A Visit to the Museum – III
It’s been a busy month for the staff of the Marching Pageantry Arts Museum in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania.
A recent trip by Bill Ives and Larry Eckert to the Milford, Connecticut home of legendary drum corps photographer Moe Knox yielded 12 totes and boxes of assorted items including jackets, shirts, and binders of photographs. Another trip will be needed to gather more items after the haul from the first trip is cataloged. The museum is grateful to this prolific drum corps photographer for allowing the museum to preserve his work for future generations. After this item and photographs of the visit were posted on Facebook, many people commented to thank Moe for his huge contribution to the drum corps activity, and to wish him well. Said one commenter, he is “a legend never thanked enough.”
Museum President and Archivist Bill Ives prepared a display that was shown at the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame banquet and induction ceremony in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania on Saturday, November 12th. Included were 42 corps jackets, 14 championship flags and banners, instruments, documents, buttons, a tribute to Moe Knox Photography, and other artifacts more recently added to the collection. In addition to the HOF inductees in attendance, Moe received the President’s Award. The museum also received a cash donation of $250.00 from Roman Blenski.
Among the many, many items received for the museum recently:
Jennifer Collins mailed in her Suncoast Sound corps jacket, patches, member t-shirt, and dog tags from 1988. Ralph Marple III, sent in eight Boston Crusader uniforms, eight shakos, and an assortment of flags used over the past 12 years.
Barry and Sue Kennawin drove down from Ontario, Canada to deliver uniforms, a jacket, a unique collection of parade invitations, and other items from the Port Dover, Ontario Lakeshore Brassmen. Richard Orilio contributed two Rhode Island Matador uniforms, a corps jacket, and ticket stubs from the historic Mission Drums contest.
Blaise Castaldo submitted a Hawthorne Caballeros jacket and a collection of corps and DCA Championship patches. Jim Riddle of the Interstatesmen contributed a poster, some scrapbooks, and a number of contest program books.
John Tully donated the last of his drum corps memorabilia collections. Included were two boxes of photo albums of the Reilly Raiders, six overseas caps, a binder of items from the Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights, and a number of flag ribbons, patches, and other items. John also included a photo of the Ridgemen, his championship winning winter colorguard from Philadelphia, which competed in the NJA Circuit. The Ridgemen interestingly set a trend by choreographing various conflicts, such as the Crimean War.
In addition to the efforts of Museum President and Achivist Bill Ives, those who regularly volunteer their time at the museum include George Growcott, Harold Barber, and John Kuhar. Their daunting work to inventory, catalog, and prepare items for display is irreplaceable. The list of drum corps publications, program books, posters, and other printed items currently in the collection is, in and of itself, simply amazing.
From all of us connected with The Marching Pageantry Arts Museum,
we wish each of you a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous 2023.
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.
It is asked that individuals consider making donations through their Will and/or that next of kin of a deceased loved one donate drum corps artifacts (equipment, jackets, uniforms, t-shirts, program books, flags, etc.) to the museum. We have heard a number of stories where valuable items have been disposed or destroyed by “uninitiated” surviving family members.
The Marching Pageantry Arts Museum – “A story worth telling and worth knowing”