Hershey, PA (April 24, 2015) - The Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) Museum is excited to debut a new art exhibit featuring the fine art photography of esteemed automotive photographer Michael Furman opening May 23rd and running through September 19, 2015.   Come enjoy a spectacular photography exhibit with images from Michael's recent book Automotive Jewelry, Volume One: Mascots, Badges. The AACA Museum will have a collection of images from the book on display, including several that showcase mascots from the AACA Museum's own collection that is on permanent display on the 2nd level of the Museum. 

 

Since Michael Furman photographed his first car in the studio, he became fascinated by the mascots and badges that have identified them. They appear as small sculptures or designs in themselves, and became the subject of Michael's recent book, Automotive Jewelry, Volume One; Mascots, Badges. A book like this had not been undertaken before - a visual reference of the great automotive "identifiers" since the late 1800s - unencumbered by the distractions of color, reflections and shapes that normally limit their presentation.

 

Mascots and badges vary greatly and have matured over the years, reflective of design trends, safety regulations and material availability. The importance of the mascots - how they began as early branding forms and then became integrated into the overall design and presence of the car is explored in Furman's text.

 

 

As a young boy, Michael Furman first picked up a camera to photograph a 1963 Corvette Split Window Coupe.  Thus began a life-long love affair with cars and cameras.

 

Michael studied photography at the prestigious Rochester Institute of Technology, earning a Fine Arts degree in 1974. Upon graduation, he opened his studio in his native Philadelphia, and built a successful business shooting still life assignments for major advertising and corporate clients.  It was a long-standing love of cars that led him to the challenge of shooting cars in the studio.

While shooting new cars for the major manufacturers, Michael was also asked to shoot a number of vintage automobiles and motorcycles. He instantly became enamored with these elegant forms; this new path leading to his position as the most sought-after photographer of significant automobiles in the world.  Major projects have included titles for The Mullin Automotive Museum, The Simeone Museum, The Curves of Steel exhibition at the Phoenix Art Museum, and the catalog for the Ralph Lauren exhibitions in Boston and Paris.

 

Learn more and see Michael's work at http://www.michaelfurman.com/

 

Other special exhibits on view at the AACA Museum this summer include "A Family Affair:  Station Wagons" featuring a wide variety of these favorite road trip and tailgate vehicles that are such a part of the fabric of America - Station wagons.  "Motorbikes for the Masses" showcases dozens of motorbikes, scooters, and mopeds from both the United States and around the World.   Both of these featured exhibits run through October 11, 2015.  Other permanent exhibits include The Cammack Tucker Gallery, displaying the world's largest collection of Tucker automobiles, with a 5,200 square foot gallery dedicated to Tucker '48 automobiles, engines, mechanicals, and automobilia from the Tucker historian and collector David Cammack. Other visitor favorites include Whitney Houston's 1986 Rolls-Royce Silver Spur Limousine, the Hershey's Kissmobile Cruiser and the "From Roads to Rails" Custom Model Train Display.  Kids of all ages will love the hands on activities area including a photo stop where they can dress up and have their photo taken "driving" a vintage vehicle.

 

A special opening reception for all our summer exhibits will be held on Friday, May 22nd from 6-9 PM.   This reception is open to the public with advance tickets required at $10 per person.  Tickets are available online at http://tinyurl.com/AACAreception or by calling the ticket counter at 717-566-7100 ext. 100 daily 9:00AM - 4:30 PM.

 

About the AACA Museum
The Antique Automobile Club of America Museum, a Smithsonian Affiliate, displays beautifully restored automobiles, buses and motorcycles in unique life-like scenes representing the 1890s - 1980s in a cross-country journey from New York to San Francisco. This Museum, a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization, is known to be one of the largest automotive museums. Special exhibits change several times a year and focus on a variety of eras and types of vehicles. The Museum is in South Hanover Township, located just off Route 39, one mile west of Hersheypark Drive, Hershey, Pennsylvania. Regular admission $12, seniors age 61 and older $11, juniors age 4-12 $9, children age 3 and under and AACA Members are FREE. The Museum is open daily from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. New for 2015, the AACA Museum will be open from 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM on the first Thursday of each month. For further information, please call 717-566-7100 or visit www.AACAMuseum.org.