Visitors to New Hope this month can take a step back in history with a new pop-up exhibit that explores the Bucks County town’s legacy as a bastion for LGBT expression.
The LGBT CommUNITY History Exhibit will be open weekends through Oct. 30 at 34 S. Main St. in New Hope. It is an initiative of New Hope Celebrates’ History Project, which includes digital archives at Retro-Scope.org and a kiosk at the New Hope-Solebury Library.
Materials presented at the pop-up exhibit include photos, memorabilia and interactive activities that tell unique stories of New Hope’s LGBT community. They were culled by Retro-Scope organizers Dan Brooks and Sara Scully over the last two years.
“It’s important to share these amazing stories with the next generation, [to] remember our friends who have passed and celebrate the struggles and the good times from our communities’ past,” Brooks said in a statement. Brooks is also the founder of New Hope Celebrates, which stages the town’s annual Pride celebration in May.
Apart from presenting the materials that have already been collected, organizers of the pop-up exhibit hope it encourages visitors to share their own recollections and ephemera with Retro-Scope; stories can be shared on the website, as can photos and videos, hard copies of which organizers are seeking either as donations or on loan.
“It’s taken me a while to really grasp the enormity of this project and how engaging it can be, and how amusing and unique the stories are,” NHC creative director Gordon Pulaski said in a statement. “With the help of the entire community, I know we can create something wonderful to share with future generations.”