I recently visited the Mercer Museum in Doylestown, Bucks County. If you have not been there, it is a truly fascinating place.
Many of us have memories of class trips there during our school days. It is not the kind of place you can easily forget, and it is not your run-of-the-mill museum.
Meet the provider of this historical jaunt down the ways of life in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Henry Chapman Mercer. He had an incredible thirst for knowledge and for interesting artifacts. He was indeed an inspirational individual and a collector of … pretty much everything. He amassed over 65,000 artifacts, on display at his museum.
Mercer attended Harvard University and then University of Pennsylvania Law School in the late 1800s. But he never practiced law — his passion was archeology, early tool making, German stove plates and ceramics, among many other things. He was a fascinating man, whose collections of artifacts from the late 1800s bring history to life.
One has to wonder, how did his collecting start? It was by chance! He attended what today would be referred to as a yard sale, in search of a particular item, a pair of old-fashioned fire tongs.
While at this sale, he came across other old household items that he had heard of but never seen and was intrigued. He began to collect items that he felt would be of interest and decided to display them. Inspired by what someone was getting rid of, he began a quest that he could have never foreseen. The rest is, as they say, history.
As a child, I can remember walking the seven-story museum, each floor stacked above the other, around a large central open space, which was jam-packed with history literally hanging from the rafters.
Chairs, cradles, trunks, boats, baskets, stagecoaches, machinery — all dangle above your head and around you, in a seeming parade of days of yore. What a great way for a child to learn, to be in the midst of what, at the time, was cutting edge in the world!
A cider press, the size of a large room; a vampire killing kit, to protect from those pesky vampire attacks; the latest in apothecary and medical items, including a saw kit for those necessary amputations; wooden water pipes; and the list goes on and on.
Mercer had an interesting approach — rather than starting with ancient history, he started with the more recent past and worked his way backwards. Quite innovative!
In touring this museum, you are able to picture what life was like in the late 19th century. The cooking vessels and gadgets, the farm tools, printing supplies, medical care items, modes of transportation, even the actual gallows (seventh floor, a must-see, next to the horse-drawn hearse with small coffin inside). It all paints a clear picture of life 150 years ago.
I recently saw a list of the best museums in the area, and Mercer was ranked high. I am now reminded of why. The great American industrialist Henry Ford once said that the Mercer Museum was the only museum worth visiting in the United States. In fact, it was the inspiration for Ford’s museum in Michigan.
I was lucky enough to have visited that museum — it is obvious how Mercer inspired him. It is indeed another wonderful, hands-on museum, which walks you through the history of transportation on a huge scale. It is uncanny how these two forward thinkers had similar philosophies and saw the importance of looking back and learning from the past.
It is incredible, the wealth of knowledge that exists in our own backyards. I highly recommend taking the time to explore some of these treasures, including the Mercer Museum.
For me, it was a reminder of just how far we have come in a relatively short amount of time. And it is a reflection on the innovation of some great pioneers of the past, who helped mankind progress through the ages; regular people like you and me who had great ideas in times of need. After all, necessity has always been the mother of invention!
