A Visit to the Museum – XI
It’s been a couple of months since the last article on the Marching Pageantry Arts Museum appeared here in Drum Corps World so it’s time to get caught up on donations received at and since the DCI Championship.
Museum Curator Bill Ives returned from Indianapolis with 37 more horns and three additional uniforms, all donated during DCI Championship week in Indianapolis. Over 130 “bugles” – going back to the 1930s – are now in the collection, along with over 530 uniforms, more than 300 shakos and hats, 300+ corps jackets, and many pieces of artwork, program books, audio and video recordings, and publications, an ever expanding total of over 55,000 items accumulated since 1990.
Following this year’s DCI Championship event, DCI Executive Director Dan Acheson contributed two major items: the DCI Division II and Division III trophies, each with plaques listing the winners of these titles through the years. A number of photos, posters, and other items from the DCI archives were included and transported back east by Jeff King, Rich Klimowicz, and Jersey Surf Director Bob Jacobs.
One of the items received in the days between DCI and DCA championship weekends include the first costume-type uniform, worn by Canada’s Jolly Jesters in 1957, donated by Joe “Radar” Watson.
The Friday night DCA I&E and mini-corps contest was graced with displays Bill had put together for the DCA Championship over Labor Day weekend in Rochester, New York. These displays were also assembled for the Saturday prelims and Sunday’s alumni show and championship finals.
At the Sunday’s DCA Alumni Spectacular exhibition show, Bill was presented with the two bags of t-shirts donated by current Hamburg Kingsmen Alumni brass arranger Stephen J. Cooley (mentioned in the last museum article). A pair of DCA patches, one a 50th Anniversary patch and a rare patch from the COVID-19 virtual 2021 DCA season, were presented on behalf of DCA by DCA Merchandising Manager Pat Bocker. Uniform jackets worn by New York Skyliners Drum Major and World Drum Corps Hall of Fame member, the late Richard “Butch” Anderson and by another leader of the Skyliners from back in the day, that of Gus Wilke. These jackets, both extremely special items, were donated by Mary Anne Boardman. A program book from the 1995 DCA Championship was also donated.
The displays in Rochester attracted a number of other donations. John Menosky and Alan Smith of the Sharpsburg Cadets presented two seat cushions from the US Open Championship. Ben Van Kurin and Les Hampton brought two original uniform jackets from the Barons of Steuben, the 1977 and 1978 Penn-York championship flags, and numerous other momentos. Sharon Rose also stopped by the booth to present the jacket of her father, Fred Rose, who was founding director of the Long Island Sunrisers.
Tom and Cecily Kulp Seigfried added a Hawthorne Muchachos corps jacket and serape donated by Vincent Marchese. Don Kline brought by two Reading Buccaneer Alumni uniform tops and dickeys. Former Bucs corps director Ron Gehris also stopped by the booth to inspect the Buccaneer “long coat” worn by the corps in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Barbara Sanko brought a scrapbook of memories from the Westshoremen, created by her late father, Marvin G. Myers, with a number of interesting photographs, newspaper articles, and other items from the corps’ history.
Steve “Hair Bear” Masters brought along 20 group photos of Ohio Brass Factory, Westshoremen, Steel City Ambassadors, and the Kilties all-age corps and an Olds Ultratone valve/rotor baritone once played by Tom Slade, founding director of Cincinnati Tradition. A big thank you is extended to Frank E. Simpson, Sharon Rose, Jana Hallberg, Tom and Cecily Kulp Seigfried. Rand Clayton, Jane Pembleton, Christian and Jessica Liptak, and many others for helping with accommodations and parking at the convention center, and packing and unpacking displays there and for the three shows at the stadium at the Rochester Sports Complex.
In memory of the late Robert W. Smith, Pete and Melanie Simon donated an original 1990 uniform from Magic of Orlando and Smith’s conductor’s score from their Cirque du Magique program.
A BIG “thank you” goes out to two individuals who made financial donations to the museum: Lou Blancato contributed $1,000.00 and Joel Leson provided an additional $500.00. These funds go directly into the museum account to cover the direct costs of maintaining the collection. Additional monies are always welcome to fund the costs of insurance and documenting and cataloging the items currently in the museum. It is hoped that, someday, funds will be available to establish an environmentally stable standalone museum facility with room for rotating permanent displays, storage, and a theater facility.
Bill also brought a display to the 27th Annual Collegiate Band Festival in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He met a number of drum corps veterans, current members, management staff, and college band members. Several new interns were also signed up at this event to assist with Museum operations.
The Marching Pageantry Arts Museum is currently located at the historic Archer-Epler VFW Post 979, 6736 Marshall Road, in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia. Bill Ives is President, CEO, and archivist of the museum corporation, an IRS 501(c)(3) charitable corporation. Donations of drum corps, marching band, and color guard memorabilia are always welcome. Cash donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law and may be made payable to:
Marching Pageantry Arts Museum
c/o Bill Ives
1024 Second Avenue
Media, PA 19063
The museum is currently open on Monday evenings from 6:00 to 10:00 PM by appointment only. Bill can be reached by e-mail at ivesbill@mac.com or by phone at (610) 937-6555.
The Marching Pageantry Arts Museum – “A story worth telling and worth knowing”