Art and History will blend well in the presentation of the enjoyable “Lock, Stock, & Barrel: hunting in a different era” exhibit at the Pickens County Museum of Art & History. The opening reception for this show is Saturday, September 19th, 6:00pm-8:00pm and the public is invited.
This “Lock, Stock, & Barrel: hunting in a different era” is a large exhibit that fills two of the three art galleries at the Pickens County Museum. In the large gallery, the visitor will view over twenty flintlock and percussion rifles starting in a timeline with an early French Officers style Fusil (1730), moving on to famous styles we have all heard about like Trade rifles, the “Brown Bess”, Pennsylvania Long rifle, Southern Mountain rifles and ending with a Palmetto S.C. Armory Style Musket (1842). You don’t want to miss the opportunity to see a special rifle featured in this exhibit; an original 1846 Gillespie Rifle. If you want to learn what it takes to load one of these types of rifles, watch one of our local re-enactors demonstrate this and talk about flintlocks in the DVD playing in this gallery.
In addition to rifles, an expanded view of hunting “accoutrements” for that era will be displayed with a variety of powder horns, shooting bags, knives, and turkey calls which are on loan for this exhibit to the Pickens County Museum from the Wild Turkey Federation in Edgefield.
Enter the Sealevel art gallery and you step into an exhibit that pays homage to the Trading Post. Beamer Trading Post which was in the Estatoee Valley during this time period was the inspiration for this section of the Lock, Stock, and Barrel exhibition. The old trade journals from this area reflect a time when a hunter used animal hides (pelts) as a form of commerce to trade “purchase” needed supplies at such a trading post. Here there is a display on the steps involved in tanning a deer hide. An exhibit on the history of Black Powder will point out how Powdersville, SC got its name. And many original trade items like blankets and beads along with supplies like blocks of black tea and green coffee beans.
The “Lock, Stock, & Barrel: hunting in a different era” exhibit will be on display through November 19th. Mark your calendars, so, you won’t miss it.
The Pickens County Museum of Art & History is funded in part by Pickens County, members and friends of the museum and a grant from the South Carolina Arts Commission, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Located at the corner of Hwy. 178 at 307 Johnson Street in Pickens SC, the museum is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Admission is free but donations are welcomed. For more information call the museum at (864) 898-5963.
