By Christie Bender
The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) will once again host Collections & Cocktails, a new annual fundraiser focusing on the Museum’s Collections, their stories and the preservation and education with these artifacts, on Wednesday, May 2.
This year, Collections & Cocktails will focus on the Museum’s Transportation Collection, featuring dinner and signature cocktails to go along with the exciting stories of these artifacts. Tickets are available to the public and can be found at grpm.org/2018Collections-Cocktails.
“On behalf of the Grand Rapids Public Museum, we are excited to host this event to bring attention to the preservation and maintenance of our Collections,” said Gina Schulz, the Museum’s VP of Corporate and Foundation Giving. “This year we are focusing on the Transportation Collection, that boast some of the largest artifacts that we care for. This event allows the community to see many more of these items, as well as give support to keep them for generations to come.”
Demonstrate your passion for preserving these important artifacts along with the thousands of others pieces in the GRPM Collections by supporting this event through a sponsorship, purchasing a table or individual tickets. More information on the event and funding opportunities can be found at grpm.org/2018Collections-Cocktails or by contacting Gina Schulz at gschulz@grpm.org or 616.929.1705.
One of the Museum’s most memorable pieces to be displayed at the event is Grand Rapids’ own 1949 Herpolsheimer Child Passenger Train. Many local residents remember riding this well-known train as children while shopping in the Herpolsheimer’s department store downtown. This iconic piece has been preserved in the Museum’s Collection since 2000, and Collections & Cocktails attendees will be able to relive (or experience for the first time) a piece of their childhood.
The GRPM has brought a very rare Grand Rapids made car to the Museum for this event and the summer, an Austin Model 60. This particular Austin, believed to be one of only four remaining in the world, has been meticulously restored to its original showroom condition. This piece is on loan from Stahl’s Automotive Foundation. The Austin Automobile Company was founded by Walter Austin in Grand Rapids in 1903, the same year the Ford Motor Company was started in Detroit. The Austin Automobile Company hand-built only a few vehicles each year, but was well known for their “high grade pleasure cars.” In 1909, an Austin Model 60 would have retailed for $7,000.
A long time piece of the GRPM Collections that hasn’t been on display since 2013, the Lorraine automobile is coming out of storage for Collections & Cocktails. This Model 20-T, the only known surviving example of a Lorraine, and is a rare reminder that more than furniture was made in the Furniture City. The Lorraine Motors Corporation was one of several Grand Rapids Car manufacturers in the early 20th century. About 250 to 300 Lorraine automobiles were assembled in Grand Rapids each year between 1919 and 1921. The bodies were produced by Ligonier of Ligonier, Indiana. The engines were made in North Tonawanda, New York, by Herschell-Spillman, the same company that built the GRPM’s carousel. Lorraines were medium-priced autos. This 4-door convertible, with a 4 cylinder, 192 cubic inch engine, was listed at $1,425 in 1920. The Lorraine will be part of the Museum’s core offerings located on the 2nd floor.
Other rarely seen artifacts being featured at the event include the GRPM’s 1913 Indian Model E Motorcycle (last displayed 2011-2012) and the unique clam shell or folding boat (1941-1946) donated by Thomas Devine and manufactured by Jack Henningsen of Twin Port a Boat.
To see more of the Museum’s Collections visit the GRPM online database GRPMcollections.org.
