The Inventions of Leonardo da Vinci
EXTENDED THROUGH JANUARY 2, 2005!

November 30 - January 2, 2005
On November 30, 2004 the Reading Public Museum will open The Inventions of Leonardo da Vinci in honor of the members of its da Vinci Society – the cornerstone of its Leadership Giving program. The exhibit will explore the visionary genius of Leonardo da Vinci with 16 detailed contemporary models of mechanical devices conceived and designed by da Vinci. The fully operable models in the exhibition have been fabricated from Leonardo’s own drawings, which were recorded in notebooks until his death in 1519. In addition to his art, da Vinci was renowned for his engineering skills in solving problems of practical science.

The Inventions of Leonardo da Vinci will be on exhibit in the Temporary Galleries until December 28, 2004. It is supported in part by grants from the Friends of the Reading Museum, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Regular Museum admission is $7 adults (18-60) and $5 seniors/children/students (w/ID). Members and children under 4 free. Museum hours are Tues., Thurs., Fri., Sat. 11am to 5pm, Wed. 11am to 8pm and Sun. Noon to 5pm.

Leonardo da Vinci’s artistic eye and love of scientific inquiry prompted him to study the natural world and to apply the principles that he observed in nature to his inventions such as the Flying Machine, inspired by the wing structure of a bird. This exhibit will illustrate how Leonardo’s 16th Century conceptual drawings foreshadowed modern technology. Through models such as the Hydraulic Screw that prefigures the water turbine, and the Variable Speed Drive, which is much like the transmission of the modern automobile. The exhibit also demonstrates how Leonardo’s drawings contained the guiding principles of many devices that revolutionized society and industry nearly four centuries later.

The Inventions of Leonardo da Vinci was donated to The Exhibition Alliance by the IBM Corporation. The exhibition is circulated by The Exhibition Alliance, Inc., Hamilton, NY.

Related Events for The Inventions of Leonardo da Vinci:
Wednesday, December 1, 2004 at 7:00PM
“The da Vinci Code: A Discussion”
Discuss important topics of faith, religion, symbolism and history with Director of the Alvernia Seniors College, Rabbi Alan Weitzman as found in Dan Brown’s novel “The da Vinci Code.” Free with admission.

Tuesday, December 7, 2004 – Noon
Noontime Knowledge - “Leonardo and the Divine Proportion”
Listen to Ellen Nelson, Visual Arts Instructor at The Hill School talk about the Golden Mean in relation to da Vinci’s work. While the proportion known as the Golden Mean has always existed in mathematics and in the physical universe, it is unknown exactly when it was first discovered and applied by mankind. It is reasonable to assume that it has perhaps been discovered and rediscovered throughout history, which explains why it goes under several names. Free with admission.