The museum offers a unique program called the Showcase of 18th Century Skills, during which costumed volunteers visit local schools to demonstrate colonial era crafts and to discuss or re-enact 18th century life in New Jersey. Students may also make a craft as part of the program. Current Showcase topics include:
Theorem painting – This is a style of painting using stencil patterns to compose a design on velvet.
Quilling – Quilling, also known as paper filigree, is the art of rolling thin strips of paper into different shapes and using the shapes to form designs.
Rubbings – This is the simple technique of recreating a raised design on paper.
Silhouettes – Silhouette cutting is the art of creating profile likenesses in paper; also known as black profiles or profile shades.
Tin Piercing – This is a technique of pricking holes in tin to fashion items such as lanterns and to create designs and patterns in tin.
Sabra Miller – Colonial Living. Samuel Miller built the Miller-Cory House for his wife, Sabra, around the time of their marriage in 1740. Together they had 8 children. Sabra comes alive at your school, bringing with her items typically used in her daily life. As she shows these to her audience and explains their uses, she describes life on an 18th century farm and the work required by all family members to acquire basic necessities and maintain a home and farm.
Lenape Indian Lore. This program highlights the earliest inhabitants of New Jersey, the Lenape Indians. Various aspects of everyday life such as beliefs, families, home food, clothing, medicine and games are presented. Viewing an array of artifacts, students will learn who the people were, what they believed, and how they lived in early New Jersey.
Programs are offered in one of two ways:
Presentation Only: A lecture or demonstration is given; students do not make a craft. Sabra Miller and Lenape Indian Lore are only available in this option. All of the other topics may also be given as a presentation only. Fee: $125 per topic.
Extended: This includes both a lecture/demonstration plus time for the students to make a craft project. Fee: $125 per topic plus $1.00 per student for materials.
Other costs: A small amount for volunteer mileage may be charged.
Arranging a program: Scheduling is limited to the availability of museum volunteers and MUST be arranged in advance. More than one topic can be presented during a visit to a school (with the exception of Sabra Miller and Lenape Indian Lore). Class size for the Extended option is limited to 30. For details and scheduling, please contact the museum office.