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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Adler Display Helps Add New Life to Benjamin Banneker's Remarkable Life
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Creates
Unique Displays Honoring African American 'Renaissance Man'
of the 1700's
BALTIMORE,
Maryland, November 29, 2006 – During his unique and inventive life
almost three centuries ago, Benjamin Banneker was a "Renaissance
Man" before the term became popular in what was to become known as
the United States of America. Now, 275 years after his birth in the
British Colony of Maryland, a local firm – Adler Display – has
helped add new life and excitement to a popular attraction and
destination for school trips that showcases Banneker's pioneering
efforts.
Adler Display
recently completed a project at the Benjamin Banneker Historical
Park and Museum in Ellicott City, which honors the man who was a
self-educated scientist at a time when most African Americans were
slaves. Born a free black man in 1731, Banneker received some formal
education, but mostly borrowed books and taught himself science and
mathematics. At 22, he borrowed a pocket watch, and without any
training, taught himself to carve a working wooden clock that chimed
each hour. Because of this clock, he became well known and people
would visit him just to see his creation.
Banneker ran his
family farm for many years, but in his late 50's, a telescope
borrowed from Andrew Ellicott, the area's founder, led to an
interest in astronomy. Again, Banneker taught himself a new science,
making calculations of tides, sunrises and sunsets, and even
predicting an eclipse. For several years he published an almanac of
these calculations, and is best known for publishing six almanacs –
the "Benjamin Banneker's Almanac" -- between 1792 and 1797.
In the 1790's, he
helped survey and lay out land that would become Washington, D.C.,
and in 1998, the Benjamin Banneker Historical Park & Museum was
opened to display his work and honor his memory.
Ron Adler, whose
company has storied history of its own, having been established in
1937 by his late father Howard, said he was "extremely proud to take
part in an effort to preserve local history and honor a man who was
surely well ahead of his time."
Adler Display's
efforts in and around the park and museum were numerous in a project
that took more than a year and a half to complete. In the main
exhibit hall, Adler created a display featuring history and family
information for Banneker, which also depicted some of his many
accomplishments. Adler also created a replica of the cabin where
Banneker is said to have lived and worked, built with lumber from
1820, the oldest that could be found. Adler also created a replica
of Banneker's table from the 1760's, the main piece of furniture in
his home. The original table is in storage at the museum.
Adjacent to the
cabin area of the main exhibit hall is Banneker's map of the
Washington D.C. area, displayed along with a map created four years
after Banneker's by Peter (Pierre) Charles L' Enfant, with the two
surveys overlaid on top of each other for a dramatic comparison.
Adler also created
archeological display cases featuring artifacts from Banneker's home
which were discovered during archeological digs from 1983 to 1987.
All items are displayed in climate-controlled cases created by Adler
to preserve them, and decorated with real tree parts from the forest
where Banneker's cabin was located for additional authenticity.
For the walls,
Adler created graphics that detail the journey of Banneker's family
to America, as well as his work in astronomy and mathematics.
Banneker was the first person to identify and record locusts (what
we know as the cicadas) in the area, and Adler created a graphic to
describe that historic event using text from his journal. In
addition, there is a telescope display that Adler fabricated
containing a star field behind a telescope. The telescope that is on
display is believed to be used by Banneker and is on loan from the
Ellicott's.
In addition, Adler
created a conference center at the museum which contains a kiosks
housed in rustic cabinets, along with a plasma monitor supported by
two trees to help it fit into the rustic décor of the museum. The
lobby has a seating area for 10 people to view the video of
Banneker.
Project
Photographs
To view the work that Adler Display did for the Benjamin Banneker
Museum, visit
www.adlerdisplay.com/banneker.
About Adler
Display
Adler Display (www.adlerdisplay.com)
is a nationally recognized innovative leader in visual
communications through trade show displays, custom displays
environments, presentation graphics and signage.
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Contacts: Ron
Adler Kris McCurry
Adler
Display Brave New Markets
410-281-1200, ext. 616
410-902-0801, ext. 107
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