Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide
Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide
First Friday in Downtown Tehachapi 5-8 p.m., August 3, 2018
The McTyre collection at the Tehachapi Museum was recently featured in a national magazine for collectors of insulators, also known as Drip Points.
On Aug. 3 the Tehachapi Museum will be open from 5 to 8 p.m. for the First Friday Art Walk. Along with other downtown venues, the Museum will be offering appetizers, desserts and champagne for guests. This month's food and beverage is being provided by Heritage League members Dixie Coutant and Sheryl Bovi.
The new exhibit for August features some of the many figurines collected by Tehachapi resident Roman Weltin. He always had an interest in Asian history and artifacts and while Roman was serving in the Marines in Japan and Philippines, his interest turned to the people who lived in that area
Some of the glazed figurines depict human figures in interesting poses with native clothing. Some are glazed and painted in colors. One part of the collection with very detailed carving depicts, "mudmen," not glazed but showing the mud colored clay from which they were made. These collectible figures show people in many poses.
A part of the collection consists of nine opium bottles – one is cinnabar, reverse painted glass, one carved. There is also a small pair of nesting lacquer boxes. A rickshaw with a human figure pulling it is made of an ivory colored material with abalone inlay. These and other items on display are a part of the large collection Roman has assembled.
You can also see a continuing exhibit featuring a colorful collection of insulators that were attached to telegraph and electricity poles. Glass, porcelain and other materials were used because they are non-conducting. The collection on exhibit was collected by Natasha and Evan McTyre and contains some unusual examples, from several inches to almost a foot in height, ranging from porcelain to multicolored glass.
In the Family Case, there is the family tree of John Anthony, who emigrated from Greece to Tehachapi in the early 1900s. He and his wife Angie had four children. In addition to family photos, the exhibit includes articles from the Tehachapi Fire Department, of which his son, Tony Anthony, was Fire Chief for 40 years.
Other displays on local history can be viewed, along with the history of the Kawaiisu, the local Native Americans, in the Milano Gallery. In addition to First Friday, the Museum and Errea House Museum are open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from Noon to 4 p.m. For more information call (661) 822-8152.
