell, range from a Sherman tank and a Higgins landing boat to Hitler’s uniform and mustache trimmer. They made up more than 65 percent of the museum’s collection, Rendell estimated.”

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The Museum was popular among radio amateurs and featured exhibits on specialty radio gear as well as displays describing women of WWII, the resistance, Enigma machines, etc. It was the topic of an ema.arrl.org story (“International Museum of World War II, Natick“) in November, 2018. 

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Field Trips to the Vintage Radio & Communications Museum, Windsor, Connecticut

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

W1VCM QSL cardIf your ham club is like ours, you’re always on the lookout for new venues for field trips. We just learned that most of the ham clubs in the region aren’t aware of our museum. Your group might be interested in visiting; we’re not all that far away and there are good restaurants nearby for lunch after your visit.

See our website: www.vrcmct.org.   If you do plan to visit, please email or call the museum, and we’ll make sure the shack is presentable!

73,

Bernie Michaels, W2LFV
W1VCM Museum Ham Club Secretary
Vintage Radio & Communications Museum of Connecticut