‘Age of Aquarius’ lives at CCHS

Posted by Rich Schwartzman on November 11, 2015

From the Nixon and Kennedy presidential race to the Beatles, Vietnam, the Cold War, the fight for civil rights and the moon landing, the Chester County Historical Society is celebrating the 1960s with “The 1960s! Age of Aquarius,” the second of a two-part exhibition.

Segregation was a local, as well as a national issue in the 1960s.

The decade was honored this past winter with an exhibit of movie posters, “The 1960s Pop Culture: Movies, Memorabilia and the Media.” Now through August, the Historical Society continues its retrospective into the turbulent era through the eyes of Chester County residents. More than 40 lenders, residents and institutions, have contributed hundreds of items — clothes, photos and memorabilia for the exhibit.

Heather Hansen, CCHS collections manager, said the county was part of the history of the ‘60s, that it was, in effect, a microcosm of what was happening in the country.

“This exhibit was really curated by the community, which was wonderful,” Hansen said. “It was to bring all their stories, their experiences of the decade to light.”

She said donors went through their attics and basements to dig out their artifacts of the 1960s for the display.

Hansen said she hopes visitors will realize that the people of Chester County were experiencing the same things that the rest of the country was experiencing, be it the anguish of the Kennedy assassination and the Vietnam War to the fight for civil rights and to the technological advances of moving from manual to electric typewriters or from black and white to color TV.

The '60s brought in technological changes along with social changes.

“Segregation was happening here and sometimes people become alarmed to realize that was happening in their neighborhoods,” Hansen said.

In addition to the memorabilia, fashions and photos, there is also a Post-It note area where visitors can jot down recollections of the era.

One person called it “an inspired time,” while others recalled “super music.” Still others remember the politics: One person wrote about meeting former U.S. Sen. and presidential hopeful Eugene McCarthy adding, “Took Bill Ayers [former political activist and founder of the Weather Underground] to his first riot in 1964.”

And another person simply noted: “No better place to grow up than Oxford, Pa.”

“The 1960s! Age of Aquarius” runs through Aug. 27.

About Rich Schwartzman

Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.