On Sunday, October 18, 2009, at 2 PM, The Anthracite Heritage Museum will present “Remember Johnny Mitchell Day,” commemorating the legendary United Mine Workers’ President and the miners who revered him. As one of the most beloved heroes in Anthracite and labor history, John Mitchell’s success in uniting miners of all ethnic backgrounds in the strikes of 1900 and 1902 for better wages and working conditions launched a major reform in miners’ lives throughout the local region. His leadership was unparalleled in the Great Anthracite Coal Strike of 1902.

Special events for “P.W. Costello: Designer, Engrosser, Illustrator,” will begin at the Anthracite Heritage Museum on Sunday, October 18, 2009, with a lecture on “Costello in Scranton,” presented by Thomas Costello and Darlene Miller-Lanning. The lecture will begin at 2:00 p.m. and is offered as part of the museum’s programming for “Remember Johnny Mitchell Day,” in honor of this United Mine Workers of America leader (for whom Costello produced several engrossings).

From humble beginnings as a breaker boy in the Bellevue section of Scranton, PA, Patrick W. Costello (1866-1935) worked to become a nationally-renowned artist in the field of “engrossing,” where elaborate pen and ink drawings were combined with calligraphic lettering to produce commemorative documents and resolutions. Beginning on October 19, 2009, the Hope Horn Gallery at the University of Scranton will present the exhibition “P.W. Costello: Designer, Engrosser, Illustrator,” showcasing the work of this versatile and prolific penman. The exhibit will close on Friday, November 20, 2009.

Included in the “P.W. Costello: Designer, Engrosser, Illustrator,” exhibition are beautifully-rendered engrossings and portraits by the artist, many on loan from local families and institutions including the Pennsylvania Anthracite Heritage Museum, Lackawanna Historical Society, Everhart Museum, and Elm Park Church. Also included are period reproductions of Costello’s work, found in professional journals like the Business Educator and Western Penman, which featured penmanship samples and lessons by the skilled engrosser. Accompanying the exhibition is a full-color catalog with essays by Thomas Costello, guest curator and great-grandson of the artist; Michael Sull, Master Penman and Costello scholar; and Darlene Miller-Lanning, Ph.D, Director, Hope Horn Gallery, University of Scranton. The project is funded in part by a grant from the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority.

“First Friday” activities for the exhibition on Friday, November 6, 2009, will include a gallery lecture by Thomas Costello and Michael Sull on “The Life and Times of P.W. Costello,” presented in the University of Scranton’s Brennan Hall, Room 228, from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. Following the lecture, a reception will be held at the Hope Horn Gallery, Hyland Hall, 4th Floor, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. The public is welcome to attend free of charge.

The Pennsylvania Anthracite Heritage Museum is located in McDade Park, off Keyser Avenue, in Scranton (Exits 182 or 191B off I-81, and Exit 122 from I-476). The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Sunday from 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m. Please call the Anthracite Heritage Museum at 570-963-4804 for more information or visit www.anthracitemuseum.org.