Staff photo by Clay Schuldt Dave and Linda Weldy are the first guest curators at the Brown County Museum with their combine collections of brewery antiques and pie birds.
NEW ULM — The Brown County Historical Society launched its guest curator program with the collections of Dave and Linda Weldy.
The Weldys are avid collectors of unique items: breweriana and European pie birds. Breweriana is any item related to brewing whether it is bottles, trays, coasters, taps or vintage advertisements. Pie birds are hollow ceramic tools bakers use to vent fruit pie crusts to prevent a crust from bubbling over.
Normally, these types of items are not seen together but in the Weldy home the items exist side by side and for the next six weeks visitors can see them together on the museum’s second floor.
Dave said he began collecting brewing items after selling his grandfather’s Schell’s cooler to a local collector. After seeing that collector’s brewing memorabilia, Weldy became hooked and started finding other items.
Dave focuses on local breweriana such as Schell’s, Hauenstein and Grain Belt but he will occasionally collect items from the big brands. Dave’s philosophy for adding any brewing item to his collection “if it is cool.”
This has helped him amass an impressive collection of bottles, advertising signs and beer tap handles. David said one of his prized items is an old Hauenstein beer tap handle.
Linda’s collection of pie birds is more specific in use. The pie birds are typically used in baking, but many people collect them for aesthetic reasons. Each of Linda’s pie birds has a different design. Several of the older pie birds were painted by Sandhurst Ceramics of New Ulm.
Linda said she started collecting pie birds because they were unique and small enough to store. Most are small enough to fit in a person’s hand and are affordable.
In exploring the history of pie birds, Linda found out the history traces back to Europe. The name pie bird was created because many were designed to look like birds. Linda’s collection does include a few bird designs, but others are sculpted like other animals or even people.
Linda is also fond of glass-blown art. In addition to the pie birds, she collects colorful paperweights. Many of her favorites are on display next to the pie birds.
Dave and Linda said one of the fun things about having these two collections is they can hunt antique stores together to expand.
“It gives you something to search for,” Linda said.
The Weldys is only the first of the guest curators the BCHS plans to showcase on the second floor. Individuals willing to share their collections with the public are encouraged to consider displaying them at the Brown County Museum. The BCHS will provide four display cases in an area designated for the program. Each collection will be on display for up to six weeks.
For more information or to sign up to participate in the program email collections@browncountyhistorymn.org or call 507-233-2624.
The Link LonkMay 27, 2021 at 01:04PM
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Breweriana and pie birds: museum reopens | News, Sports, Jobs - NUjournal
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